Macon's Italian Renaissance palace, where staff have documented unexplained activity for decades and a former owner reportedly still searches the house
934 Georgia Ave, Macon, GA 31201
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Regular guided tour: Adults $20, Seniors/Military $18, Students (6–college) $15. Behind-the-Scenes Tour $25. Seasonal ghost tours priced separately through The Georgia Trust (~$45).
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story 1850s mansion; not fully wheelchair accessible. Contact venue for specifics.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1855 · National Historic Landmark · National Register of Historic Places · Designed by James Renwick Jr. (architect of St. Patrick's Cathedral) · Italian Renaissance Revival architecture · Operated by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Construction began in 1855 under New York architect James Renwick Jr., who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, and was completed in 1859. The commission was financed by William Butler Johnston, a Macon merchant, banker, and railroad investor, at a reported cost of $100,000 — an extraordinary sum for the era in middle Georgia. The result was a five-story structure with 18 rooms, a cupola, elaborate plasterwork, and one of the earliest residential indoor plumbing systems in the South.
During the Civil War, the Felton family, who had acquired the property in 1858, used the house for Confederate activities. The house survived Sherman's March, avoiding the burning and looting that struck many Georgia properties, reportedly because Johnston had financial connections that kept it off target lists — though documented evidence for this claim is incomplete.
The Hay family purchased the property in 1926 and gave it its current popular name. Judge William Lawton Hay and his wife Mary Ellen occupied it for decades. In 1977, the family donated the house and its contents to The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, which operates it as a house museum. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sources
The paranormal reputation at Hay House rests primarily on staff testimony rather than visitor reports — unusual for a house museum. A board member with over thirty years of involvement at the property told local media that in all that time there had never been a stretch when staff, contractors, or guests did not experience something they could not explain.
The most specific account involves a figure in period dress rummaging through a chest of drawers, identified by the witness as former owner Mary Ellen Hay — wife of the last private owner, who lived in the house for decades before its donation to The Georgia Trust. The apparition has also been reported independently, described as a woman in 1800s clothing moving through the halls without appearing aware of observers.
Additional reports cluster around physical events: doors slamming in rooms confirmed empty, objects — particularly contractor tools — found moved or displaced from where they were left, and lights cycling without electrical malfunction. Staff reported hearing moaning in the master bedroom.
A paranormal investigation conducted in 2010 reportedly documented full-bodied apparitions. The house's annual 'Haunts and History on the Hill' walking tour, offered in October through The Georgia Trust, incorporates these accounts as part of a broader neighborhood ghost walk through the College Hill Corridor.
Notable Entities
One-hour guided tour through the first three levels of the 1850s Italian Renaissance Revival mansion, covering the Johnston, Felton, and Hay families, the architectural details, and the house's documented history. No advance booking required for individuals; groups should reserve.
Specialty tour accessing the wine cellar, secret room, balcony, and attic — areas not seen on the regular tour. Seasonal availability; $25 per person.
Seasonal walking ghost tour of Hay House and the College Hill Corridor neighborhood. Approximately 1.5 hours; tours begin at 7 PM. Offered several October dates each year. Tickets $45, reservations required through The Georgia Trust.
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