Wanna Get Spooked?
Tis’ the season to talk about ghosts. We can all agree on that, right? Unfortunately, we are not BFFs with Bill Murray and the Ghostbusters team, but we’ve had our fair share of ghostly encounters in Nashville. Where do the spirits of Nashville past hang out around town? The answer might surprise you. Read on, brave souls, because it’s about to get haunted. Here are the top 5 places to get spooked:
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The Ghost of Adelicia Acklen
GHOST STORY:
Adelicia Acklen was a total trip, you guys. Known as the “Mistress of Belmont”, she was a high-society southern lady with a ton of sass and power. Her parties brought all the politicians to the yard, and over the years she hosted people like President Andrew Johnson and Alexander Graham Bell. Unfortunately, Adelicia endured ridiculous amounts of tragedy throughout her life, burying two of her husbands and having six of her children die before the age of 12. This tortured, larger-than-life personality has been seen all around the Belmont campus by student and faculty alike. Where can you find her? Apparently she doesn’t stay put in the Belmont Mansion, but wanders the grounds (though she stays near the business school area). Some say she is searching for her lovers lost and dead children, while others think she’s worried Belmont’s going to demolish the mansion to make room for more buildings. Or flower beds. Or parking lots, though we think students would take some ghostly harrassment to be able to park close to Massey.
Carnton Plantation:
Battle of Franklin
GHOST STORY:
The Carnton Plantation is in Franklin, and you might not wanna go at night. This place is said to be the most haunted location in Tennessee. Why? Well, the plantation was the site of the five bloodiest hours of the Civil War during The Battle of Franklin. We’ve heard several tales (not just Wikipedia articles, people, real life stories) of people driving to the house and seeing some crazy spooky things. The most common sighting is that of a Confederate soldier keeping watch over the grounds, and there is often moaning heard coming from the lawn as if those buried underneath are still speaking. The owner of the house, Mrs. McGavock, treated the wounded soldiers during battle until her dress was soaked through with blood, and visitors have reported seeing a woman in the window with a blood-red dress. Those who have spent the night in the house (though that is not currently allowed) have reported shredding of personal items and unfriendly spirits making a lot of scraping noises on the wooden floors. This is a place that does not mess around. NOT for the faint of heart.
Union Station Hotel:
Star-Crossed Lovers
GHOST STORY:
Ryman Auditorium:
Rock Star Ghosts
GHOST STORY:
Okay, so now that we’re all sufficiently freaked out, let’s take a friendly ghost break. We’ve all wanted to hang out with Elvis one time or another. Those baby blues, those controversial dance moves, that hearty laugh…there was a reason he was the king. Well, apparently, he still hangs out at The Ryman. Daughter of the King, Lisa Marie Presley, played a show at the famed music venue recently. While trying to get into her dressing room, she had major difficulty and even recruited the crew to help her open the door. When they reached their collective height of frustration, her father’s iconic laugh was heard through door and the door swung open. We assume Elvis made a special visit to the venue for his daughter’s performance, but we like to think he stuck around and heard Patty Griffin last night, because he’d be crazy not to. Also, the ghost of Hank Williams is said to enter the venue to entertain the staff, because Hank was always a good time. Patsy Cline has been seen late at night in the venue as well, wearing a trademark white and blue checkered dress. Get tickets to a show at the Ryman and spend the night scanning the crowd for a familiar, ghostly face! However, depending on the crowd, you might have a hard time distinguishing the retro-styled hipsters from the legitimate ghosts. Good luck!
Home at the Hermitage:
Ghost of Andrew Jackson
GHOST STORY:
The former home of President Andrew Jackson, the House at Hermitage was abandoned in 1893. Here’s one of many stories (but the first haunting story that we know of): two ladies who were in a society dedicated to the preservation of the house decided to stay the night. They set up pallets on the floor in the front parlor. After sleeping for a few hours, they heard CRAZY noises coming from the kitchen. We are talkin’ pots and pans thrown on the floor, cabinets being smashed, and even horse noises (which is 100% terrifying, because who wants a CRAZY HORSE in their kitchen). When the women neared the kitchen, the noises stopped. However, they did see the ghost of Andrew Jackson after riding into battle, picking up dishes and putting them back in the cabinets. At least we elected a president who turned out to be a super polite (although kind of dramatic) ghost. U-S-A!
So brush up on your Ghost Hunters episodes, and make sure those ghosts know that you come in peace. Maybe you’ll be visited by Elvis or Patsy Cline, but if it’s anyone but a country star, we personally suggest keeping your distance. For Halloween parties, events, and possible ghostly encounters throughout the city, get Wannado to stay in the loop! Be safe, Nashville, because this city can be straight up spooky.
– Your local guide.
