Welcome to Nashville, haunted home of the dark soul of Country Music.

It’s the music - naturally

Nashville has been central to most Country musician’s stories, But Hank Williams Sr. was a legend for his soulful songs like “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and “Hey, Good Lookin’.” He came to Nashville with a career just beginning, dreams in his eyes, and a mean guitar technique he learned from a family friend.

He auditioned for the Grand Old Opry in September of 1946. It was every country singers dream to win a spot on the live show broadcast on the Radio, and the pinnacle of the growing country music scene. His first audition was unsuccessful, and Hank drowned his sorrow, perhaps a little too much at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway.

He eventually made it into the Opry and had a stellar career; however, he was continually plagued by alcoholism that helped mask a troubled past and ongoing chronic pain. A hunting accident added more pain to his life and an addiction to pain killers.

He got less and less reliable and was fired from the Opry for missing his slot once again. He headed straight for Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and leaned heavily on the shoulder of Tootsie, the owner.  He never recovered from the rejection and tragically died in a car crash a few months later. The ghost of Hank Williams Sn. returned to Tootsies to hang around when the music starts playing. Maybe one of the musicians he heard was Willie Nelson, who got one of his first paying gigs at Tootsies.

With this much success and failure flowing in Nashville’s streets, there are always winners and losers, and in the wake of loss, ghosts follow.

See Tootsies and the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Old Opry on the Nashville Ghosts tour route.

Civil War letters

The Civil War had a grave effect on the city. Tearing families apart and ripping young lovers from one another’s arms. The US Postal Service was in its infancy, but letters from that fascinating period do survive.

One such stream of correspondence was found in the walls on a restaurant of the Nashville Ghosts path through the City of Music. Merchants Restaurant has been in business for over 125 years. A pack of letters from Georgia Edmundson to her beau Charlie Keenan were found during a recent renovation.

The letters start out with Georgia full of love for her soldier beau away at the front. But halfway through the correspondence, the tone changes. Veiled accusations start, and the tone drips with disdain. She concluded one letter with an outright accusation of infidelity and confessions of feeling betrayed and heartbroken.

Whatever Charlie Keenan did or didn’t do, he barely survived the Civil War, limping home to Nashville in search of his former love. His search was in vain, and the heartbreak took the ultimate toll. Charlie Keenan took his own life and haunts the restaurant to this day. Book your place on the Nashville Ghosts tour to hear how he still makes his presence felt.

You need a crash course in the history of Nashville, Tennessee

If you came to Nashville for the music, there are many more reasons to prolong your stay. Nashville has a blossoming dining scene and a vibrant art scene. Our ghost tour of Nashville covers the music industry in all its painful glory, but we also dive into the history of Nashville before Country Music was even a glint in its creator’s eye.

All our stories are rooted in historical fact, from the tragic end of President James K. Polk to the hauntings of the Downtown Presbyterian Church following the 2010 floods.

Every major era of the history of this great southern town is covered in our tour. Not only will you hear about the characters from these times, but the details will be committed to your memory thanks to the unforgettable ghost stories.

You want something the whole family can do in Nashville

Our tours are scary, and the ghost stories are based on actual accounts that are well researched. But we are not out to make you lose sleep over the ghosts and ghouls of Nashville.

The whole family is welcome to attend the Nashville Ghosts tour and everyone will find something to entertain and educate them regardless of age.

Kids will be entertained by the fascinating story of Captain Ryman, builder of the auditorium where the Grand Old Opry performs today. And who knows if Taylor Swift has met his ghost backstage while she was performing here?

Your tour guides are passionate about telling you entertaining and accurate stories on the Nashville Ghosts tour. But again, everyone will still get a good night’s sleep after doing one of the most entertaining things there is to do in Nashville.

You don’t Believe in ghosts, but are giving the supernatural a chance

Not everyone believes in ghosts, that’s OK, but we think everyone should at least be open to the possibility. The Nashville Ghosts tour will not try to get you into a séance, or communing with the dead, but we will tell you stories straight out of the history books and share confirmed accounts of ghosts sightings and unexplained phenomena.

Actually standing in the spooky and atmospheric streets of Nashville will bring the stories alive, and although we’ve had many tour participants experience actual ghosts on our tours, everyone has different degrees of perception to the spirits of people from the past.

Children and animals are, in our experience, the most perceptive and open-minded to seeing and believing ghosts. But if you are a fan of Hank Williams Sr. and we tell you the story of his haunting of Tootsies Orchid Lounge it does stand to reason you might be more open-minded than most others. We hope any fans who do consider the tour might be lucky enough to see him walk past them into the bar.

In Nashville and Not Sure of What to Do?

Nashville has a lot to offer the visitor. It’s easy to fill your day with the big sights of the city and then dance the night away along Printers Alley. But that time slot after dinner and before the bars truly get going is the perfect time to soak up some history and the legendary ghost stories from the Athens of The South.

Nashville Ghosts can help you get the most out of your time here. We have the full story of the most fascinating places in town. You’ll be able to share stories of what happens in the basements of some of the bars along Printers Alley!

In one French restaurant on Printers Alley the basement has a small grate in a rear wall that leads into the networks of tunnels. Rumor has it that if you put your ear to the grate, you can sometimes hear the moans of those who lost their lives in these tunnels.

One such story concerns a pregnant slave starting the long and treacherous journey north on the Underground Railroad, aiming to get to relatives in a free city before she gave birth. Eyewitness accounts described the journey as stressful and this brought on early labor for this poor woman, who struggled and screamed in the tunnels right under Printers Alley. Unfortunately, there were complications, and mother and child were both lost that night. The tunnels were the last place to hear their desperate pleas for freedom. Their screams have long been heard in the tunnels that you can peek into from the basement of this French restaurant.

You’ve got a limited amount of time in Nashville

Nashville is a well-connected destination, and you might only have a night or two in town. Our tour will show you the sights and give you a deep dive into a carefully curated set of historical facts and entertaining ghost stories.

On the standard tour, we’ll cover the highlights of the Country Music the town is famous for as well as the buzzing nightspots on Printers Alley. On the extended tour, we’ll visit 4 extra destinations, including the state capitol and the grave of President James K. Polk, a minor league but some say, underrated president, who to this day is still on the move!

Take a ‘staycation’ in your home town

Have you exhausted everything your town has to offer?  Stayed at every hotel, been to every bar or restaurant? How well do you know the history of your own town? Nashville Ghosts is sure to give even the longest resident something new to tell their friends.

Your tour offers new insights into familiar sights, thanks to the deep research that goes into every location on the standard and extended tour. We welcome locals, who often have enlightening anecdotes to share and personal insight to add.

Come and see your town from a brand-new angle with Nashville Ghosts.