Welcome to Nashville, haunted home of the dark soul of Country Music.
Nashville Ghosts exposes the twisted heart that gives Music City its undeniable charisma and electricity.
We have re-opened with the following precautions:
Group sizes are limited
Guests must wear masks or other forms of protection.
Come join us tonight!
Dare you take an unflinching look at the darker side of Nashville, one that is talked about in hushed whispers? Join us tonight to discover the authentic ghost stories and eye-witness accounts of hauntings told from iconic haunted locations across downtown Nashville.
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Natural Disaster, Suicide, and Tunnels, all with a country soundtrack
Nashville has become synonymous with the country music industry. The big three record labels (BMG, Warner, and Universal) each have dedicated iconic buildings in the city, and virtually every country music star has rolled through the town at some point in their career. Our tour will dig into that side of the city while exploring so much more. Walk with us through Broadway’s active nightlife and discover the sinister secrets hidden in some of the area’s most popular locations. Learn about the bar where Hank Williams Sr. still grabs a drink or the storied history of the ghosts legendary Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry radio show.
Listen to tales of the tragic aftermath of the 2010 floods, which subjected Nashville to one in 1,000-year flooding after days of torrential rain. The flooding devastated the whole city and added a deep psychic pain to the whole area. The floods filled the mysterious and beautifully crafted tunnels that snake underneath much of the city and into the Smoky Mountains. Hear about the uses of the tunnels over the years, and the ghosts who haunt them to this day.
The city existed long before the music industry, and while that makes up a large portion of its modern identity, there is a rich history that adds to the depth of the area’s paranormal activity.
The stories on our tour will likely thrill and frighten you, but they will also provide a fascinating window into the city’s personality as it was, and the place you will see today.
What draws the supernatural to Nashville?
Nashville is one of the most active paranormal locations in the country, and after taking this tour, you will know its deepest darkest secrets. When we tell you about the lives impacted by the flood, the terrible acts of a jealous lover, or the dark history that literally hides underneath the city, you will get a glimpse of Nashville that few truly understand.
Nashville is built on the hopes and dreams of musicians from around the world. People flock to the city, hoping to become the next Johnny Cash, but the truth is, there is only one Johnny Cash. Hitting it big in the music industry requires a combination of raw talent and lottery-ticket luck that few people manage.
When people don’t realize their dreams, and even when they do, it can often lead to tragic and horrible circumstances. Our tour offers a steadfast look at what makes Nashville such a haunted city. Every story you will hear on the Nashville Ghosts tour showcases the tragedy that hides behind the sequined cowboy hats and leather fringes of the city’s aspiring musicians.
Our blood-chilling collection of ghost stories will get under your skin and burn into your memory. Long after you leave the city, you will recall the horrifying stories that lay under the glitzy veneer of the Athens of the South.
The many ghosts of Printers Alley
To give you a taste of the tour, here’s a short preview of a couple of the ghost stories from one section of the tour. Printers Alley holds many stories that the people involved here would prefer to remain undisturbed. For many years the city’s Red Light district used to be a district of printers and publishers, hence the name Printers Alley.
It became known for the many bars and clubs and the 2 newspapers, 13 publishers, and many print shops on the narrow street. Dozens of up and coming musicians cut their teeth entertaining the hard to win over crowds down here. Many at the Rainbow Room, now Skulls’ Rainbow Room.
As prohibition threatened to close many of the venues, the original Rainbow Room’s owner scrawled a note that he would rather die than lose his business and home. He shot himself on the third floor, overlooking the bright streetlights of Printers Alley.
The building was abandoned, and his ghost was left in peace to roam the third floor for 13 years until David “Skull” Schulman bought the place. He renovated the bar, embraced the neighborhood, and quickly became the beloved ‘Mayor of printers Alley,’ spreading good deeds and cheer, often wearing colorful suits. Until, one day, Skull was savagely beaten and killed by two opportunistic robbers.
His ghost joined that of the original owner in haunting Printers Alley, which continues to attract revelers and Nashville’s striving musicians. Who knows, you may hear the voice of one of the future stars of the country music scene drifting out of the doors of one of the clubs.
Tour Info
Our Nashville Ghost Tours take you through 8 or 12 different sites around downtown Nashville Broadway, each ratcheting up the tension more than the last. Meet your experienced tour guide outside Skull’s Rainbow Room at 222 Printer’s Alley, at least 15 minutes before your tour’s scheduled departure time.
The standard tour takes about an hour and walks you through several landmark locations around Broadway and Printer’s Alley. If you select the extended tour, you will get an extra 30 minutes of chilling stories and historic locations in the same area!
The Nashville Ghost Tours walking route is a great way to see the amazing sites of downtown Nashville while also getting your fill of the ghostly atmosphere of the city’s most haunted locations. This tour is perfect for first-time visitors to Nashville and seasoned locals alike!
Nashville Ghost Tours is also a family-friendly attraction that is suitable for everyone. So, bring your kids, friends, or a date! We’ll make sure that you have an informative, memorable, and slightly terrifying night. Keep in mind that tours fill up quickly, so reserve your spot early through our website.
Tours begin outside Skull’s Rainbow Room in Printer’s Alley, 222 Printer’s Alley.
Tours are held rain or shine. Please note that we do not go inside the buildings, nor do we meet inside. However, you are more than welcome to tour the public locations at your leisure after the tour has ended.
0.92 miles
The tour is around 1 hour long and is just short of a mile long.
If you choose the extended tour, you will get an extra 30 minutes and an additional 0.66 miles immediately after the first tour ends.
Tour times vary, click the ‘Buy Now’ button to see current times and availability.
Tickets for our Nashville Ghost Tours must be purchased in advance and can be found right here on our website. After purchase, we will have your name on a roster, so no need to print anything out! Bring your ID and show up ready to start the tour!
Adult tickets are $17 and children under 12 are $12.
The extended tour bears an additional cost per person.
You must attend the tour for the date and time of your purchase. Ghost tours are held rain or shine.
Rescheduling may be done upon prior approval and is subject to a rescheduling fee.
Parking is available at several nearby parking garages and lots. Please check your tour time and meeting location in advance so that you may arrive on time. We recommend arriving early to find parking and to ensure that you are not late.
Reviews
Natalie Lucero
October 07, 2020
My husband and I loved the tour. It was a bit hard to hear on the street with all the bands, but we had a blast.
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Norean Godfree
March 30, 2020
The stories the guide told us were super scary and really kept us on our toes during the whole walk!
Read More
Why is Nashville Haunted?
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.
Reasons to Join us on Nashville Ghosts
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.
