Welcome to Nashville
Home of hot chicken, country music, and dashed dreams. Find out about the tragic horror and paranormal history that ripples throughout the Music City.
Nashville Ghost Tours explores the sinister underbelly that gives the Music City its undeniable charisma and electricity. Our curated collection of historically-based stories and eye-witness accounts offers an unflinching look at the darker side of Nashville that is only talked about in hushed whispers.
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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 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 find out 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. What about 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, 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 personality of the city as it was, and the place you will see today.
What draws the supernatural to Nashville?
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 any entertainment industry requires a combination of raw talent and lottery-ticket luck that few people actually have.
When people don’t realize their dreams, and even when they do, it can often lead to tragic and horrible circumstances. Our tour offers an uncompromising look at what makes Nashville such a compelling haunted location. 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.
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 the literally hides underneath the city, you will get a glimpse of Nashville that few truly understand.
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
Just 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 would prefer to remain here undisturbed. The cities Red Light district for many years used to be, as the name suggests, a district of printers and publishers.
It became known for the many bars and clubs as well as 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 owner of the original Rainbow Room 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.
His Ghost was left in peace for 13 years until David “Skull” Schulman bought the place, and quickly became the beloved ‘Mayor of printers Alley’ spreading good deeds and cheer often wearing colorful suits. Until he was savagely beaten and killed by two opportunistic robbers. His ghost joined the original owners in haunting Printers Alley which continues to attract revelers and the real characters of Nashville. Who knows, you may hear the voice of one of the future stars of the country music scene.
Tour Info
Our Nashville Ghost Tours take you through 8-12 different sites on and around downtown Broadway, each one ratcheting up the tension more and more. 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 another 30 minutes of chilling stories and historical 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 roughly 30 minutes and an additional 0.66 miles immediately after the first tour ends.
Tickets for our Nashville Ghost Tours must be purchased in advance, and can be found right here on our website. 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 costs additional 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 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
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!
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benettaa2019
December 12, 2019
This tour was so much fun! We learned a lot about our home town and some things we had never heard before! Highly recommend!
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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 not successful, 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, plagued by alcoholism that covered 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 the streets of Nashville, 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 postal service of the US 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, upon a recent renovation a pack of letters from Georgia Edmundson to her beau Charlie Keenan were found.
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. Come 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 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, and not only will you hear about the life and times of these great eras, but the details will be committed to your memories by the unforgettable ghost stories that will bring the vibrant history of Music City to life in your mind.
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?
Our tour guides are passionate about telling accurate and entertaining stories for everyone they meet. The standard tour takes about an hour and everyone will still get a good night’s sleep and do 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 believe everyone should give them a chance. The Nashville Ghosts tour will not try to get you into a séance, or communing with the dead, but we will tell you stories of hauntings from the past that are based in the history books.
The spooky stories and the 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 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 and 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 some of the legendary ghost stories from the Athens of The South.
Nashville Ghosts can help you get the most out your time here, we have the back story on the most fascinating places in town, and you’ll be able to relate stories of what happens in the basements of some of the bars along Printers Alley, to anyone you meet later!
For example, there is a French restaurant on Printers Alley that has in its basement a small grate in a rear wall that leads into the networks of tunnels. Rumor has it 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, treacherous journey on the Underground Railroad, aiming to reach the safety of the North before she gave birth. As recounted in eyewitness accounts the journey was stressful and 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 to a carefully curated set of historical facts and entertaining ghost stories.
On our 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 the state capitol and the grave of President James K. Polk, a minor league but some say, underrated president. Who to this day is on the move!
Take a ‘staycation’ in your own 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.
The 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.
