Haunts to Visit, Ghosts to See: Tennessee Entertainment at it's Best!

The rolling hills of Tennessee are undoubtedly beautiful at any time of the year, along with its myriad of rocky gorges and breathtaking rivers and tree-studded hills. The state boasts a history rich with discovery, adventure, pride and ghosts… ghosts?

Well, call them what you will. Strange sightings, electro-magnetic disturbances, lost ones, shadow people, I'm sure if you live in one of the towns whose history boasts of a 'ghost story', you either dismiss the idea as ludicrous or you embrace the idea with enthusiasm. There are fancy names for 'ghost hunters' and scientific data that supposedly explain these apparitions away these days, but I'm not even going to try to spell them. I'm not leaning one way or the other on this subject either, but planting myself firmly on my imaginary fence as I relate them. If you like ghost hunting, there's plenty of places to begin your quest, enough locations scattered around Tennessee to beckon both the thrill seeker and the merely curious for days… or nights if you dare. The most likely starting place to begin your trek is through Tennessee's western counties, where most of the tales originate.

In Gibson County, the towns of Trenton and Medina both claim 'mysterious apparitions'. The story behind 'The Doll House' in Medina's Hope Hill Cemetery is a sad tale of a small child assaulted and murdered by her uncle. Her loving family erected a dollhouse to encompass her grave, and it's told that at night visitors can occasionally see and hear the gentle laughter and singsong voice of a girl playing with her dolls inside the miniature dwelling.

Sleepy Hollow Lane, in the town of Trenton, has also endured strange occurrences. It's rumored that if visitors stop and park their car, roll down the window at that specific spot and shout, "Come to me!" three times, they'll likely get more than they bargained for. I'll leave that one for some other brave soul to try.

Heading northeast, try Henry County next, the city of Paris to be exact, and Dumpling Hill Cemetery to be precise. It's claimed the ghost of an unfortunate slave hung for a minor infraction is often seen and heard chasing the curious away - I think I'll pass on this one too.

Further east in Dickson County is a place called White Bluff. While I'm reasonable sure that every Tennessee native has heard the tale of the White Screamer, perhaps there are some who haven't. Apparently, no one knows the origins of the misty form that emits hair-raising wails and screams near White Bluff, but its legend was cemented in history in the 1920's after a man built a home for his family down in that particular hollow. But, the story goes, they were forced to endure awful, spine-tingling noises every night until one evening, the husband had had enough. He left his house with a shotgun to hunt down the culprit. He reached the top of a hill overlooking the hollow and heard screaming again, only this time the cries came from his own family. By the time he arrived back at his home, his entire family, wife and seven children, were dead, pieces of their bodies tossed all over the house. If you're really brave, you can drive down into the hollow to view the still standing house foundation and the graves of the slain family members.

Okay, moving right along, it's time to head east again to Williamson County, to the town of Franklin. Once there, drive to the Carnton Mansion on Carnton Lane. During the Civil War, the woman who lived there, Caroline Winder McGavock, provided succor to five wounded Confederate officers. Unfortunately, they died on her porch. Since her death, she's been seen at various locations in and around the house, perhaps still looking for those in need. But wait, there's more! Reports of at least one of those Confederate officers riding through the fields surrounding the mansion have been duly noted.

In neighboring Rutherford County, the town of Smyrna boasts a tale of a haunted farmhouse - a farmhouse where a doctor and his wife used to live. But alas, she grew ill and despite his every attempt to save her, she died. Distraught and unable to live with his guilt for not having been able to save her, the doctor hanged himself. There are those who claim to see the apparition of a white-coated man mournfully walking the grounds surrounding the farmhouse to this day.

I've saved the best one for last. For this ghost hunt, one must drive north to Robertson County, to the town of Adams. Ah, you know the story I'm talking about, don't you? You know, the one about the Bell Witch… the best-known 'haunting' tale in Tennessee. Well, for those of you that don't know, it's one of the most famous haunted places in American History. This eerie tale consists of creatures, voices, poltergeists and the death of John Bell. Way back in 1817, strange rapping and knocking noises in the home plagued the Bell family. They soon found themselves at the mercy of a spirit that pulled covers off their beds at night, scratched the children and caused general havoc within the dwelling. The spirit is told to have identified itself as the witch of Kate Batts, a neighbor of the Bells with whom Mister Bell had business dealings. Apparently, there was a dispute over some transactions that left Ms. Batts quite angry and frustrated. After her death, Kate returned to plague not only the Bell family, but many other unfortunate residents of the county in revenge. She tormented poor Mister Bell for years until he grew mysteriously ill. She would not let him rest, but constantly disturbed him as he tried to rest and sleep until one day his family found him dead, a small bottle bearing a small amount of strange black fluid laying beside him. The Bell Witch is said to have attended his funeral, and was heard to cackle and sing with joy by many of the attendees as he was buried. She made periodic appearances after that, but she has not been seen since just prior to the Civil War. Still, a cave on the property is purported to be haunted to this day by the Bell Witch, and the current owners of the former Bell house claim that poltergeist activity still occurs within its walls.

So, if you're the brave, adventurous sort, take to the winding roads of Tennessee and put some spark into your vacation plans. Then, after you've gotten your feet wet and your curiosity piqued, head on over to Virginia, which is teaming with ghosts, specters, and poltergeists… so, sweet dreams, and don't let your legs dangle over the edge of your bed.