Nashville Ghost and Mystery Tours

Nashville is a very musical city, but there's no denying that it has its fair share of ghost stories. Stick around to read some of the city's best ghost tours.
Nashville Ghost and Mystery Tours

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More about: Nashville Ghost and Mystery Tours

One of the best things to see and do in Nashville, especially during the month of October, is to discover some of the best ghost tours in the city, to learn about the darkest ghost stories that continue to linger in this city.

The best thing about these tours is that the people who usually lead them, have extensive knowledge not only about the ghost stories of the city, but also about the city and its development through history. They are usually done mostly in the afternoon and evening hours.

1. Nashville Killers: 90-minute nighttime walking tour

Tennessee Capitol| ©André Carrotflower
Tennessee Capitol| ©André Carrotflower

This tour is one of the best options especially for adults, because in it you will know not only the dark past of the city, but also you will know different stories of murders, mafias and the very black red light district of Nashville, where there used to be a lot of brothels and many stories of crime.

You will also get to know in depth the stories of murderers and criminals who lived in Nashville and committed the most heinous crimes and misdemeanors. During the tour you will also visit some of the most haunted record stores in the city, where you can also learn about the history of the most famous musicians and singers of all time.

Among the places you will visit during this tour are the Tennessee State Capitol, Cornerstone Square, Printer's Alley and Dream Nashville. In the latter you will learn about the history of The Climax Saloon, a place that dates back to the penultimate decade of the nineteenth century, and thanks to its intricate design of hideouts and false walls, became at the time home to prostitutes, gamblers and alcoholics.

After visiting this last place, you will continue with the group to 201 4th Ave North, to learn about the history of the Maxwell House Hotel, a place where the first wizard of the Ku Klux Klan was baptized and which also ended up destroyed in a fire during a Christmas night. A ghostly and criminal tour of the city of Nashville in just an hour and a half, perfect if you have little time and visit Nashville in 1 day or two.

Details of interest

  • Price: You can find this tour from 32 euros per person.
  • Duration: It lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  • Means of transportation: The tour is completely on foot, so you have to get to the meeting point on your own.
  • Advantages of this option: The tour includes a sightseeing tour led by an expert guide who knows the history of Nashville. Fees and taxes are included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Transportation to and from the hotel or lodging site is not included. Gratuities are not included.

Book a ghost tour

2. Walking tour of Nashville's ghosts

St. Mary's of the Seven Sorrows Catholic Church| ©Josef Lex
St. Mary's of the Seven Sorrows Catholic Church| ©Josef Lex

On this nighttime walking tour of Nashville you'll get a chance to learn about more than just the city's ghost stories. The growth of this city is divided into two periods: before and after the Civil War. That is why in this tour you will learn everything about this armed conflict, and of course all the ghosts it left behind.

The tour is also based on the transformation of the city into a country music mecca after the end of the Civil War. This process brought with it violence, murders, unsolved crimes, among many other dark stories that remain as legends to this day.

During the tour you will learn about the iconic places that have helped make Nashville the city it is today. You will also learn about ghostly and demonic crimes and stories that in many cases, date back 200 years. It is a historical and horror tour that will leave your skin crawling and wanting to know more.

Among the 7 or 8 places that you will get to visit during the night, stand out: St Mary's of the Seven Sorrow Catholic Church, where you will learn the story of Bishop Miles. You will also visit the Ryman Auditorium, which you can also enter using the Nashville City Pass, which is the tourist card of the city, and learn about the life and work of Thomas Ryman and his ghost.

Details of interest

  • Price: You can join this tour by paying approximately €25 per person.
  • Duration: This tour lasts approximately one and a half hours.
  • Means of transportation: This tour is on foot, so you will have to get on your own to the meeting point detailed by the tour guide at the time of booking the tour.
  • Advantages of this option: All taxes and fees are included. Also included is the company of an expert guide with sufficient knowledge about Nashville, its history and its dark side. Assistance animals are allowed and strollers are also welcome.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Not recommended for people with back problems. Transportation to and from the hotel or lodging site is not included. Tips are not included. Entrance fees to the different places to be visited during the tour are not included.

Tour Nashville on foot and meet its ghosts

3. Nashville's Haunted Bars and Spirits Trail

Nashville Bar| ©Kinolamp
Nashville Bar| ©Kinolamp

This is a tour where you will learn about the spooky history of the city and make stops to eat and enjoy the most popular drinks in town, so it can also be considered one of the best food tours in Nashville. Stops will be at Printer's Alley and Hard Rock Café, to enjoy good music as well.

Continuing with the ghost tour of the city, you can also visit old bars that used to function as brothels in Nashville's red light district. Obviously in each of these old bars you will learn the darkest stories of crimes and ghosts that continue to haunt visitors even today.

You will also visit places that once functioned as morgues and even hotels with many years of history and with some dark legends, ghosts and demons that often scare visitors and guests of these hotels. A ghostly experience of height, in which you can make short breaks to replenish energy.

This ghostly itinerary is done in the company of an experienced tour guide, so it is an excellent plan to do in Nashville at night, considering that you will not only learn about ghost stories, but you will also get to know the history of the city and how it has become the musical city it is today.

Details of interest

  • Price: To participate in this experience you will have to pay around 30 euros per person.
  • Duration: It lasts approximately 2 hours.
  • Means of transportation: This tour is completed on foot, so you have to arrive on your own at the meeting point to start the tour.
  • Advantages of this option: It includes the accompaniment of an expert guide who will guide you through the most interesting and obscure places in the city. Entrance fees to Nashville's Hard Rock Café and Printer's Alley are included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Transportation to and from the hotel or lodging site is not included. Gratuities are not included, nor are any drinks or food you may want to order at the bars you enter. Not recommended for pregnant women or people with back problems.

Meet Nashville's haunted pubs

4. Downtown Nashville's Haunted History Walking Tour

Ghost tour| ©Sean Davis
Ghost tour| ©Sean Davis

This tour is one of the best activities you can do in Nashville in October, during the Halloween season, because you will get to know the darkest history of Downtown. One of the things you will love most about this place is that you will get to know each of the stories surrounding the development of Broadway and its dark side. Downtown Nashville has many stories to tell and learn about.

The tour guide will also tell you some spooky details of the 2010 Nashville floods and how the city managed to recover quickly from this catastrophe, leaving in its wake countless stories of ghosts and souls in torment that continue to roam the streets of the city and scare the locals.

Among the iconic places you will visit on this tour are the Benchmark Sports Bar, with its story of a tragic death and of course the Merchants, where you will be told the love story between a Civil War soldier and his girlfriend, whose tragic end ended in suicide. And the ghosts of these people are still present in this place.

Other places that you are going to get to know along with your tour guide during this ghostly tour of downtown are: Ernest Tubb Record Shop, Tootsies Orchid Lounge or the Ryman Auditorium. Many of the stories associated with these places have to do with the Civil War and the makeshift hospitals that were formed in these places to care for the wounded in combat.

Details of Interest

  • Price: You can enjoy this tour for approximately 30 euros per person.
  • Duration: It lasts approximately one to one and a half hours.
  • Means of transportation: The tour is on foot, so you will have to get to the meeting point on your own.
  • Advantages of this option: The visit to 12 historical sites is included. Also included is the company of an expert tour guide who will tell you the ghostly and dark history of the city. The experience takes place with a maximum of 15 participants.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Drinks, meals and tips are not included. Entrance fees to the places you will visit during the tour are not included. This tour is not suitable for people with back problems, pregnant women or people with heart conditions.

5. Ghost Tour for the whole family in private groups

Group tour| ©Patrick Parker
Group tour| ©Patrick Parker

This tour is only for private groups and is ideal for large families, so if you want to go and see some of the best and most haunted places in Nashville, and you want to do it with your family, you can take this tour. It is ideal for all ages, although I recommend that you do not take children under the age of 13 to enjoy this experience.

You will tour the spookiest places in the city and learn about the history behind the ghosts of the Civil War and visit some of the places that served as battlefields during the war. On this tour you will also learn about the history of different murders that have occurred in the city over the years.

You will walk to each of the places with spooky stories in Nashville. One of those places may be the hotel you're staying at, and that's because hotels are some of the most haunted places in Nashville, thanks to the fact that during the Civil War era they functioned as makeshift hospitals to care for the sick and wounded.

Although this tour is on foot, you can also choose the option of taking a carriage tour, which is one of the closest ways to the real thing, to experience firsthand the spooky experiences of making contact with Nashville's most famous ghosts.

Details of interest

  • Price: Prices may vary according to the age of the participants. Children under 5 years old are free. Between the ages of 6 and 11, children must pay an entrance fee of approximately 10 euros. While young people and adults over 12 years old can participate in the tour for approximately 20 euros per person. The price also varies according to the number of participants.
  • Duration: This tour lasts approximately an hour and a half, and generally departs at 21:00, although the time may depend on the tour guide and what the tour guide plans with you and your group.
  • Means of transportation: This tour is on foot, so you will have to get to the meeting point on your own.
  • Advantages of this option: It is a tour for private groups only, so only you and your group participate. It is a tour for the whole family, although it is advisable not to bring small children.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Transfer to and from the hotel or lodging site is not included. No drinks or meals are included during the tour.

How to book a Nashville ghost tour?

Book Online| ©Glenn Carstens-Peters
Book Online| ©Glenn Carstens-Peters

These are some of the best tours in Nashville and booking them is easy. All you have to do is to book online and then wait for the payment instructions, and the whole itinerary of this experience. When you make contact with the sales agent, you will have the opportunity to ask all the questions you have about the tour.

It is important that at the time of booking you ask if it is a tour for the whole family or if you have to leave the children at home. It is also important that you take into account all the characteristics of the tour you want to hire.

One of the things you need to ask about and be clear about when booking a Nashville ghost tour is the cancellation policy, in case you need to cancel the experience because you cannot attend it. Once you have already made the reservation, the company will give you all the itinerary parameters to enjoy your tour.

The confirmation of the reservation usually happens almost immediately after the tour starts, so you have to be alert to the notifications from the tour and travel company for any news.

What will I see and learn about on this type of ghost tour?

Ryman Auditorium| ©DJ Merritt
Ryman Auditorium| ©DJ Merritt

In this type of tours of Nashville and its dark history you will not only have the opportunity to see and learn about the spookiest places in the city, but you will also get to know interesting bars where you can enjoy some drinks and of course, you can taste the traditional southern food.

Another thing you will learn about during this experience is the amount of ghost stories that have remained from the Civil War era, and of course you will also get a deeper look into these events that changed the American history.

You will visit haunted hotels and sites where the souls of people who lost their lives in tragic situations still linger and whose souls are still stranded in these places, haunting locals and visitors alike and crying out for eternal rest. Overall you will get an insight into the history of the city and how it has become what it is today.

Tips for a ghost tour

Comfortable shoes| ©Alexandra Tran
Comfortable shoes| ©Alexandra Tran
  • Take youngsters no younger than 13 years old, for a better enjoyment of the experience, without unexpected scares.
  • Wear comfortable shoes, because most of these tours are done on foot, except for one that has the option to be done by carriage, but they are usually done on foot.
  • Always eat something before going on the tour, because they usually last between one and two hours, and in some cases you will not have the opportunity to stop at a bar to eat.
  • Be mentally prepared before doing this tour, because you may be in for a lot of surprises along the way.

Why is it advisable to take a ghost tour in Nashville?

Costumed guide| ©Georgie Asbury
Costumed guide| ©Georgie Asbury

I recommend this type of tour because not only will you learn about the ghost stories, but you will also learn all about the development of the city of Nashville and how it became the musical city it is today.

I also recommend this tour because it is one of the best options if you want to spend a different time knowing the spookiest stories of the city, and doing a fun tour at night with different people, or with your own group.

Reviews from other travellers

4.6
· 2194 Reviews
  • N
    N.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    The best of Nashville at night is appreciated with this tour. A complete tour of the history and the place. I highly recommend it!
  • S
    S.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Very good activity to do with friends
  • M
    M.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Excellent tour.
  • A
    A.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Every story there is behind Nashville! Incredible pubs too.
  • G
    G.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    The guide was very good! He gave that touch of terror that the tour had. It would be nothing without him.