The Union Station Hotel was once the bustling Train Station of Nashville for decades. In 1918, this was the location of one of America’s most devastating train wrecks now known as The Great Train Wreck of 1918. Old train stations can become gathering places for the spirits. This train station is certainly no different. Spectral visitations have been plentiful since this wreck. Many visitors to Union Station describe odd laughter, banging noises, moving objects, and strange smells. Several floors of the hotel appear to be haunted and those that spend several nights in the hotel often report hearing and seeing ghosts. Random lights turning on and off followed by intense, loud knocks at doors are commonplace occurrences. Hotel staff are strictly forbidden to speak of the activity and will not directly discuss it with guests.
Room 912
And it has its ghosts too. For years, guests have reported the sounds of a baby crying all night from Room 912 (formerly 910). When someone is sent up to check on it, the crying stops immediately when the door is opened and the room turns out to be empty. Legend says that a baby died during a stay and has never left the building. At times, the ghost of a woman is reportedly seen trying to soothe the baby’s cries. Despite the fact that the room is supposed to unoccupied, the reports persist to this day. The room was initially Room 910 in the Hotel, but was reportedly changed when the walls between rooms was taken down to make for a larger suite. Today, Room 910 does not exist and some believe the Hotel is trying to escape its notorious reputation.
Other Ghosts
A woman dressed all in white has been spotted gliding throughout the hotel, while there have various other sightings of a different woman in Victorian wardrobe on the first floor. Finally, a giant mirror in the lobby has been reported to crack at the top, then suddenly mend itself back together in front of the surprised eyes of staff and guests.
Belmont University is a beautiful university
located in Nashville. One of its most prominent features is Belmont Mansion,
located on the campus. The mansion was built in 1850 and inhabited by Adelicia
Acklen, who was noted as being good at manipulating men. As a result, she
become one of the most wealthy women in the South. Even after the Civil War,
when many in the South found themselves bankrupt, she continued to flourish.
The luxurious parties and balls held there became known all over the nation,
and became the stuff of legends. When Adelicia died in 1887, the mansion was
sold. It became a girl’s school for many years, until Belmont University began
there during the 1950s.
Adelicia Acklen remains a controversial figure
today, seen by some as heroic and others as simply an opportunist. Despite her
lavish lifestyle, her life certainly had its share of pain. She lost several
children to diseases, and this hurt her very badly. Some say this is why her
ghost still haunts the mansion today: she is still longing for her children to
return. Others say she haunts the place purely for greed: it’s often said “you
can’t take it with you,” and when she realized she couldn’t, her spirit
returned to the mansion she loved so much in life. Either way, there are a
number of stories of her presence, dating back years.
Many students and faculty claim to have seen
the ghostly figure of a antebellum area woman walking the halls of Belmont
Mansion at night, or seen her staring out the window. One of the most amazing
accounts comes from a woman who claims to have come face to face with Adelicia
one night. She says she was passing through a hall, when she rounded a corner
and came face to face with a ghost of a woman dressed in a lavish, 1800s style
dress. Needless to say, she exited the premise fairly quickly!
In any event, don’t be surprised if you see
such a figure in Belmont Mansion late at night. Be afraid, but don’t be
surprised
The Ryman Auditorium was originally constructed in the late 1800s by a man named Thomas Green Ryman who wanted an indoor venue for individuals who wished to attend the religious “tent revivals” that were popular during that era. The building was completed in the year of 1892 and was given the name “Union Gospel Tabernacle” which was kept until the year of 1904 when Thomas Ryan passed away and during his funeral services it was elected that it be renamed the “Ryman Auditorium” in honor of Mr. Ryman. In the year of 1943, the Ryman Auditorium was chosen as the new location for the extremely popular “Grand Ole Opry” show and eventually became known by its most famous name the “Grand Ole Opry House”.
The Ryman remained the home of the Grand Ole Opry for thirty one years until 1974 when it was relocated to a larger facility in Opryland specifically built for the show and officially named “The Grand Ole Opry House.” The Ryman Auditorium slowly deteriorated over time to the point where it was once considered for demolition until the early 1990s when several concerts performed by Emmylou Harris at the auditorium were recorded live and released on an album entitled “At the Ryman”. These performances played a significant role in the decision to restore the Ryman and renovations were completed in the year of 1994. Due to a legend that has been called “the Grand Ole Opry Curse” and numerous reports of suspected paranormal activity made throughout the years, the Ryman auditorium has been added to the list of the many haunted places in Tennessee. The “Opry Curse” is a legend that has been around at least since the early 1970s and is based upon the fact that many individuals associated with the Grand Ole Opry have been the victims of untimely and tragic deaths. It is believed that over thirty five individuals have been the victim of the “Opry Curse” including the separate plane crashes that took the lives of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves, the murder of “Stringbean Akeman”, a car crash that took the life of Ira Louvin, and a fire that caused the death of "Texas Ruby" Fox.
There are several different spirits that are said to haunt the Ryman Auditorium and while there are several haunted places in Tennessee, the names associated with some of these ghosts make it one of the most notable. It is believed by some of the employees at the Ryman that they have seen the ghost of who they believe to be Hank Williams Sr. backstage and one individual that reported seeing a “white mist” on the stage itself that they believe was Hank Williams singing. The ghost of Hank has reportedly also been seen in an alley way behind the Ryman that leads to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge which was an establishment where Mr. Williams reportedly frequented when performing at the Ryman.
Another frequently reported sighting is that of what appears to be a male figure dressed in all gray clothing and has become known simply as “The Gray Man”. While it has not been reported that this figure has been seen during the actual performances, he has been seen several times either during the rehearsals or after the performances sitting in the balcony area observing the stage. However, when an attempt is made to locate this individual in the balcony he is no where to be found. It has been said that the gray man is seen so frequently that many individuals have come to look for him when preparing for an upcoming performance.
Another spirit that is said to make his presence known at the Ryman is that of the original owner Thomas Ryman. Many believe that Mr. Ryman has made it clear that he has disapproved of some of the performances in the past by creating disturbances in the way of loud noises that cause interferences with these particular shows. These are just a few of the ghosts that are said to be haunting the Ryman Auditorium, therefore, you may want to include the Ryman on your list if you are interested in visiting haunted places in Tennessee.
Happy Halloween!
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