5 Unbelievably Creepy Haunted Locations in Tennessee

The Tennessee State Prison was erected in 1898 and operated for nearly 100 years until its closing in 1992. The prison has become famous for a number of reasons.

The institution first gained notoriety for its large number of attempted breakouts and riots, as well as its inhumane conditions and severe overcrowding issues. The building gained some more positive attention when it served as the filming location for The Green Mile, Ernest Goes to Jail, and The Last Castle.

Some interesting tidbits about the facility include the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassin was housed there, and Johnny Cash visited in 1968 to perform for the inmates. A less charming anecdote is that over 100 prisoners were executed here by the electric chair, known as “Old Sparky.”

Today, this abandoned building's claim to fame is its large paranormal presence. It's said that many of the unfortunate souls that were taken by “Old Sparky” still roam the property.

Visitors report cell doors closing on their own and inexplicable cold spots. Some say they can hear sounds and voices throughout the facility, and bootprints are left behind in the path of phantom footsteps.

During the Civil War, the Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6th and 7th of 1862, resulting in more than 23,000 casualties.

The Federal troops on the Tennessee River were surprised by a force of 40,000 Confederates. However, the Union soldiers were fierce enough to hold their own, eventually causing a Confederate retreat and a Union victory.

In a place of so much bloodshed, it's not that surprising that there are so many reports of paranormal activity. One of the more common—and more chilling—accounts is that the pond is sometimes colored red with blood.

If you pay the area a visit at night, you are very likely to run into several spirits of the soldiers lost at war.

The Orpheum Theatre first opened in 1928, built upon the site of the Grand Opera House, which was lost to a horrific fire in 1923. This architectural beauty proudly opens up its doors to a number of traveling Broadway productions, boasting 2,308 seats in the audience.

One of these seats just so happens to be claimed by a ghost.

The spirit of a young girl named Mary—said who have perished in an accident nearby—has lingered behind in this building for decades. She can often be spotted in her favorite seat, the balcony's C5, or otherwise heard giggling as she runs up and down the aisles.

While in rehearsals for The King & I in 1982, legendary stage and film actor Yul Brynner spotted Mary himself. Those who have seen her say she wears a white dress and has long brown hair styled into a braid.

As one can imagine with any plantation, the Wheatlands Plantation has a horrific, gruesome history. The large number of unsettled spirits here make this locale one of the most haunted plantations in the country.

The land this Plantation is built on served as a battleground during both the Revolutionary War and Civil War. This land is not only home to nearly 70 unmarked graves of enslaved Africans, but a mass grave for roughly 28 Cherokee Indians.

Paranormal investigators claim that they could hear the spirits of these long-gone Cherokee chanting together through a spirit box.

The house that stands on the land today was not the first. The original house was actually consumed by a fire in 1825, taking with it four children.

People believe one of these children still haunts the property. A large number of reports claim that a youthful spirit hangs behind in the basement of the current building, making it difficult to breathe down there and inducing uncontrollable crying.

There have been an unfathomable 70 known murders on this property, including that of the owner's grandson. After the owner left the property to her grandson, his jealous father angrily confronted him, only to have his son murder him with an iron poker.

The parlor is still stained with blood from the incident. In fact, no matter how many times the blood stains are removed, they keep returning…

The tale of the Bell Witch is one of Tennessee's most famous ghost stories.

It's said that a man by the name of John Bell and his family were tormented by a malicious witch, Kate Batts, for many years. This torment mirrored poltergeist activity, allegedly including things like objects moving on their own, strange sounds, and physical ailments.

This unsettling phenomenon spooked even Andrew Jackson, who refused to stay overnight in the Bell home. He's quoted as saying, "I had rather face the entire British Army than to spend another night with the Bell Witch.”

Bell's daughter, Betsy, seemed to be terrorized the most. After the death of her father, Betsy was discouraged by the witch not to marry the boy she loved, Joshua Gardner.

After this incident, the witch is said to have retired away in what is now known as the Bell Witch Cave, next to the Bell farm. Her spirit still haunts this eerie locale.

Those who are brave enough to pay a visit to the cave experience things similar to the haunting of the Bell family. Odd, incorrect animals have been spotted around the area, followed by the sound of rattling chains and inexplicable knocking.