The Hermitage has long been one of the most renowned institutions among the attractions surrounding Nashville. There aren’t too many family friendly attractions that call the Music City home, but the home, and final resting place, of the seventh President of the United States of America, is certainly chief among them. I can remember venturing out to The Hermitage on a field trip when I was a wee lad at Gladeville Elementary. I’ve attended a wedding at The Hermitage. It is as much apart of the fabric of Nashville as anything else.
So, I was delighted to discover that they actually offer ghost tours on the premises after hours. When the esteemed Heather Holloway McCash suggested that we should go when we were all lounging around in between shows at the 2022 SoBros Content Retreat, my wife and I jumped at the chance to join the party. Last Saturday, it was time to actually make the trip.
We arrived on the fabled grounds around 8PM. They were hosting a special wine tasting – $3 for some of Natchez Hills Winery’s finest. Of course, I couldn’t hold myself to just a tasting, so I had to have a glass as well. The tour started promptly at 8:30PM, and without giving too much away, I’ll say a few things. One, it was an absolutely gorgeous night. There was a cool breeze flowing through the trees, carrying with it whispers of more than two hundred years of history. If nothing else, a stroll throughout the property by lantern light was peaceful and tranquil enough. Be warned, though – it is dark. And, I’m not talking about a regular dark…I’m talking about “you can’t see 20 feet away from you” dark. Some folks on our tour group opted to light the way via their cell phone flashlights, and honestly, that probably kept me from rolling an ankle a time or two.
Two, it was very much more of a history lesson than it was a haunted tour. Nothing is going to jump out and scare you. There weren’t any real bone-chilling tales of hauntings throughout the property. What we got, instead, was basically a tour of the mansion with a few spooky tales sprinkled in. We learned a little about Jackson’s chance ties to the Bell Witch, probably (at least off the top of my head) the most iconic ghost story in Tennessee’s history. Our guides talked in depth about the Battle of New Orleans, the construction of the mansion itself, how weird history can be (with some eerie examples), an attempted grave robbery, and much more. We poked our guides a little bit with questions about hauntings and some of the creepy things that have happened on the property, and they were willing to indulge us a bit, but it wasn’t necessarily advertised, which I found to be a bit surprising.
To be completely transparent, I heard several folks in our group complaining about the lack of any truly haunting stories at all. I can understand the disappointment if you’re expecting some good spooky stories from what has been rumored to be one of the most haunted places around town. I guess that would be my qualifier for this tour – if you want something truly scary, go to a haunted house. Also, factor in the weather because these tours are rain or shine. If we didn’t luck out with such a beautiful night, the experience might’ve been a lot different.
If you’re looking for something that will scare the literal shit out of you, this probably isn’t it. But, I’ll say that I did feel some really weird energy around and in the mansion itself, and out in the cemetery. For a history nerd like me who is also catastrophic when faced with jump scares, it was perfect to get me in the Halloween spirit. I quite enjoyed it, and could easily see myself doing it regularly this time of year. For more on the ghost tours at The Hermitage, and to book your tickets, scope out The Hermitage’s website here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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