Nine haunted places to visit in East Tennessee, if you dare
Keenan ThomasOctober is the spookiest month of the year. What better time to read about haunted locations nearby?
From downtown theatres to closed penitentiaries, there are several historically haunted spots in and around Knoxville. A few brave Knox News staffers have even ventured to look for ghosts themselves!
For those curious about visiting any of these sites in Knoxville and East Tennessee, be careful not only for the sake of the lost souls, but also because some locations are privately owned.
It never hurts to check if ghost tours are available, so ghost hunt responsibly!
Alexander Inn in Oak Ridge
In a city filled with history and intrigue, the Alexander Inn (otherwise known as the Guest House) fits right in.
The inn first opened in the 1940s and housed several members involved with the World War II Manhattan Project, including J. Robert Oppenheimer and Gen. Leslie Groves. It fell into disrepair in the 1990s before getting a renovation and reopening as a senior living home.
The haunted aspects of the location have been investigated by local paranormal services, but it's unclear how truly spooky it is. Legend says it's got some ghosts, though.
At the moment, it is privately operated, so ghost hunters won't be able to explore the premises. But the history of the building is worth reading into and coming to your own haunted conclusions.
The Oak RidgerA look into the Alexander Inn's history
Baker Peters House in Knoxville
Heading west of Knoxville, one building stands out from the rest: the Baker Peters House at 9000 Kingston Pike.
Built in 1830, the house was used by Confederate supporter Dr. James Harvey Baker. He died in 1863 when Union soldiers raided his house. Baker's son Abner was fighting the war, but was hanged after the war for shooting a former Union soldier named William Hall.
In the late 19th century, George Peters purchased the house. It is currently the home of Finn's Restaurant and Tavern.
With a dead Confederate supporter looming over it, the house has become a historical landmark in Knoxville. Finn's does ghost tours of the house, with an upcoming one on Oct. 23. The tour guides guests through the house while telling the story of what happened there. Tickets are available now!
The Bijou Theatre in Knoxville
The Bijou Theatre on Gay Street is one of the most well-known haunted Knoxville buildings.
The building was completed in 1817, a year after the owner Thomas Humes died. It changed hands and operated as a hotel called The Lamar House.
In 1857, the building was owned by Col. William H. Sneed and became a hospital during the Civil War. Famously, Gen. William P. Sanders died in the hotel's bridal suite in 1863.
The building became a theater in 1909, but operated in disrepair for most of the 20th century. It was renovated in 2005 and has operated as a thriving artistic center ever since.
With over 200 years of history as a hotel, brothel, Civil War hospital and a theater, souls must be trapped within the Bijou's walls and backstage nooks and crannies. Several local ghost hunters have explored the building, including the Tennessee Wraith Chasers in 2020. The theater has hosted its own ghost tours because of the intense curiosity.
So definitely look around next time you catch a show there!
Brushy Mountain in Petros
Brushy Mountain is arguably one of the most recognizable haunted locations in East Tennessee, and what better way to round out this list than by diving into it.
Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary opened in 1896 and served as one of Tennessee's high-security prisons. Notable parts of the prison's history include supplying inmates for the Coal Creek Company, housing several high-profile inmates including MLK assassin James Earl Ray. It was classified as a maximum-security prison in the 1960s. Several inmates died within the walls of the penitentiary.
It closed as a prison in 2009.
Now, Brushy Mountain operates as a tourist spot with a store, restaurant and even a concert venue. The former prison hosts ghost tours. Knox News conducted its own investigation into the prison's paranormal activity with reporter Ryan Wilusz.
He said it's "not a place I'd want to be back then, not a place I want to be now" during his tour.
Full story:Is Brushy Mountain haunted? Ryan Wilusz faces the paranormal with only a flashlight
Daugherty Furniture Building in Clinton
In historic downtown Clinton, one building stands out along Main Street.
The Daugherty Furniture Building was first built in 1942. It was owned and operated by J. R. Daugherty, who also lived in the building until his death in 1985.
The current owner Craig Hansen runs Cadence Craft and Trade. In 2018, he spoke with The Courier News about all of the ghost sightings he witnessed, including furniture moving on its own, lights turning on after he locked up and footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Head to 307 Main St. in Clinton and maybe you can see the spirit of the Daugherty Furniture Building in the window for yourself!
Drummond Bridge in Briceville
This bridge in Briceville might just be one of the most frightening spots in East Tennessee
The Drummond Bridge is named after Richard Drummond, a coal miner who got caught up in the Coal Creek War of 1891-1892. The conflict began as a wage dispute and it turned into an armed fight with the Tennessee State Militia stepping in. Drummond was a 25-year-old miner who killed Private William Laugherty. Drummond was lynched and hung from the bridge, according to a New York Times article from 1893.
The website gatlinburghaunts.com reports that you can hear gasping and that animals refuse to go near the site. If you're brave enough to make the trip to Briceville, Drummond Bridge might be one of the scariest places to visit.
The Greenbrier Restaurant in Gatlinburg
It's one thing to visit a haunted location, but it's something else to eat at one.
The Greenbrier Restaurant is quite lovely, but it holds a dark past. It opened in the 1930s as a lodge before functioning as a restaurant. In the 1930s, a guest named Lydia took her own life on the second floor after being stood up at what was supposed to be her wedding, according to gatlinburghaunts.com.
It's said her spirit still haunts the Greenbrier and you can sometimes see her on the second floor. The restaurant has acknowledged her presence and has further immortalized her by naming a drink after her on the menu.
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Greystone Camp House in Knoxville
The Greystone Camp House even looks like a haunted mansion!
The house was built in 1890 and owned by Major Eldad Cicero Camp Jr. He initially moved to Knoxville after the Civil War and eventually was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, along with organizing the Coal Creek Company. He died in 1920. The home was sold in 1935 and used as apartments until WATE-TV purchased it in 1965.
WATE-TV still operates within the Greystone Camp House, and offers tours of the studio. The news station did look into the paranormal aspects of the property in May with investigators staying in the mansion overnight. Workers at WATE-TV reported incidences of hair pulling, ghost sightings and being pushed down the stairs. The investigators said they contacted a ghost: Camp's mother Minerva!
Wheatlands Plantation in Sevierville
In the heart of Sevierville, a historic home bore witness to several atrocities.
Built in 1791, the Wheatlands Plantation was originally owned by Timothy Chandler. The land was used as a plantation with slave labor until the end of the Civil War. Before that, the grounds were the site of the Battle of Boyd's Creek, a 1780 Revolutionary War battle between white settlers and Cherokee natives. There's a mass Native American grave along with several rows of headstones on the property.
According to nashvilleghosts.com, the dark history of the property is filled with around 70 murders. Visitors have reported several ghost sightings, including a girl wandering in a blue dress, blood stains that appear on the floor and enslave children still running around.
Currently, the property is privately owned and unavailable for tours. But the historic site is included on the Boyd's Creek Fall Driving Tour for those interested feeling the vibe at in this historically haunted location.