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Haunted places in Tri-Cities Appalachia

The Broad River Inn in Chimney Rock, NC

You may recognize Chimney Rock from the film “The Last of the Mohicans.” This inn provides a picturesque setting along the Rocky Broad River, in Western North Carolina. In addition to quaint and cozy rooms with separate balconies, the property includes a restaurant and a miniature golf course. We didn’t notice an elevator, so ask about accessibility at booking.

This inn is good for travelers to the area who would like to stay somewhere more rural and peaceful than the city of Asheville. Or, for those who’d like to potentially witness some mild paranormal activity in an otherwise cozy setting.​ You can visit the Broad River Inn website here.

Is The Broad River Inn Haunted?

One employee said she experiences fleeting amnesia and disorientation every time she passes through a particular area. Two of our friends had a similar experience in the hallway outside room number 4. They both remembered a full length mirror hanging on the wall where the odd disorientation occurred. Strangely, those of us who didn’t have that experience recall a painting hanging on that wall, rather than a mirror. Perhaps relatedly, the spot where the inn is now used to be a stage coach stop. Both inns and travel stops are liminal spaces. This location followed the trend of liminal spaces being haunted by phantoms that come and go, instead of consistent characters.

In a one-off paranormal event in this inn, an employee told us of a water leak in the bar’s ceiling. Water appeared to be dripping from room number 3. Except when she went to investigate, she found nothing wet in the room above. When she returned downstairs, the leak had vanished.

All five of us had dreams about being in the rooms we were actually sleeping in. This differs from our normal dreams, which usually take place in random locations that have nothing to do with where our sleeping bodies lie.

Chimney Rock is also the location of another very haunted inn. Becky’s family has stayed at the haunted Lake Lure Inn since this episode, where her son had an even more intense ghostly experience.

The Nickerson Snead House in Glade Spring, VA

Originally constructed as a two-room log cabin by Francis Kincannon, the house served as a fort during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War in the mid 18th century. In 1835, Dr. Snead acquired the property, expanding it into an Antebellum mansion. Because of the gradual expansions of the property, inside rooms feature exterior windows and exposed brick and log walls. The incongruity creates an overall sense of disorientation, that really helps amplify the haunted vibe. The house also functioned as a Civil War hospital. As such, its tiny, creepy cellar was used as a morgue during the war.

Over the years, the property changed hands several times. The Mason family owned it from the late 1800s until the 1980s. Ronda Caudill, recent guest on our podcast, transformed it into a museum in 2004. Today, the museum is a delightfully goth menagerie of arcane oddities, intriguing antiques, and goofy Halloween decorations.

The Nickerson Snead House Museum hosts a variety of events. Festivals, séances, and paranormal investigations happen on a regular basis. At Halloween, the real haunted house becomes a haunted attraction. Ronda recently opened the house to overnight guests as a haunted B&B. Becky, Diana, and friends had the honor of being the first overnight guests in the newly opened B&B!

Is The Nickerson Snead House Haunted?

Uhhhh, that’s a resounding “hell yes”! Deaths on the property include a young boy who was kicked by a horse, and two 1-year-old babies named William. The property was a fort that saw combat, and later became a surgery, so surely soldiers perished there as well. Investigators have captured images of several entities on the property. Repeat guests include Dr. and Betsy Sneed, Josephine, and Douglas, as well as a few unnamed children and soldiers.

Perhaps most creepily, Becky had a prophetic dream about this house long before seeing it in person. She tells us about it in this episode. Listen to Ronda tell Becky and Diana all about the ghosts at the Nickerson Snead House:

For more details and events at the Nickerson Snead House, please visit their official website here.

The Exchange Place in Kingsport, TN

Becky volunteered at this historic landmark when she was much younger. We pet a donkey, and saw some nekkid sheep. Initially part of a land grant given in 1750, it was developed by John Gaines post-1812 as a hub on the Old Stage Road for trading goods and currency. Later owned by the Preston family, the property was a significant local economic center until after the Civil War.

Today, the Exchange Place in Kingsport, Tennessee, is a living history farm that illustrates Appalachian life during the 1830s-1850s. It operates as a museum, and a meeting space for quilters and weavers, including educational programs and events. For more details or to plan a visit, see their official site: Exchange Place.

Is The Exchange Place Haunted?

People see the apparition of Aunt El, previous resident of the house before it became a historical landmark. We actually received a tour of the property by a descendent of Aunt El. We’ll let you know on Patreon what we find when we listen for EVPs!

The Deery Inn in Blountville, TN

Originally the building was a post office and general store on the Great Stage Road. The Deery also served as a key inn during the 19th century, hosting historical figures including Presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. During the Civil War, the inn was spared from destruction in the Battle of Blountville through strategic bribery by Gideon Cates. Today, it functions as a museum, managed by the Sullivan County Historical Preservation Association.

Plan a visit at the Deery Inn on the Historic Sullivan site or read about it on the Tennessee Vacation website. And while you’re there, do head across the street to the Ralph Blizzard Fiddling Museum. They have a neato display where you can visualize exactly how different sound waves are generated by the body of a violin. I won’t give away the whole plot here…let’s just say there was A LOT of glitter in that two room cabin.

Is The Deery Inn Haunted?

Ronda has investigated there, and found quite a bit of evidence that yes, the Deery Inn is haunted. While we were there, a bellows apparently moved on its own, according to one docent. We hope to do some paranormal investigating there someday. Until then, if you have any information about the ghosts of the Deery Inn, please get in touch to tell us about them!

The Historic Utopian Town of Rugby, TN

Founded in 1880 by British author Thomas Hughes, Rugby, Tennessee, was established as a utopian community for the younger sons of English gentry. It aimed to create a class-free society focused on agriculture and Christian values. Despite early struggles with disease and fires, Rugby is preserved as a historic site that showcases Victorian-era fronteering life. Historic Rugby, Inc., offers tours, lodging, and cultural events, maintaining an educational focus. For more information, visit the Historic Rugby website. Our friends at History, Highways, and Haunts, LLC, do the nighttime paranormal tours in Rugby.

If you visit, we recommend printing out a paper map. It sure is remote!

Is Historic Rugby Haunted?

Becky and Diana got the most intelligent responses and objective findings they’ve ever found on a paranormal investigation. We also got to play with a new ghost hunting toy—er, tool. This ghost trip wire allowed us to have the most comprehensive and interactive conversation we’ve ever had with a ghost. We’ll be posting the ghost evidence that we caught on our recordings and cameras over on our Patreon soon.

The Old Scott County Jail in Huntsville, TN

The 1904 Scott County Jail originally held about 50 inmates above and the jailer’s family below. 1922 saw the addition of a third floor for maximum security prisoners. Because of safety violations, a new jail was opened in the 1960s, but then the old jail had to be reopened due to inconvenient escapes from the new facility. The old jail permanently closed in 2008, following the construction of a modern justice center.

Today, it stands as a museum operated by History, Highways, and Haunts, LLC. Our friends Miranda Young and Kristy Sumner run the company. They offer tours that explore the jail’s history, paranormal activities, and architecture, reflecting its legacy on the National Register of Historic Places in Appalachia.​ Book a tour at the Historic Scott County Jail here. Or, plan a more comprehensive trip to Scott County here.

Is The Old Scott County Jail Haunted?

The Old Scott County Jail is indeed quite haunted. We encountered some intriguing paranormal activity there ourselves. Listen to Kristy and Miranda tell Becky and Diana all about the ghosts at the Old Scott County Jail and Rugby.

Thanks for following along on our paranormal Appalachian road trip!

If you missed our posts this time around, they’re archived over at our Patreon page. What are your favorite haunts in Appalachia for road trips? Let’s chat on our Facebook Group all about how to have a spooky day there!

The post A Paranormal Appalachian Road Trip: True Ghostly Encounters appeared first on Homespun Haints.

The rural, mountainous roads through northeast Tennessee can be both beautiful and terrifying. Curves jump out at you from the darkness; the road signs ominously warn of falling rocks and steep grades. And you don’t see another human being for miles.

During the day, the drive is equally sublime. The landscape is dotted with occasional farmhouses, churches, and old general stores. The mountains appear like hundreds of giants poking their heads up from under a vast blanket of trees—old, silent, and secretive.

This is the setting for the Historic Scott County Jail, which friends Miranda Young and Dr. Kristy Sumner recently leased to preserve the jail’s history and offer paranormal tours. Despite the building’s rural setting, accessing the jail—which is in the small and historic town of Huntsville, Tennessee—is relatively easy. It lies about an hour north of Knoxville, two hours north of Chattanooga, two and a half hours east of Nashville, and two and a half hours south of Lexington. I drove four hours from north Atlanta so I could experience the history and ghosts of this jail firsthand.

(And my husband called me constantly along the way, letting me know what a nut I was for wanting to do this and when would I turn around and come home. Well, he’s the nut for not wanting to explore a haunted jail at night.)

History of the Jail

The jail itself was built in 1904; however, before its construction, lawmen conducted executions and trials on the land where the jail now sits. Constructed of stone, the surprisingly beautiful structure sits three stories high and ends with a crenellated wall, giving it the appearance of a small castle. Kristy and Miranda reconstructed the jail’s history into an exhibit located in what would have been the sheriff’s living quarters years ago. Visitors can study the well-researched timeline that Miranda has put together, as well as confiscated items from prisoners, letters, and other jail memorabilia.

After I closed myself into this little room to do my business, I learned that these drunk tanks are some of the most haunted places in the entire jail.

The sheriff and his family lived on the first floor of the jail. In addition to the sheriff’s living quarters and workspace, the first floor contains several drunk tanks (which were painted Pepto-Bismol pink in their heyday). The drunk tanks could and did serve as isolation cells when necessary. Today, they are painted white and serve as the museum’s bathroom facilities. These rooms were the first thing I visited after my drive. And of course, after I closed myself into this little room to do my business, I learned that these drunk tanks are some of the most haunted places in the entire jail.

On the second floor sit several communal cells, which at times held as many as fifteen people each. Some of the rooms held women; some held men. The third floor contains the higher security cell blocks, again divided by gender. As we explored these areas, strange creaks and sounds jumped at me from every corner, making me wonder which sounds were the building, and which sounds were the ghosts.

Visiting the jail (and seeing the ghosts)

While history buffs can visit the jail just to learn a little bit about history (see ticket options below), I opted for the public ghost hunt, and invited my friend Katie of Lady Teal’s Curios to accompany. As I arrived, Miranda and Kristy greeted me with warm tea and introduced me to the others we’d be investigating with. Our group consisted of six: Miranda, Kristy, Katie, myself, and two other enthusiastic women who were veterans of the tour.

They’ve witnessed pictures flying off the walls, and they’ve heard footsteps on the staircase when they’re alone in the building. And yet, they are not afraid. They are merely intrigued, and they want to learn more.

The caretakers of the jail, Miranda and Kristy, are professional paranormal investigators themselves. Miranda Young’s Tennessee-based company, Ghost Biker Explorations, is a world-recognized web series exploring the history and hauntings of various locations, and Dr. Kristy Sumner is the founder of Soul Sisters Paranormal, a professional paranormal investigation and tourism team. As you can imagine, both women also have very prestigious careers in other areas as well; Miranda has 21 years experience in design, communications and marketing, and Kristy used to be a professor at two different colleges. How cool is that?

Haunted Jail Hospitality

As you can imagine, getting to spend time in this jail with these ladies was a top-notch experience. Miranda and Kristy began by giving us a detailed tour of the jail. Then, they shared some of the creepier things they’ve experienced within its walls. For instance, Miranda and Kristy have both noticed sharp objects going missing without any explanation; they’ve heard humming and whispers and felt unseen hands touch their shoulders. They’ve witnessed pictures flying off the walls, and they’ve heard footsteps on the staircase when they’re alone in the building. And yet, they are not afraid. They are merely intrigued, and they want to learn more.

We heard people whispering behind us when no one was there, we heard footsteps on the stairs when the stairwell was empty, we caught things on tape. Yeah, I’d say we talked to ghosts. It was freaking incredible.

After learning about the jail’s history and where the paranormal hotspots are, our hosts turned out the lights and lent us investigation equipment. Also, we were allowed to use our own if we had any (I, being the most amateur of investigators, brought only my phone). Katie brought a ghost box, and those of us that used it heard strange voices answering questions in the static. The flashlights that Miranda placed in the doorways of the cells turned on and off in response to questions she presented to the ghosts. We heard people whispering behind us when no one was there, we heard footsteps on the stairs when the stairwell was empty, we caught things on tape. Yeah, I’d say we talked to ghosts. It was freaking incredible.

Solo Investigation Time

After about an hour together in complete darkness, we split up and explored on our own. And, that was when the real magic started happening. Our only lights came from the flashlights we occasionally turned on, and the streetlights streaming in through the sparse windows.

Katie and I took the upstairs maximum security cell blocks. At one point, the ghost box told me to look in another room, leaving Katie alone. When I called out that I would not separate from her, she heard someone loudly yell “No!” The cell bars behind her shook as if someone had fallen against them. As we tried to figure out what the noise was, Kristy came running up the stairs. She asked if we had just been in the stairwell. Then, she explained she heard what she thought was us running toward her in fear. But no, we had been stationary, no one had been in the stairwell. And we caught it all on tape.

After several more hours of filming, wandering around, and asking questions, we left for the evening and stayed at the nearby Grand Vista Hotel in Huntsville. The exhilarating experience left us absolutely elated.

Haunted jail hostesses for the win!

Not only did we experience some creepy feels first-hand, we did so in a warm and inviting space thanks to our delightful hosts. Kristy and Miranda are warm and friendly people who love what they do. We even took a hot cocoa break at one point. And I loved how they feature local artists in their small gift shop. Everything about the evening—from the design of the materials, the depth of the historic research, and the hospitality of the hosts—was absolutely top-notch. These ladies know how to run a business that makes you feel at home.

Kristy and Miranda are warm and friendly people who love what they do.

If the idea of an unusual and spooky experience excites you, please consider checking out the Historic Scott County Jail. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Some things to know before you go:

Pricing

Private Paranormal Investigation: $375 for a 6.5 hour investigation for up to 8 people. $25 extra per person up to 10 people.

Guided public/private ghost hunts – $35 per person for 3 hours and up to 6 people.

Flashlight tours (kid friendly!). $20 per person for a 1.5 hour tour.

Daytime general admission history tours – $10 gen admission tickets. The jail offers senior and military discounts for $7 per person.

Location

Address: 214 Litton Covered Bridge Rd. Huntsville, TN 37756.

1 hour north of Knoxville, 2 hours north of Chattanooga, 2.5 hours east of Nashville.

The post The (haunted) Historic Scott County Jail appeared first on Homespun Haints.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania stands Eastern State Penitentiary, This massive, eerie building holds the title of one of the most famous haunted places in America. A former prison with a sordid past and a haunted history, Eastern State Penitentiary, (aka ESP) housed some infamous inmates while in operation from 1829 until 1971.

Famous inmates at ESP

Notorious criminal inmates who served time at ESP include:

• Al Capone. Capone was arrested for having an unlicensed weapon—a fairly minor charge given his actual activities. The famous mobster received the maximum sentence at ESP, which led to allegations that he hid out in prison to escape blame for the St Valentine’s Massacre. Reportedly, the prison allowed Capone to have a fairly lavish cell with oil paintings, furniture, and a radio;
• Willie Sutton. This bank robber tunneled his way out of ESP, only to be re-arrested minutes later;
• James Bruno, A.K.A. Big Joe. After losing a series of key positions to rivals in the small town of Kelayres, PA (despite his attempts to fix the ballot boxes) Big Joe and his family mowed down the opposition’s victory parade in a rain of bullets in the 1934 Kelayres Massacre.

Architecture of the Prison

Known for his neo-classical style, Philadelphia architect John Haviland designed Eastern State Penitentiary. Haviland said he wanted the design of the prison to instill fear in those who considered committing crimes. Upon completion, the prison held the title of largest and most expensive public structure in the United States. ESP became the model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. The massive grounds sprawled across 10 and a half acres. It cost $800,000 to build, which would be equivalent to over $29,000,000 today!

Prison Operation

Originally, the prison operated under the Pennsylvania System. This method of reform required strict and complete solitary confinement with no communication except religious study. Over time, the guards and staff creatively supplemented these primary reforms with more outright, torturous punishments:

• The water bath (guards dunked inmates in icy water and hung them from a wall overnight while literally freezing);
• The mad chair (binding and restricting all movement for days at a time);
• The iron gag (guards shackled a prisoner’s tongue to his raised wrists, which, if relaxed, would tear the tongue);
• The Klondike (a dark cavern dug out under Cellblock 14 where prisoners were starved for extended periods)

Prison Closing

When the prison closed, most of the prisoners and guards transferred to Graterford Prison. ESP became home to stray cats and a forest growing in and between the walls. Autopsy Of Architecture writes that “the Eastern State Penitentiary Task Force successfully petitioned Mayor Wilson Goode to halt redevelopment. In 1994, Eastern State opened to the public for historic tours. Today, it operates as a museum and historic site and is open year-round. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966, and was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark on June 23, 1965.”

Eastern State Penitentiary Trivia

Building Trivia

• Considered to be the world’s first true penitentiary, ESP’s inception came about when American Founding Fathers first brainstormed the idea of this new prison in a meeting held at Benjamin Franklin’s house in 1787.
• Quite likely, ESP is the first prison in the US that housed a synagogue, constructed in 1924 and fully restored in 2009.
• Before 1959, prisoners at ESP would make dentures in the dental lab on the grounds.
• The building’s unique wagon wheel shape allows a guard to stand at the center and quickly see down every corridor (each a spoke of the wheel) simply by turning. This innovative architecture proved convenient for the many decades the prison operated before CCTV monitoring.
• The octagonal room directly above the central surveillance hub—just one of the several libraries at ESP—housed 10,000 books in several languages by the beginning of the Civil War.
• Most of ESP’s 1,000 cells and rooms remain untouched since the building was abandoned in 1971. This state of decay and ruin is an intentional visual reminder of the prison’s period of abandonment.

Animals at the Prison

• By the 20th century, the prison officially allowed incarcerated men to have pet canaries. Pet rats were technically not allowed, but were still commonly given a pass.
• In 1924, a dog named Pep went to live at the prison to boost prisoner morale, following a similar successful stunt in Maine. The state governor attempted to make it a joke, “booking” and incarcerating the Scotch retriever for “cat murder.” This sparked hundreds of protests from dog lovers as far-reaching as the Philippines, proving yet again that the funniest jokes are ones you have to explain and apologize for for years afterwards.

Prisoner Trivia

• By 1926, the Christmas feast included cigars for prisoners.
• Famous visitors to the prison included Charles Dickens (who wrote about the appalling psychological torture taking place at ESP) and Alexis de Tocqueville.
• The prison required the warden to visit every inmate every day.
• At least 35 inmates were former enslaved persons, at least 3 of whom received sentences of 3 years for theft of items totaling less than $1 in value. One former enslaved person, Thomas Dane, made a daring escape through a sewer in 1870, about a century before the prison closed. Formerly enslaved prisoners suffered a mortality rate 3 times that of formerly free Black prisoners, which in turn was 3.5 times that of White prisoners.
• The prison only abandoned solitary confinement as a reform measure when the cells became overcrowded. While Haviland designed ESP to house 250 inmates, at its peak, the prison’s population topped 1700 inmates.
• In 1923, Warden Robert McKenty tasked a small gang of prisoners known as the Four Horsemen with handling minor disputes among fellow prisoners. To nobody else’s surprise, the Four Horsemen abused this authority to create an enormous drug ring. While drug smugglers were sent to basement confinement, ESP treated opioid addiction (“morphinomania”) as a treatable medical disease as far back as the early 1900s, revolutionary for its time.
• Up until 2019, ESP hosted a bizarre annual alumni reunion, where ex-employees and ex-inmates could reminisce together about living and working at the prison.

The Haunting of Eastern State Penitentiary

However, what the former prison is most famous for is being one of the most haunted places in America—hundreds of paranormal experts visit each year—even being featured on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and Most Haunted Live, Syfy’s Ghost Hunters, and MTV’s Fear.

Even back when it was still in operation, famous inmate Al Capone reported that the ghost of a St. Valentine’s Massacre victim, James Clark, haunted his cell.

Below, we’ve listed several stories and sounds visitors have heard. These stories dated back to the 1940s and are corroborated “by visitors, staff guards and inmates,” according to an article on NPR called “Is Eastern State Penitentiary Really Haunted?”

Some of the haunted experiences visitors report:

• Cackling and echoing voices come from Cellblock 12
• Shadow figures dart along the walls in Cellblock 6
• Visitors to Cellblock 4 have visions of ghostly faces
• A silhouette of a guard appears in one of the towers
• Footsteps
• Wails
• Whispers
• Giggling

One of the most legendary tales comes from Gary Johnson, a locksmith who helped maintain the former prison. In the 1990s, Johnson worked to remove an old lock in Cellblock 4, when he says “a force gripped him so tightly that he was unable to move. [It was] a negative, horrible energy that exploded out of the cell” in a blast of cold air. Tormented faces appeared on the cell walls and one form in particular beckoned to him. Could he have opened a portal of some sort when he opened that stuck 140-year-old lock?

Tour this famous haunted prison

Today, Eastern State Penitentiary operates as a historic site and museum that is open year-round and offers daytime and nighttime tours. Daytime general admission occurs Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (last entry 4 pm). Admission includes a self-guided audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi, with some former guards, wardens, and even prisoners also contributing. Additionally, you can access some closed areas like the Klondike and hospital with a guide at specific posted times. If you want something a little more in-depth, full guided tours are also available. At the time of this writing, tickets for Daytime Prison Tours are discounted when purchased in advance, and are not date or time specific.  

For Halloween of 2021, ESP will host a special series called “Halloween Nights,” which runs on select evenings from September 24th, 2021 until November 13th, 2021. Tickets for Halloween Nights are $34.

While you’re at ESP, check out The Fair Chance Beer Garden on the audio tour, which includes a guided meditation. The Beer Garden itself is part of an awareness campaign designed to make visitors really think about who gets incarcerated in the US, and why, and how that affects their lives upon release. The local brewery that serves beer at The Fair Chance, Triple Bottom Brewing Company, is a certified B Corp dedicated to providing living-wage jobs for people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration.

Can’t make it there by November 13th? Keep up with ESP on Facebook or Instagram for other upcoming tours and events.

Have you visited Eastern State Penitentiary and have stories to tell? You can fill out our form to submit your story and/or picture to be featured!

https://www.easternstate.org/

Stephanie Long contributed to this article.

The post Eastern State Penitentiary appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Listen to her story below.

Episode Summary

You’ve probably been told that ghosts can’t hurt you. Is that really true?

Erin has lived a pretty haunted life. What would you do if you encountered multiple supernatural entities—from the battlefields of Gettysburg to dark and cold cemeteries? If you were Erin, you’d turn it into a lifelong hobby and career as a paranormal investigator! The many terrifying stories she recounts in this episode were about enough to scare us away from ghost hunting, but they only made Erin curious to investigate more!

About the Guest: Erin Egnatz, Paranormal Investigator

Erin is a paranormal investigator who will not be deterred, no matter how scary her investigations get! You can find her blog and videos on her ghost hunts at hauntingsaroundamerica.com. Then, check out Erin’s books, including Hauntings Around America, available on Amazon. Finally, follow her on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with her upcoming investigations.

How to Use Crystals for Protection from Dangerous Ghosts

Erin never visits any haunted place without a layer of protection from her favorite crystals. Two of the stones she showed us during the interview included selenite, a crystalline form of gypsum, and smoky quartz, a clouded version of the popular watch component.

Does Selenite protect you from ghosts?

Have you considered using crystals as protection from dangerous paranormal entities? Check out medium Dixie Tantardini’s guide to spiritual protection. In this article, Tantardini says that selenite “cleanses/purifies, invites guides to be present to support your efforts, provides spiritual insights, clarifies situations, promotes access to past and future lives.”

Can smoky quartz protect paranormal investigators from harm?

Caroline Lucas of meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com states that smoky quartz can improve your survival instinct and ground you in the physical world, while also banishing negative energy and heightening insight.

Using crystals for spiritual protection is getting quite mainstream nowadays. For instance, even big popular publications Bustle and Refinery29 suggest using selenite for protection from potentially dangerous hauntings and bringing smoky quartz along on a paranormal investigation.

Erin gets her personal protection crystals from The Crystal Lady of Crown Point, IN.

John Dillinger’s Escape from the Crown Point Jail

Have you heard of how John Dillinger escaped prison? It involves a classic escape plan, including whittling a fake gun. Sounds pretty looney tunes now, but apparently there was a time when this was highly effective. This dangerous haunted jail is just one of many that this intrepid paranormal investigator has hunted ghosts at.

Want more ghost stories from paranormal investigators?

Some of our best paranormal podcast episodes are interviews with paranormal investigators! After you finish this episode, you might want to listen to our interview with Daryl Marston from Ghost Hunters or the interview with Leslie and Makayla from The Southern Ghost Girls.

Hungry for more? Head over to Patreon to listen to an extra bonus story Erin tells us about yet another haunted bridge in Indiana, plus hear Becky and Diana pontificate about trolls. Please join us; it’s the best way to support our podcast and have a spooky day!

The post You Can’t See its Mouth, But You Know it’s Grinning appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Listen to this podcast episode now:

Episode Summary of Our Paranormal Podcasts

If this episode of our best paranormal podcasts, we heard Dr. Kristy Sumner, of Soul Sisters Paranormal, tell us spooky stories about some of her personal experiences in haunted places she’s investigated.

About Kristy Sumner of Soul Sisters Paranormal

Kristy and her team are expert paranormal investigators (not just plain weird goofballs like us). They have documented many real life ghost stories and supernatural experiences during their paranormal investigations. Kristy works closely with Ghost Biker Miranda, who told us chilling tales about the phantom monk of Tennessee.

You can find out more about Kristy’s team on their website at soulsistersparanormal.com. Homespun Haints listeners who love our horror podcast for our classic ghost stories simply must listen to their episodes, posted at https://www.soulsistersparanormal.com/videos.html. Also, check out the Soul Sisters Facebook page at facebook.com/soulsistersparanormal for new episodes and written stories about their strange paranormal experiences.

An Update Since This Episode Aired

Since this episode aired, Kristy and Miranda have started leading history tours and overnight paranormal investigations at the historic Scott County Jail We interviewed Kristy again in 2024, about the history of Rugby; the haunted Victorian village in East Tennessee. The ghost town is kept up basically the same way it was when built in the late 1800’s, with the addition of paved roads and electricity, of course (and the recent addition of huge, high-up scratch marks made by mysterious creatures). We got to explore Rugby on our visit in Spring 2004, and had more than one encounter of our own.

But in this weekly podcast episode, we hear true stories specifically about the following haunted places and locations in Florida and Tennessee.

Ghost Stories about Haunted Houses: The Ma Barker House

If you listen to true crime genre podcasts, you’re surely familiar with the story of Ma (Kate) Barker. Did you know, however, that the Ma Barker House is one of the most infamous haunted houses in Florida? Located in Ocklawaha, Florida, it is the scene of a real life horror story from history.

The dark event became one of the most famous shootouts that ever happened in FBI history. On January 16, 1935, FBI agents surrounded the house where Ma Barker and her son Fred were hiding out. After a lengthy gun battle, both Ma Barker and Fred were shot to death.

The Paranormal Investigation of Ma Barker’s House

Kristy’s team went to investigate this haunted location where true crime history intersects with classic ghost stories. They even did their ghost hunt on the anniversary of the deadly shootout. Ma Barker fans must listen to the video episode of the same name on their site at soulsistersparanormal.com/bradford—ma-barker-house.html. You’ll discover that they captured some very strange footage.

In addition, Kristy volunteers at this haunted location during the day. She has plenty of horror stories about strange things visitors have witnessed while on her tours.

The Gilchrist County Jail

Kristy next tells us the story of her investigation of the Gilchrist County Jail with friend Miranda. Also in Florida, it operated from 1928-1968, after which it was abandoned. One of its most persistent urban legends is the ghost story of an inmate whose death remains a mystery. Another ghost story involves the apparition of a woman believed to be the ghost of a jail matron who was known for her harsh treatment of prisoners in life.

Ghost Stories from a Haunted Jail

You can watch the entire ghost hunt video below. The current owners offer guided ghost tours around Halloween, allowing visitors to explore the old jail and learn the truth about its dark history.

The Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

The Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

Last up for storytelling in this episode, we hear a tale about another haunted jail. Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee saw numerous violent deaths on the property, potentially responsible for the many horror stories of paranormal events there.

Prison Ghost Stories

According to the classic ghost story about Brushy, certain areas of the prison are particularly haunted. Those who were inmates in life still haunt the solitary confinement cells, the chapel, and the hospital wing. One of the most famous ghosts at Brushy is that of James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Stream the paranormal podcast video episodes below for the whole story.

Some paranormal investigation equipment

What is a REM pod?

As much as it sounds like a sci-fi sleep study, a REM pod is actually a pretty interesting piece of equipment that the Soul Sisters Paranormal Team gets a lot of use out of. It’s basically a theremin designed to be operated by ghosts! The device emits noise and flashing lights when something disturbs the field around it, and should theoretically work for unseen entities that influence electromagnetic fields.

What is a trigger item?

Paranormal Investigation Equipment

Modern ghost hunting includes some of the most strange equipment in the world. Kristy had to explain these items to us between ghost stories.

What is a REM pod?

As much as it sounds like a strange sci-fi sleep study, a REM pod is actually a pretty interesting piece of equipment. The Soul Sisters Paranormal Team get a lot of use out of theirs. The device emits noise and flashing lights when something disturbs the field around it. It should theoretically work for unseen supernatural entities that influence electromagnetic fields. It’s basically a theremin designed for ghosts to play! Now that’s our genre of horror music.

What is a Trigger Item?

What in the world is a trigger item in paranormal investigation, you ask? When a familiar object is used to entice a supernatural entity to interact, that object is called a trigger item. For child ghosts, it could be a toy. At a jail, it’s more likely to be a blade. There’s a product you can purchase for that, of course. Check out this cute guy (it’s not a Furby).

Do You Have a Ghost Story? Come on the Podcast!

Do you have true tales to tell about the supernatural, and want to try your hand at horror storytelling? Why not apply here to be a guest on one of the next episodes of Homespun Haints podcast, so the world can listen to your ghost story? Our storytelling podcast offers you the best opportunity to share your supernatural tales on one of our episodes, from classic ghost stories, to strange conspiracy theories about vampires in cemeteries, and any other true paranormal stories that will strike horror into the dark hearts of our podcast listeners!

That’s all for this ghost podcast interview podcast episode Until the next episode, have a spooky day!

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