Explore Chattanooga Fall 2022

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CHATTANOOGA GHOST TOURS STORIES FROMTHE PAST

A nnalisa Netherly’s ghost in Room 311 at The Read House is one of the most well-known accounts of paranormal activity in the Chattanooga area. Allegedly murdered in the claw-footed bathtub in 1927, Netherly has since been thought to flicker the lights, run the water, and even appear as a shadowy figure. You really cannot conduct a local ghost tour without a stop by The Read House hotel, says Amy Petulla, founder and owner of Chattanooga Ghost Tours. Formerly a skeptic of spooks, Petulla loved taking her children on ghost tours in other cities for both the entertainment value and the history lessons. In a way, she says, exploring stories of murder and the mysterious is a fantastic way to get to know a city. When planning the walking route and stories for the launch of Chattanooga Ghost Tours in 2007, she read up on regional history at the public library downtown. Retired from practicing law, she wanted to be sure there were enough ghost stories in Chattanooga to make the experience worthwhile. “It turns out,” she says, “there is an abundance.” Petulla’s time in the industry–and the photographs taken by guests on her tours–has turned her into a total believer. And Chattanooga’s ghosts spring from a variety of moments in history. “Most people assume that all the ghosts here came from the Civil War. Chattanooga has a big Civil War history, but that’s not where most of the ghosts that we talk about come from. Typically most of them have to do with murders,” Petulla explains. “But that’s not the only way ghosts came about. Sometimes they were really happy in a place in their lifetime, so they decided to keep hanging out there after their death.” ChattanoogaGhostTours has beennamedoneof the top tenghost tours in theU.S. byTripAdvisor andUSAToday.Your options include: Murder &MayhemHauntedHistory: For those who like walking tours and want to try to catch a ghost in a photo but not necessarily have a personal paranormal experience.

Murder &MayhemHauntedHistory DELUXE For those who would appreciate a smaller group and a stop inside at least one location. UTC/Cemetery Ghost Hunt: For those 18 and up looking for a supernatural experience similar to ghost hunting shows on television, this tour includes the use of ghost hunting equipment. Walking Ghost Tour/Hunt Combo For those who want to experience both the storytelling and the use of a K2 electromagnetic field meter. Tour members can also ask ghosts questions using a Talking Ovilus. Choo Choo Route Tour DELUXE For those who want to hear the history of The Chattanooga Choo Choo and the surrounding district, stopping inside Southside restaurant Nic and Norman’s, co-owned by TheWalkingDead director Greg Nicotero and actor Norman Reedus. The tour continues on Station Street, a former alleyway now an entertainment district and one of only two streets in Tennessee that allows open containers of alcohol, so guests can purchase a drink from the bar to carry for the remainder of the tour.

Photos Courtesy of The Read House Hotel

Fall 2022