To kick off the Halloween season early, the Lotz House is offering an evening Ghost Tour of the house on Friday and most Saturday nights beginning Friday, Sept. 2 through October. Dates include Sept. 2, 3, 9, 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30 and October 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30 and 31. In addition, Women’s History Tours are scheduled for Sept. 4, 18 October 2 and 16. Battlefield Walking Tours are set for Sept. 6, 27, October 4.
For the Ghost Tours, guests get the chance to experience the Civil War spirits and other unexplained phenomenon that are said to haunt the historic home. The Lotz House has been featured on the Travel Channel’s “Haunted Live” as well as Travel Channel’s “The Most Terrifying Places in America.”
Lotz House Executive Director Thomas Cartwright said, “Ghost Tours have become so popular year-round and word of mouth has really ignited a huge interest in the Lotz House Ghost Tours because they are simply true stories of experiences our staff, volunteers and visitors have witnessed. There’s nothing more chilling than true accounts of unexplained spirit activity in the house.”
At ground zero of the Battle of Franklin, the Lotz House witnessed untold bloodshed. The traumatic past and the unexplained phenomena seen by many of its visitors led the home to be dubbed the “Second-Most Terrifying Place in America” by the Travel Channel. These strange happenings include a woman crying out for a loved one, a little girl staring out the window and ordinary items that just won’t stay put.
The guided 90-minute Lotz House Ghost Tour will begin at 6:30 p.m. with check in at 6:15 p.m. every Friday and most Saturday nights now through October. Reservations are required and visitors may also make reservations for other nights.
The Women’s History Tour is led by Kelly Kautzman who will guide the one-hour tour exploring what civilian life was like for women in the 1860’s as well as the compelling experiences that molded Matilda Lotz as a young girl. These tours will start at 6 p.m. with check in at 5:45 p.m. Reservations required.
The Walking Battlefield Tour is led by Historian and Civil War expert Thomas Y. Cartwright who will take visitors through the steps the soldiers took during the November 30, 1864 Battle of Franklin. Tours begin at 10:30 a.m. and reservations are required.
To make reservations and purchase tickets for specialty tours, call 615-790-7190. Regular House Tours do not require reservations and begin at the top of every hour Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Lotz House is located at 1111 Columbia Avenue, Franklin. For more information, visit lotzhouse.com.
