Old South Pittsburg Hospital

South Pittsburg, TN

The medical facility (originally called the South Pittsburg Municipal Hospital) operated from 1959 to 1998, with employees over the years spotting or suspecting paranormal activity. Examples of this include hospital beds, wheelchairs and other inanimate objects moving on their own. The property sits at the base of South Pittsburg Mountain and is near the Tennessee River–locations associated with the Chiaha tribe. The hospital is built on solid limestone rock, with a natural spring running underneath the building. The hospital closed their doors to patients in 1998. Today, the former hospital has been labeled as one of the most haunted places in Tennessee.

July 2, 2011
Investigators: Beth Rosen, Matt Rosen & Lisa Shirkey

Location Photos: Click to enlarge

  • Situated on land once claimed by the Chiaha Indian Tribe and with rich history tied to the Civil War, the Old South Pittsburg Hospital was opened in 1959. In its day, this 68,000 square foot medical facility was home to healing and countless deaths until its doors closed forever in 1998.
  • 2nd floor – this is the hallway where one of our investigators saw a 4-5 foot shadow slowly walk across from one room to another. It’s also where the ghost of a young girl has been seen time and again.
  • Intensive Care Unit on the 2nd floor, where passing shadows have been spotted in that nurses’ station to the left.
  • This is another nurses’ station on the 2nd floor and the favorite area of an alleged entity who now haunts the hospital, called Nurse Betty.
  • How’s this for a creepy photo?
  • 3rd floor, considered one of the more active paranormal areas of the hospital and where we caught that chilling female moan. (See Video Section for details.)
  • This is Nelly’s room – she’s a lonely and sometimes angry spirit reported on the 3rd floor. It’s also where two of our investigators were when they heard a distressed female moan/cry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t captured on our recorders.
  • DAMN VANDALS! You just can’t keep them out! (Just kidding, actually it’s our founder, Beth, investigating the 3rd floor.)
  • 3rd floor nursery room.
  • Cafeteria in the basement. Just look at the deplorable conditions! No wonder everybody hates hospital food. 🙂
  • Original art inspired by Tim Burton hanging in the smoking room. It was intially put up for an event but the owners enjoyed it so much, they kept it up. Cool, huh?
  • Meet Minnie – the owners’ newest addition to their ‘blood-thirsty’ pack of Boston Terriers.

Findings:

Basement: While our investigators casually discuss separating to generate more activity, this eerie male voice was uncovered during audio review. We’re fairly certain the first word is ‘see’ but we’re unsure of the rest of the phrase.

What you see is split-screen coverage of the 2nd and 3rd floors, with audio only running on the third. In the lower left screen, you’ll see all of us on the 2nd floor. But amazingly, we capture a female moan on the third with everyone visually and undeniably accounted for.

September 1 & September 2, 2012
Investigators: Beth Rosen, Matt Rosen & Heather Olsen with guest Will Ishee.

Location Photos: (click to enlarge)

  • Nurses Station on the main/second floor, where the spirit of a ‘Nurse Betty’ allegedly frequents.
  • Remnants from days gone by in the Geriatrics Area.
  • Shot of the Pharmacy on the main/second floor. (Just say ‘no’ to drugs, kids.)
  • Our investigator, Will, hadn’t felt well all day. But his prognosis suddenly improved when he stumbled upon the perfect remedy. (Self-administered remedy, that is.)
  • The Chapel on the basement/first floor – where many a prayer was surely uttered for the health of family and friends.
  • Surgery Area with a tricycle positioned as a trigger object, carefully marked to measure any potential movement
  • Actual X-rays of hospital patients on the main/second floor.
  • Photo of Nelly’s bed on the third floor Psyche Ward. Nelly was considered to be mentally healthy but had been abandoned by family to the hospital’s care.
  • The proprietors, Doug and Cindy, actually live at the hospital – along with this dedicated and excitable crew.
  • Meet Herschel – the newest employee to join the Old South Pittsburg staff.

Findings:

Second Floor Kasey’s Hallway: While investigating an area where a little girl has been seen in the past, called Kasey, we accidentally left a recorder running as we walked away. We were fortunate to overlook it, because this chilling EVP was uncovered upon review.

March 28, 2022
Investigators: Beth Rosen, Travis Spitzer, Heather Olsen, Kathy Sellers & Jenny Breitbarth with guests Tammy Spitzer and Nicholas Wendling

Location Photos: (click to enlarge)

  • Nurse Ratched 🙂
  • Pharmacy

Findings: Nothing to report.

Grave Concerns Paranormal does not view findings presented on this page as evidence of ghosts or the paranormal. These are merely experiences that we can not explain at this time.