|
|
The approach of autumn in Middle Tennessee
brings up visions of cooler
weather (finally), beautiful fall colors, Halloween . . . and the
inevitable question:
"Is Falcon Rest
really haunted?"
As
a movie director
sensitive to "spirits" once told us, "I can feel a real presence in the
mansion, but whatever it may be is friendly, curious, and just wants to
be known." While we
don't affirm or deny the
existence of ghosts, we will say we either have friendly ghosts
or a strange series of coincidences.
Consider
some of the "evidence."
|
Whistling
on the staircase
|
Many of the
stories about "spirits" at Falcon Rest center around the bedroom at the
foot of the staircase where Clay Faulkner, the mansion's original
owner, died in 1916. Footsteps heard on the steps when no one was
there ... items found in a different place one day than they had been
left the day before ... the scent of cigar smoke in the air ...
One Christmas a young man was decorating a
tree in the upstairs hallway. He came to the Visitor's Center
looking very pale and asked, "Has anyone been in the mansion
lately?" The answer was, "No, but why do you ask?"
He gulped and said, "I was whistling 'It Came
Upon a Midnight Clear.' I stopped, but the whistling continued
for several seconds and started moving down the steps." According
to this young man, our "ghost" not only appears to have been in the
Christmas spirit; he has perfect pitch!
|
The
mirror that fell
|
Another tour
guide named Liz was telling a group in Mr. Faulkner's bedroom about the
suspected ghost. One of the ladies said, "When we came in, I saw
a young lady wearing a bonnet and a long dress come into the mansion's
front door. Was that one of your reenactors?" Liz said,
"There's no one here in costume today, the front door is supposed to be
locked, and we don't really have 'reenactors.' But we do have
inhabitants!"
Immediately, there was a loud crash that sounded
like an explosion. Liz went through the rest of the tour dreading
what she'd find broken, but she saw nothing out of place. It
took another trip through to realize the ornately carved mirror that
had been hanging above the dining room buffet had fallen, without
hitting anything on the buffet. It struck the floor without
getting broken itself. The wire that was holding it up was still
firmly attached, and the screws were still in the wall.
It may have been a coincidence, but we like to
think the "inhabitants" were tyring to confirm Liz's story. We've
been told since then that ghosts don't like looking into two mirrors
that directly face each other (this one had faced the one over the
mantle), and it was the third time that mirror had tried to fall
down. Since next time they might break something on the buffet,
and one good ghost story is worth a whole lot of mirrors, we've just
left the mirror where they dropped it three years ago.
|
Recording
devices gone bezerk
|
|
Spirits are
well-known for interfering with electronics. Faulkner was
ahead of his time with technology (in 1896 his mansion had indoor
plumbing, electric lights, central steam heat, a telephone, and
primitive air conditioning), so he would naturally be interested in
today's recording equipment.
The Cookeville, Tenn., PBS station taped what
they thought was a flawless feature several years ago, then called to
say they would have to do it over. "It sounded like there was a
hurricane when we played back the tape," they said, even though the day
of the taping had been perfectly still.
The PBS radio station in nearby Murfreesboro
won the Tennessee Broadcaster's Award for their audio walking tour of
Falcon Rest ... but only after they edited out unexplained interference
in the mansion's original dining room.
More than one visitor has reported drained
batteries on video cameras that had just been recharged. The most
recent incident was with a group of Ohio paranormal investigators who
did a midnight survelience of the mansion this summer. The "ghost
hunters" agreed with the movie director about the attitude of our
spirits, saying all they sensed was happiness. The ghosts may be
glad we fixed up their accommodations.
|
|
McMinnville,
Tenn.
www.falconrest.com
|
 |
Combine a fall foliage
tour through Middle Tennessee with our lighthearted,
interactive play:
"Ghost at the
Mansion."
Based on the real "spirits" at Falcon Rest, it tickles the funny bone
as well as the spine. A delicious meal and
mansion tour follow the play.
Or for an unexpected twist, try a "Ghost" show at Christmas ... Charles
Dickens would approve!
(Groups of 30 or more)
|
The
lucky visitor on the left became one of the stars of the show when he
played Casanova for a Dec. 2005 performance of Ghost at the Mansion. |
We're on your way
from anywhere thru
Middle Tennessee!
Easy
access from I-24 & I-40
 |
|
Nashville. -- 1
1/2 hrs.
Chattanooga -- 1
1/2 hrs.
Knoxville -- 2
hrs.
Pigeon Forge -- 3
hrs.
Atlanta -- 3
1/2 hrs.
Birmingham -- 4
hrs.
Jack Daniel’s -- 50
min.
Cumberland County
Playhouse -- 50
min.
|
For more
information,
help in
itinerary planning,
or
to make reservations,
contact
Charlien
McGlothin
falconrest@falconrest.com
(931) 668-4444
2645
Faulkner Springs Rd.
McMinnville, TN 37110
|
NOT PART OF A
GROUP?
Call
for dates of performances when you can join in.
August 2006
|
| Worth
a thousand words |
  It's not often
that tourists enounter
our ghosts in person, but more than one has captured an intriguing
glimpse on camera. The photos to the left and right were
sent to us by tourists whojust meant to be taking pictures of a
beautiful mansion, then were surprised to see what appeared to be
apparitions looking at them from the upstairs window.
Recently, our tour guide Linda told some
guests about the strange images in the window, so they decided to
try their luck. Minutes later, they were back at the Visitor's
Center, wide-eyed. One digital picture they'd made was
normal. The other, taken only
minutes before, was the mist-covered view at the top of this
page.
We sent the picture to our paranormal investigators,
who thought the mist could be cigarette smoke. There was only one
problem: the photographer said no one was smoking! The ghost
hunter's conclusion: "I was just in Tennessee, and as hot as it was, I
know it's not a breath on a cold night. Although Tennessee IS
humid, our team took hundreds of photos day and night around Falcon
Rest and all over Tennessee. None appeared with this
mist! This is a HIGHLY impressive picture, and I believe it
to be an authentic manifestation of spirit phenomena." |
Is
Falcon Rest
haunted? Who really knows? But all the "evidence" is just
one more reason it's the Victorian mansion where history is fun.
|
|
