Ernest Tubb Record Shop

Nashville fell to Union forces in February 1862, making it one of the first major Confederate cities to be occupied. The Union immediately recognized Nashville's strategic importance as a supply and transportation hub. The city became a massive military installation, housing tens of thousands of troops.

With so many soldiers concentrated in and around Nashville, the need for medical facilities was desperate. Every available building—churches, schools, hotels, warehouses—was pressed into service as a hospital. The area that now houses Ernest Tubb Record Shop and the surrounding blocks was part of this hospital complex. The buildings were crude by modern standards, with minimal sanitation, few medical supplies, and overwhelmed staff trying to treat thousands of wounded and sick soldiers.

The hospital facilities on this site treated soldiers from both sides—Union men wounded in battle and Confederate prisoners of war. Medical understanding during the Civil War was primitive. Surgeons didn't know about germ theory, anesthesia was limited, and amputation was the standard treatment for most serious wounds. Infection killed more men than bullets.

Soldiers died here from:

• Battle wounds and botched amputations
• Infections that progressed from treatable injuries to fatal sepsis
• Diseases like typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia
• Malnutrition and exposure
• Some simply died from despair, homesickness, and the psychological trauma of war

Bodies were often stacked in the back areas awaiting burial. Mass graves were common. Many soldiers died without anyone knowing their names or notifying their families. The emotional trauma—young men dying far from home, calling for mothers and wives who would never know their fate—created the kind of intense spiritual energy that paranormal investigators believe can cause hauntings.

After the war ended, the hospital buildings were dismantled or repurposed. The area gradually became commercial, and by the early 20th century, lower Broadway was developing into an entertainment district. When Ernest Tubb opened his record shop in 1947, he likely had no idea of the building's connection to Civil War suffering.

However, almost from the beginning, staff reported strange occurrences. Early employees described feeling watched, experiencing cold spots even in summer, and hearing sounds that couldn't be explained. As the years passed and more people worked in the building, the reports multiplied. Many employees, unaware of the location's history, independently described seeing men in what they later realized was Civil War-era clothing.

The most frequently reported spirit at Ernest Tubb Record Shop is that of a young soldier, estimated to be in his late teens or early 20s, seen primarily in the basement stockroom area. Employees who work in the basement have reported numerous encounters:

• A young man in a gray uniform (Confederate) sitting on boxes or standing near the stairs
• He appears confused and distressed, as if he doesn't understand where he is
• Some employees report he looks feverish and sick, consistent with infection or disease
• He often appears to be looking for something or someone
• When approached or spoken to, he typically fades away
• The temperature drops dramatically when he manifests
• Some witnesses report hearing him call out for 'Mother' or someone named 'Sarah'

One long-time employee reported: 'I've seen him at least a dozen times. He's just a kid, really. He looks so scared and sick. I tried talking to him once, telling him it was okay, but he just looked at me like he couldn't hear me, then disappeared. I think he's stuck here, reliving his death over and over.'

Employees working early morning or late evening shifts, when the store is quiet, frequently report hearing sounds that have no modern source:

• Moaning and crying, as if from men in pain
• Footsteps that sound like military boots marching
• The clink of metal, possibly medical instruments or swords
• Voices speaking in urgent, distressed tones
• What sounds like a saw on bone (consistent with Civil War amputation procedures)
• Screaming that suddenly cuts off
• Someone calling for help or for water

These sounds are most commonly reported in the basement and back storage areas—locations that would have been part of the hospital's surgical and recovery areas. The sounds are described as distinctly old-fashioned, not matching modern Nashville street noise. Several employees have quit after hearing these sounds repeatedly, finding them too distressing to endure.

Several witnesses have reported seeing a woman in a long, dark dress consistent with a Civil War-era nurse's uniform. Unlike the soldiers, she doesn't appear distressed—instead, she seems to be going about her duties, as if still caring for patients who are no longer there.

Encounters with the nurse include:

• Seeing her moving between aisles as if checking on patients
• The scent of carbolic acid (an antiseptic used during the Civil War)
• Feeling a cool, gentle touch on the forehead, as if she's checking for fever
• Items in the store being rearranged, particularly anything white (reminiscent of bandages)
• Some employees report a maternal, comforting presence when she's near
• Unlike the soldiers who seem trapped and distressed, she appears purposeful and aware

Paranormal investigators theorize she may be a residual haunting of a nurse who worked herself to exhaustion caring for dying men, her devotion so strong that her spirit continues the work even in death.

Witnesses have reported seeing both Union (blue) and Confederate (gray) uniformed soldiers in the store, sometimes simultaneously. This is consistent with historical records showing that the hospital treated men from both sides. These apparitions are typically seen:

• Standing in corners or by windows, as if waiting
• Walking through the store, often seeming not to notice the modern surroundings
• Sitting or leaning against walls, appearing exhausted or ill
• Some appear to have visible injuries—bandaged heads, missing limbs, blood-stained uniforms
• They rarely interact with the living, seeming caught in their own time
• Multiple employees have reported seeing two soldiers—one Union, one Confederate—sitting together, as if the war didn't matter anymore in death

One witness reported: 'I saw two guys in old military uniforms just sitting on the floor in the back. One was in blue, one in gray. They weren't fighting or arguing—they looked like they were just exhausted, like they'd been through hell together. When I blinked, they were gone.'

Staff at Ernest Tubb Record Shop regularly experience poltergeist-like activity:

• Records and CDs found moved from where employees placed them
• Items falling off shelves with no apparent cause
• Doors opening and closing on their own
• The alarm system triggering when no one is in the building
• Cash registers opening by themselves
• Lights turning on and off
• Music playing from equipment that's turned off
• Phones ringing with no one on the line
• Security cameras capturing orbs, shadows, and occasionally what appears to be transparent human figures

These phenomena increase around significant Civil War dates—the anniversary of the Battle of Nashville (December 15-16), the anniversary of Nashville's surrender to Union forces (February 23), and near Memorial Day. Staff have learned to expect increased activity during these periods.

One of the most commonly reported phenomena at the record shop is the presence of cold spots—areas where the temperature suddenly drops by 10-20 degrees, even when the HVAC system is working normally. These cold spots:

• Move through the store as if someone is walking
• Concentrate in specific areas, particularly the basement and back corners
• Are often accompanied by the feeling of being watched
• Sometimes correspond with other phenomena like sounds or apparitions
• EMF meters show spikes when these cold spots appear
• Employees report feeling drained or tired when standing in them for extended periods

Paranormal researchers believe these cold spots represent spirits drawing energy from the environment in order to manifest or interact with the physical world.

Ernest Tubb Record Shop remains open and operating at 417 Broadway in downtown Nashville. The store welcomes visitors and continues to serve country music fans from around the world. While it's primarily a functioning record store, staff are generally aware of and willing to discuss the haunted history.

For those interested in the paranormal:

• The store is open during regular business hours
• Ask staff about their personal experiences—many have stories to share
• The basement area (not always accessible to the public) is reportedly the most active
• Early morning and late evening seem to see more activity than busy afternoon hours
• Be respectful—this is a working business, and the spirits are believed to be real people who suffered
• Photography is generally allowed—bring a camera as orbs and anomalies are frequently captured
• Some Nashville ghost tours include the record shop on their routes

Important notes:

• Be respectful of staff and other customers
• Don't deliberately try to provoke spirits
• If you feel uncomfortable, simply leave
• The store sells actual merchandise—consider supporting this Nashville institution by making a purchase

The Ernest Tubb Record Shop represents a uniquely Nashville phenomenon—a place where the city's musical legacy and its Civil War history literally occupy the same space. As you browse country music classics, you may be walking the same floors where young soldiers took their last breaths, creating a haunting harmony between Music City's past and present.