The Ghosts of the Flying Saucer

With over 80 beers on draft and 120 in bottles, it's no surprise locals flock to The Flying Saucer for drinks, food, and even trivia night. Despite being a fun, popular drinkery, this is not your typical run of the mill establishment.

Smack-dab in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, the building's unfortunate past has been linked to some of its unexplained paranormal phenomena. From full-body apparitions to freaky poltergeist activity, see why The Flying Saucer is considered the most haunted bar in Downtown.

• The building now housing The Flying Saucer operated briefly as a morgue.
• The Flying Saucer stands adjacent to Union Station, which used to be a major point of transportation in the United States.
• Said to be haunted by the spirits of train passengers, customers at The Flying Saucer often witness drinks moving on their own and even full-body apparitions reflected in the mirror.

With a location like The Flying Saucer, where history and hauntings are linked, it would be a miss to discuss spirits without diving into what created them in the first place.

Unknown to many is that the space now housing The Flying Saucer was once an integral part of the buzzing Union Station.

Built in the year 1900, Union Station began operating as a major train terminal in Downtown Nashville.

After several decades of successful railway travel, the station reached its peak during World War II (1939-1945), serving as a military shipping-out point for both deployed and returning soldiers. It also witnessed its fair share of excitement as Hollywood actress Mae West and notorious mobster Al Capone are said to have passed through.

What was once an epicenter for travel began to experience a decline in the 1960s, significantly reducing the number of trains passing through daily. The steady decline culminated in the terminal's closure in late-1979. The building remained vacant until the 1980s when it was reopened as the Union Station Hotel.

While the train station was active, the space now occupied by The Flying Saucer, was the terminal's baggage claim area.

But why would a baggage claim be haunted?

As it turns out, Union Station witnessed an unfortunate event only two decades after its opening. The Great Train Wreck of 1918 scarred the city of Nashville and explains why The Flying Saucer is currently teeming with restless spirits.

On July 9, 1918, Nashville was shaken by what is now considered the worst train accident in United States history.

At around 7 a.m., two trains collided head-on while they traversed a single-track line known as "Dutchman's Curve." It was estimated that the trains were traveling at around 60 mph, which caused them both to derail upon impact. Out of the 270 estimated passengers on board, 100 died instantly, and the other 170 were severely injured.

Within minutes, they had dozens coming to help. But eventually, a total of 50,000 came to the scene. And while some were helping to rescue survivors others were attempting to find their family members.

The injured were initially transported to nearby hospitals, but after local hospitals reached capacity, passengers were taken to Union Station for treatment.

Eventually, the adjacent baggage claim area was converted into a morgue, storing the corpses of those who unfortunately succumbed to their injuries. Although its time as a morgue was brief, the event left a severe imprint within the structure, inviting ghostly entities to make the building their home in the afterlife.

As expected, the train crash sparked ghostly activity in the area, and the hauntings have continued ever since.

In 1998, when the previously abandoned building was transformed into The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, patrons began noticing strange phenomena. And no, we're not talking about aliens.

The billiards room usually shows the most activity, but hauntings are not limited to this area. Pool cues will simultaneously fall off their racks as if knocked over by an invisible force. Visitors reported heavy billiard balls having a mind of their own. They move and even fall into pockets without being touched.

Possibly most startling of all is witnessing the money slots in the pool table loudly sliding in and out and chairs scraping against the floor without explanation. Drinks have also been said to slide off the tables and onto the floor.

Whoever is haunting this room, it really likes playing pool but doesn't seem too keen on drunks.

What makes The Flying Saucer an exciting haunted location is that spirits here like to fully manifest, even when the place is packed with customers.

Another common Flying Saucer occurrence is the Televisions randomly powering on and off.

It is said that the specters here hate when TVs are tampered with, particularly when they're put on mute. A muted TV will result in a strong reaction from spirits who will change the channel to one with static and increase the volume until your ears can't take it anymore.

As if blowing out your eardrum wasn't bad enough, spirits here enjoy the occasional jump scare.

Visitors have sworn that they've seen a person standing behind them at uncomfortably close proximity when looking in the mirror. Believing it's a person, they turn around to acknowledge them - and possibly ask them to back off. Imagine their surprise when they turn around and realize there's no one there.

Whether looking to gulp down a refreshing pint or come in contact with a lingering spirit, no spooky bar-hop is complete without a visit to The Flying Saucer.