I haint gonna lie, I was ready to bail on Octagon Hall before the tour even started. As soon as we walked in the back door of this historic freak fest of a home in Franklin, Kentucky, I got a weird vibe. I wanted to turn around and walk out quietly before anyone noticed we were there. But instead, I stuck with my plan and agreed to pay $10 for proof that my instincts were correct. Were they? I’ll tell you a little about the home and its Top 8 Freaky Features, and you can decide for yourself.

Before you drive all the way to Octagon Hall, know this.

Bring cash! Don’t miss the fine print on the Octagon Hall website like we did. The museum/home tour is $10 per ticket- cash only. There are NO ONLINE sales. Tickets are purchased at the door- cash only. Did you get that? Cash. We didn’t read the fine print and had to drive 15 minutes back to town to find an ATM.

Maybe migrate to online ticket sales and offer the option of cash at the door?

What is Octagon Hall?

Octagon Hall is an eight-sided brick home built in 1847 by Andrew Jackson Caldwell.

Who was Andrew Jackson Caldwell?

I don’t think it matters that much. He was a rich guy that wanted everyone to know he was rich, so he built this octagonal oddity with features considered ostentatious by 19th-century standards.

What are some unique features of the home?

The Construction

The shape is obviously its most unique feature. How many octagonal shaped homes have you seen in your neighborhood? Octagonal homes were trendy in the 19th-century, but definitely not commonplace. There aren’t many of these homes left in the United States and that was the sole reason I wanted to visit Octagon Hall.

The Many Lives of Octagon Hall

The variety of lives Octagon Hall has lived throughout the years is intriguing. During the American Civil War, Octagon Hall served as a hospital and Confederate soldier hide-out. The home also served as a Masonic lodge, a doctor’s home office, and a residential rental property. For real, from the mid-1950’s to 2001, you could rent this place for cheap.

Currently, Octagon Hall operates as a museum and an unabashedly marketed premier ghost-hunting destination.

So, what makes Octagon Hall a freak fest?

Top 8 Freaky Features of Octagon Hall

#8- Tour Intro and Snakes

Our tour began with the docent’s invitation to take a seat in the dining room. We weren’t sure what was happening. We’ve never been on a historic home tour that begins with sitting on the furniture. It felt very awkward. But as we talked with Beth, the docent, I realized this wasn’t intended to be like any normal historic home tour.

I learned quite a bit about our docent, too- namely that she’s a dynamo. More on her later.

Still, I wasn’t sure if we were waiting on some other people to arrive, high tea, or the lights to go down for a séance. (I’d noticed the paranormal posters on the wall.)

Just when I was wondering if we’d arrived at the wrong time, Beth began talking about the home’s history and its ghostly reputation. Then she treated us to a little snake anecdote. Because who doesn’t want to hear a snake story before touring an old, haunted house?

A man and woman visited Octagon Hall and sat down in the dining room for the introduction. Everything was copacetic until the woman pointed out the six-foot rat snake that had slithered onto the man’s lap.

Yes, you read it correctly. A SIX-FOOT RAT SNAKE. And the couple still stayed for the tour. I can’t be the only person who thinks this is freaky! And then Beth set us free to explore the home with one caveat. She told us to leave all closet doors closed. Snakes tend to hide there.

And that’s how I started our self-guided tour of Octagon Hall- paranoid as hell with my head on a swivel.

2. Octagon Hall Owners

Just look at these portraits. Andrew Jackson Caldwell’s gave me the heebie-jeebies. It reeks strange and several features of Octagon Hall don’t prove me wrong. The Gals Room, for starters.

3. Gals Room

To me this was the freakiest part of Octagon Hall. The second-floor bedroom known as the “Gals Room” was shared by Caldwell’s daughters. We were told the only access to the Gals Room was by a hidden staircase and there was no access from the Gals Room to the other second floor rooms. (There is now.) Beth explained why, but I didn’t hear what she said because I was on high snake alert.

When viewed from a contemporary perspective, this looks like a potential crime scene to me. Think about it. If you went in someone’s home and found two little girls in a bedroom at the top of a hidden staircase with no access to the rest of the second floor, wouldn’t you be suspicious? What was going on in Octagon Hall?

Surely, there are perfectly logical and admirable reasons Caldwell built an isolated bedroom for his daughters, but I’m not going back to Octagon Hall to find out.

4. Current Octagon Hall Residents- The Mannequins

I understand including mannequins for interpretive purposes. The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois does it very effectively. Unfortunately, I thought most of Octagon Hall’s mannequins were, well…. not like the ones in the Lincoln Museum.

To me, the mannequins created a “haunted house with the lights on” effect.

5. Octagon Hall’s Hidden Tunnel

In the basement of the home, there is a tunnel entrance hidden under a false floor. Beth told us the tunnel exits about a mile behind the property near a cave entrance. Again, I think that’s what she said. I can’t listen and look for snakes at the same time.

My first thought- this tunnel had to be part of the Underground Railroad. There were many homes in Kentucky that served as safe havens for slaves seeking freedom. But I was wrong.

So, what was going on in this tunnel? You’ll have to do the tour. But remember the Gals Room? The weird looking portraits? It had to be something freaky.

6. Death By Fire

I believe her death may not include any foul play, but the circumstances still seem questionable. Caldwell’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth Caldwell, burned to death at age seven. Supposedly, the wood from the kitchen fire sparked and lit her like a human candle. A photo of her hangs inside the home. There’s something eerie about it, like she already knew she was destined for a tragic end.

7. Dead Bodies Everywhere

According to Beth, there are unexhumed bodies (and body parts) all over the property. She said many Civil War soldiers died here and a GPR (ground penetrating radar) professional located the remains.

If you walk around the property, you’ll see a bunch of little flags in the ground like a chaotic sprinkler system might be installed in a few days. Allegedly, the flags mark where bodies have been detected. Maybe there are bodies (or parts) there; maybe not. If they are there, how long does it take to arrange a proper burial? Freak fest, I tell you.

What if these aren’t Civil War soldiers? Who are these people? I have so many questions.

8. Decapped Angel

We were encouraged not to miss the backyard cemetery and take a gander at the decapitated angel marking a grave. Beth said vandals, although not so much lately, routinely visited Octagon Hall at night. So, a vandal decapped an angel? This seems pretty lame even for the most inexperienced criminal.

Why not decap both angels? Or an even better question- why doesn’t the Octagon Hall staff replace the angel? Concrete angels are not that expensive. Freaky.

Surely, someone is emotionally invested enough in this property to donate a dang angel. It probably won’t be me, but you never know.

Vandals Be Warned- Docent’s Got a Gun

Vandalism has hopefully decreased since word on the street is “docent’s got a gun”. I’m assuming she’d fire a warning shot, but maybe not. Beth seems like a pretty tough broad. I wouldn’t roll the dice.

Other Notable Features of Octagon Hall

Octagon Hall’s Unconventional Tour

I can appreciate a self-guided tour. What I couldn’t figure out was how many of the artifacts were genuine and/or original to the home and how many were reproductions. There are so many little clippings and plaques to read! You know I love to read, but I was frustrated within the first few minutes.

I wish a lot of the fine print could be consolidated into a book for tourists to purchase from the gift shop. No doubt, Beth could write a best-seller.

The Dynamo Docent

Beth, the docent at Octagon Hall is awesome. This freak fest of a home is her passion. It’s in her blood. Her father was also a caretaker of Octagon Hall, and he wanted her to continue caring for it after he was gone. She’s done a fine job with more than a little help from dedicated friends.

Beth knew this house. Its nooks, its crannies, its secrets. And you can tell she loves it, works her butt off to maintain it, and does her best to keep it a relevant historic site. Kudos to this incredible lady.

What Did My Husband Think?

“It is what it is.” He liked it.

I’m considering adding a “What Did My Husband Think?” section to my posts. Sometimes I wonder if we’re traveling on the same planet. Let me know in the comments if you’d like for me to share his opinions about our destinations.

What Did I Really Think?

For more information about Octagon Hall history, hours of operation, and tours, visit the museum website. Check the Events tab for information about upcoming ghost hunts.

From the Library