Historical items and displays may fill the Sumner County Museum, but a group of paranormal investigators hope to find out if the building is home to something more.
Tickets are now on sale for a two-hour ghost hunt, which will take place at the museum on Sunday, May 30 at 7 p.m. It will then be followed by a one-hour walking tour of downtown Gallatin focusing on the area’s history and alleged hauntings.
The event is being organized by Allen Sircy, author of “Southern Ghost Stories: Ghosts of Gallatin,” to help raise money for the museum which experienced closures and event cancellations last year due to the pandemic.
“Whether you’re an experienced ghost hunter, a novice or you just want to come out and see what happens, this will be fun and a way to give back to the museum,” Sircy said. “My hope is they will come, have a good time and then come back during the day and take in the whole museum experience.”
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com by searching for Gallatin Ghost Hunt. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the museum.
According to Sumner County Museum Executive Director Ryan Baker, attendance was down more than 90 percent last year due to the pandemic.
Any event that helps bring in revenue, like the ghost hunt, is “definitely important,” he added.
“Most of our funds don’t come from admission fees, however, what we did lose were quite a few private events that were cancelled,” Baker said. “That would have been a good chunk of revenue for us for the year. We’re still rebounding from that.”
Founded in 1975, the Sumner County Museum’s collection has grown to include more than 20,000 items from across the county with some dating back to prehistoric times.
The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is currently free thanks to monthly sponsorships from local organizations and businesses with April and May being sponsored by the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition.
“When kids get out of school, parents will be looking for things to do on summer break,” Baker said. “The museum definitely offers a chance to get out, learn a little bit and have some fun while you’re doing it.”
For more information about the Sumner County Museum visit www.sumnercountymuseum.org.
