HAuNTcon 2017’s Haunts and Haunted Places Bus Tour

I am forever grateful that Leonard Pickel messaged me on LinkedIn at the very end of December to ask, “Hey Courtney, will you be joining us at HAuNTcon next month?”

I didn’t see his message until January 9. I had just gotten back from holiday and was trying to regroup. The last thing I was thinking about was going anywhere else just yet. So I didn’t even look at the link he’d included with the message. I just replied it was doubtful I’d be able to get there, but that I would be adding it to the Paracons and Horror Fests page for 2017.

Updating the page was something I knew I was overdue in tackling. Leonard’s message lit the fire. I figured, “Have to start somewhere,” so I went to check out HAuNTcon’s info. I was stunned to see it was going to be taking place in my very own backyard: Nashville, Tennessee!

Okay, with it being that easy to get to, how could I not go? Unless I wasn’t going to be in town. However, a quick check of the calendar confirmed that we were here that weekend.

So I immediately wrote Leonard back to say I’d not only be adding it to the listings, but I’d be there and I’d be sure to seek him out for a quick “hi.” (Hopefully he has time. Leonard Pickel is a haunted attraction guru, who also happens to be HAuNTcon’s Owner/Event Coordinator.)

HAuNTcon’s Pre-Show Bus Tour

HAuNTcon runs January 26-30, 2017. Classes and workshops don’t start until Friday January 27th though. Thursday January 26th sees the first night time Haunt Tour. (Which I’ll be writing about in a separate post.)

But they’re also doing what they call a Pre-Show Inspiration Bus Tour. Tickets for this two-day tour are $295 and include:

…admission to 13 haunted attractions at 8 different locations. PLUS, a historic plantation and warehouse tour. The cost of the tour includes admission to all attractions, transportation, food and refreshment for both days. two lunches and one dinner, motorcoach transportation…

The Tour’s Haunted Attractions

The neat thing (and something that moi, this bawk bawk chicken butt, could handle) is that this bus tour includes backstage, lights on (emphasized because that’s key to me) at:

1. Haunted Hell Nashville
2. Nashville Nightmare
3. Bloodshed Haunted House
4. Ravens Cross Haunted Village
5. Haunted Hospital
6. Devil’s Dungeon
7. Clarksville Zombie Hunters
8. Haunted Hell Clarksville
9. *Skeleton’s Lair Haunted Woods
10. *Gold City Ghostride
11. *Skeletal Visions 3D
12. *Doomsday Doll Factory
13. *Skeleton’s Lair 3-minute Escape

*These five attractions are all part of the Skeleton’s Lair Scream Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The tour will spend Wednesday night here with a full October-style experience of the haunt.

Also on the Tour

A historic Tennessee plantation is also on the tour, as is a tour of Froggy’s Fog to see how fog fluid is made.

I’m not sure which plantation they’re going to, but there are several to choose from. And a few are even rumored to be haunted.

I believe I also read they’ll be making a stop at the Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee. (Which would make sense since the tour will be going to Clarksville and Adams is right near there.)

The Bell Witch Cave is also rumored to be haunted, but there’s some debate about that. However, the Bell Witch story is one of America’s most famous ghost stories so of course if you’re interested in that sort of thing a trip to this site where the Bell Witch’s ghost may or may not roam is a must.

Bang for the Buck

Talk about one heck of a tour. Attendees will get to see a lot of Middle Tennessee with visits to haunts in both Nashville and Clarksville, but will also get to see Kentucky with stops in Scottsville and Bowling Green.

It’ll be two long days, but wow. If you like Halloween haunted houses and pretty countryside, what a way to experience them!