Costumed guides from Franklin on Foot lead ghost tours of the historic Lotz House in Franklin in a tour called Ghosts of the Battlefield.

Visitors view the beautifully restored 1858 show house while hearing stories of bloodshed, destruction, and such unexplained phenomena as a woman in a nightgown crying out for a loved one, a little girl staring out a window, voices of invisible women talking, and items that just can’t stay put.

"The Lotz House was in the thick of the fighting on November 30, 1864, and sustained serious damage during cannonading," owner J.T. Thompson says. "The Lotz family’s experience during the Battle of Franklin and aftermath is a compelling story of civilian life during the war and occupation."

There was also personal tragedy associated with the house, and visitors will hear about that too. "When lives are cut short, as in wartime, sometimes spirits remain behind," says Franklin on Foot’s Margie Thessin. "That’s what we think happened here."

The tour’s stories will also cover other battlefield sites, including Carter House, Public Square, Third Avenue North, Harrison House, and Carnton Plantation. Thessin, former interim executive director at Carnton, developed the ghost tour at Carnton and wrote Ghosts of Franklin, Tennessee’s Most Haunted Town.

Beautifully restored and furnished with period furniture and decoration, the Lotz House museum (1111 Columbia Avenue in Franklin; www.Lotzhouse.com) opened in 2008 for daily tours.

Upcoming tour dates are March 6 and 19. Tours begin at 7 p.m. To make reservations, call 615-516-2011 or purchase tickets ($20 adults, $10 kids 13-under) at www.franklinonfoot.com. Also visit www.ghostsoffranklin.com.