Walk Chickamauga by Lantern Light to the Gordon-Lee Mansion
A two-hour evening ghost walk that starts at the Southern Shadows shop on Gordon Street, mixes Civil War history with local legends, and takes bookings from age 10.
Chickamauga is a small town in northwest Georgia that shares its name with the September 1863 battle, and the U.S. Army puts that battle's casualties at more than 34,000, second only to Gettysburg. This two-hour walk sets off from the Southern Shadows shop on Gordon Street in the evening and works through the old downtown by lantern, folding that history into ghost stories, folklore and the odd cryptid tale.
The operator is explicit that this is not a haunted-hayride or theatrical performance; the guide tells the town's real history and the ghost stories attached to it.
The guide carries the lantern and passes around ghost-hunting tools for the group to try along the way.
The booking below is a shared evening walk at one per-person rate. The listing includes the lantern-led storytelling and use of ghost-hunting equipment, which it names as EMF meters and dowsing rods. Food and drinks, transport to the start and tips for the guide are not included, and it asks you to bring your own bug spray, umbrella or flashlight if you want one.
Haunted Heart of Chickamauga Ghost TourTwo-hour lantern walk · Starts at 110 Gordon Street · Ghost-hunting tools includedwww.viator.comFrom the Depot to Crawfish Spring
The first hour covers downtown. The listing's route passes old brick storefronts and the railroad crossings, sites once tied to Civil War encampments, and old hospital sites where epidemics took lives. It also promises 19th-century true crime and cryptid lore, including a local figure it calls Ol' Green Eyes.
The next 20 minutes are spent at Crawfish Spring. When James Gordon and his brothers settled here in 1836 the place was called Crawfish Springs, and the National Register nomination for his house notes that it is now the city of Chickamauga. The listing uses the stop for Cherokee history and Appalachian legends such as the Moon-Eyed People.
Lanterns, Dowsing Rods and No Video
The stops happen in courtyards, on street corners and beside the railroad, with the guide talking by lantern light. Guests get to try the ghost-hunting kit, and the operator says it also teaches a trick it calls the psychic photo.
Cameras are welcome for still photos only; the operator does not allow video recording on its tours. It gives two reasons: copyright on its material, and keeping the tour new for the next group.
The Last Stop Is the Gordon-Lee Mansion
The walk ends with twenty minutes outside the Gordon-Lee Mansion on Cove Road. James Gordon built the columned brick house between 1840 and 1847, and in 1863 it served as both a military headquarters and a hospital. Union general William Rosecrans occupied it before the Battle of Chickamauga, according to the house's National Register nomination.
This tour stays outside the house. Tours of the interior are run separately by the Friends of the Gordon-Lee Mansion, a nonprofit that works with the City of Chickamauga, on the schedule posted on its own website.
Ages, Pets, Weather and Arriving Late
Bookings start at age 10. The operator strongly recommends the tour for ages 11 and up because some of the stories are dark, and leaves the final call to parents.
The operator puts the walking at less than a mile at a relaxed pace, with frequent stops for stories. Service animals are welcome, but leave pet dogs at home. Walks run rain or shine, and the operator says it will contact you by email or text if the weather turns extreme or unsafe.
Tours leave on time with no grace period, and the operator gives no refund for late arrivals. This booking refunds in full up to 24 hours before the start and not after; the operator's own terms for tickets it sells directly are stricter. As of October 24, 2026, tours start at 7:00 PM, Tuesday to Saturday.
📍 Check in at the Southern Shadows shop, 110 Gordon Street, inside if it is open or out front if not; the listing says there is a meet-here sign at the store. Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. Street parking is free, and giving the name on the reservation is enough at check-in, with no printed ticket needed.
Bring comfortable walking shoes, layers for cooler nights and a bottle of water. The operator asks for water only, with no soda or snacks, and there are no public trash bins along the route. Bug spray helps in the warmer months, and a flashlight is optional.
The walk finishes on Cove Road, one street from the shop, and the guide can walk you back to your car on Gordon Street after the last story, told in front of the house that held a Union headquarters in 1863.