Outdoor Exploration
Daytime cemetery visit
Walk among 19th-century graves at Chattanooga's oldest cemetery, including the marked grave of Lucius Polk Montgomery (1835-1837), the cemetery's oldest known burial.
- Duration:
- 45 min
Cemetery / Burial Ground
Citizens Cemetery
Chattanooga's oldest cemetery, in use since at least 1837, with 19th-century graves and a documented paranormal-investigation tour stop near the UTC campus.
820 E 3rd St, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free during daylight hours as a public historic cemetery; commercial ghost-hunt tours charge an admission fee.
Access
Limited Access
Historic 19th-century cemetery with uneven ground, sunken graves in places, and grassy paths between markers
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1837 · Chattanooga's oldest cemetery · Lucius Polk Montgomery's grave (1835-1837) — oldest marker · Markers removed for Union Civil War breastworks (September 1863)
Citizens Cemetery occupies a block between East 4th and 5th Streets in downtown Chattanooga, near the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus. The cemetery's origins trace to 1837, when Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Rush Montgomery selected the site for the burial of their two-year-old son Lucius Polk Montgomery, whose marked grave (1835-1837) remains the cemetery's oldest documented burial.
The surrounding tract was purchased in 1838 from Colonel William Lindsay, a U.S. Army officer who had been stationed at Ross's Landing during the Cherokee War. The cemetery served as Chattanooga's primary burial ground in the early decades of the city's growth from a frontier landing into a regional rail center.
In September 1863, as Union forces under General William Rosecrans pushed toward Chattanooga, hundreds of headstones were removed from Citizens Cemetery to be used as building material for defensive breastworks. The Times Free Press and the Hamilton County Genealogical Society have documented the loss of original markers from this period, which complicated subsequent efforts to identify and re-mark graves.
The cemetery includes adjoining historic burial grounds and remains in active stewardship by community volunteers and the city of Chattanooga. A 2024 Times Free Press 'Local History' feature documented community efforts to protect the cemetery from desecration and ongoing restoration work. Citizens Cemetery is listed on Find a Grave with documented interments dating to the late 1830s and through the 19th century.
Sources
- https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/10536/citizens-cemetery
- https://hctgs.org/cemeteries-citizens
- https://choosechatt.com/blog/historic-cemeteries-of-the-scenic-city/
- https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2024/aug/24/local-history-chattanooga-citizens-cemetery-saved/
EMF spikesSpirit-box voicesShadow figures among 19th-century gravesCold spots near older markersFemale apparition in see-through shroud walking through groups before vanishing
Citizens Cemetery's haunted reputation is primarily a product of its long-running place on Chattanooga Ghost Tours' equipment-based investigation itinerary, where it is presented as one of the city's most active sites. Viator and Chattanooga Ghost Tours' booking pages describe a 1.5-hour after-hours cemetery ghost hunt with EMF meters and spirit-box equipment.
Guides and tour participants report EMF spikes near specific markers, voices captured on spirit-box recordings, and shadow figures moving among the older 19th-century graves. The cemetery's age, the Civil-War-era loss of original markers, and its overlap with adjoining historic burial grounds provide an atmospheric backdrop for the tours. Author and former lawyer Amy Petulla, who founded Chattanooga Ghost Tours and co-wrote the published regional ghost book 'Haunted Chattanooga' (The History Press, with co-author Jessica Penot), presents Citizens Cemetery as a recurring stop in her published Chattanooga supernatural compilation (Ancient Origins feature).
According to the Chattanooga Pulse, guides and guests on the cemetery tour have reported the apparition of a woman who approaches walking groups, passes directly through them, and then vanishes. Witnesses describe her as wearing a see-through shroud; one account was allegedly captured on video and defied explanation on frame-by-frame review. This published witness account from local arts-and-entertainment press constitutes independent documentation of a specific apparition tradition anchored to Citizens Cemetery.
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Ghost Hunt Booking Required
Cemetery Ghost Hunt with Chattanooga Ghost Tours
1.5-hour after-hours equipment-based paranormal investigation conducted by Chattanooga Ghost Tours, with EMF meters and spirit-box equipment provided.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Citizens Cemetery family-friendly?
Daytime cemetery visit is appropriate for older children with parental supervision. After-hours ghost hunts run later in the evening and are generally suited to teens and adults. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Citizens Cemetery?
Free during daylight hours as a public historic cemetery; commercial ghost-hunt tours charge an admission fee. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Citizens Cemetery wheelchair accessible?
Citizens Cemetery has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Historic 19th-century cemetery with uneven ground, sunken graves in places, and grassy paths between markers.