With a history that includes plenty of strife, including Civil War battles and Yellow Fever epidemics in which thousands died, it's little wonder that Memphis would be a hot spot of paranormal activity.
Finding ghosts - and helping homeowners and businesses rid their buildings of specters - is just what Memphis Paranormal Investigations does. Most of its business is conducted behind closed doors and is not for public consumption. But throughout the year, and especially around Halloween, the company's cemetery tours are just the ticket for spooky fun.
The Meditation Garden at Graceland - with a ethereal Elvis. — Photo courtesy of Memphis Paranormal Investigations
And let's face it, with sightings of Elvis across town, and two of the city's nightlife hotspots - Earnestine & Hazel's and Molly Fontaine Lounge - said to be haunted, this is definitely a city with a penchant for the paranormal.
The tours, arranged by a phone call or email, are held regularly but not necessarily on a set schedule; attendees meet in a parking lot on Summer Avenue after receiving a list of very specific instructions for the evening: no bad attitudes, no cologne, bring a flashlight.
Ellendale Cemetery is the destination, and the tools the investigators bring along include electromagnetic meters and temperature gauges. A fluctuation in temperature or electromagnetic energy are indicators of otherworldly activity, but the most important tool anyone can bring is respect for those who have died.
The guys at MPI don't charge for their tours and use their website and Facebook page to champion causes including grief counseling and the prevention of domestic abuse.