The Bell Witch legend of Adams, Tennessee is one of America’s most haunting ghost stories. Well-known horror films like The Blair Witch Project, The Bell Witch Haunting, and An American Haunting are all based on her story—and the family she haunted. As the events took place nearly 200 years ago, every account tells the tale a bit differently. What is known, though, is that in 1804, John Bell and his wife bought over 300 acres of land in northern Tennessee, settling down to what they thought would be an idyllic farming life. This region eventually grew into the town of Adams. Yet at the time of the Bell family’s arrival, it was a remote rural area in the northwest corner of Robertson County, due north of Nashville.

Costumed madmen wielding fake chainsaws are fun, but sometimes you want the real deal—An authentic, hair-raising, spine-chilling walk through a place where bad things actually happened. Herewith, eight real haunted houses fit for real thrill seekers.