August 5th, 2025
Bell Witch Cave By Taylor Barkley with Team Brady Pack
If you find yourself in Adams, Tennessee, you would be doing yourself a favour by stopping off at the site for the Bell Witch Cave. As you walk along the log cabin that depicts how the Bells would have lived back in that time, you can listen to the tale of how this family struggled with their issue, which back then, was a topic that nearly all families didn’t want to speak about. It was an odd topic in the 1800s for someone to admit. And, like most people, the Bell family also tried to ignore their problem. Until they honestly couldn’t anymore.
Walking through the corridors of this building was a surreal feeling, envisioning the struggle of not only the 1800s but also how much pain this family went through. Listening to the amount of pain Betsy, the youngest daughter of John Bell, had gone through. Betsy herself was the central tragic figure of this entity. This spirit physically abused her, and the spirit would even threaten her if she carried out her engagement to Joshua Gardner. Unfortunately for John Bell, the spirit took claim for poisoning him, which led to Betsy calling off her engagement. This was the first ‘documented’ killing by a spirit!
You can even go upstairs where the children would have slept. The air was thick, not only from the heat of July, but from the lingering spiritual aura.
Once in the museum, which would’ve been the kitchen back then, it’s a fascinating part; newsletters, photography, and the blatant history of that location is chilling. Going back to the part where the Bells attempted not to speak about their situation, but once it got too dire, people from across the country and world would come and be witnesses to their tragedy, which was written down in journals and dairies of the Bells.
During one seance, the spirit declared that its name was Kate, who was once the neighbor of the Bells. Kate Batts was said to be a wild woman, mostly given to her referring to the one time she walked into a church and saw a man praying. Kate had the impulsive idea to jump on the man’s back and “ride him like a pony.” We love a crazy queen. This entity was not only seen for its negative impact, but it was also said that this unseen force pulled a child free from the thin tunnels in the cave that was near the Bells’ property.
Which leads us to our next location on this tour: the cave itself. It is a walk down stairs with the view of the river and trees. It’s truly a beautiful scene walking down.
The cave was laced with energy from decades prior to the Bells. Above the cave is an Indian burial site, suspected to be an ancient Indian group. Inside, there is an empty stone grave site that was once for a little girl whose remains were stolen in the 1970s. The uneasiness from that spot can be answered by the anger and pain of the spirit of the little girl. Throughout the cave, there are tales of how the cave would’ve been neutral territory, and there are channels that aren’t on the walking tour due to the rise of water and closeness of the walls. However, our time there was calm, the tour guide mentioned that often women in a certain spot would get their hair pulled or they would hear voices behind ‘Eagle Stone’.
Like any haunted land, they recommend not taking a stone off the ground; there’s even a binder in the gift shop with letters of visitors who returned the stone they took, which cursed them. This could be tied to the little girl who was taken from her resting place. She lingers to endure nothing else from the cave that gets taken out. I recall a letter from a woman who went on this tour, apparently took a stone, and soon after, her husband passed away, and she sent the stone back.
The question: Does this entity still roam the land? Yes, the entity that took the name Kate has still been seen and heard throughout the years.
The Bell Witch Cave was informative and spine-tingling. This experience enriched me, and a month later, I still think back on it. Here’s to going back for their paranormal investigation that Todd and Leanne Escue of The Black Wolf Paranormal bring.
Bell Witch Cave’s Website
The Bell Witch Cave also holds an annual haunted hayride event on the grounds! Check out our full video here:
Witch’s Dell Haunted Hayride 2024 Review