Haunted hotel guide · Jonesborough, Tennessee
The Historic Eureka Inn, Jonesborough: The Haunted Jury Room in Tennessee's Oldest Town
A nine-room inn on Main Street in Tennessee’s oldest town, with parts dating to 1797 and a suite where twelve jurors are said to be talking still.
The Historic Eureka Inn sits on West Main Street in Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee. Its oldest part was built as a home in 1797; it became the Eureka Hotel in 1900, was restored in the late 1990s, and after a pandemic closure and a sale it has been welcoming guests again under new owners since 2023, with nine rooms.
Its ghost stories are gentle ones. A previous owner told local TV the inn was a “happy ghost place” run with friendly spirits, and mysterious voices have reportedly been recorded in the Jury Room, the inn’s largest suite, where jurors once stayed. Some believe the twelve men are still deliberating.
Eureka Inn at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 127 West Main Street, Jonesborough, TN 37659
- Built 1797; the Eureka Hotel from 1900; restored 1997 to 2000
- Most haunted spots The Jury Room suite
- Best-known ghosts Friendly, unnamed spirits, often linked to the jurors who stayed here
- Booking the haunted room Book the Jury Room directly with the inn (sleeps up to five); call (423) 873-8735
- Good to know Two resident dogs live on site and no other pets are allowed; weekend rates include a family-style breakfast
The ghosts of the Eureka Inn
The jurors of the Jury Room
The Jury Room gets its name from the inn’s past as lodging for juries. According to WATE’s 2019 report, in the early 1900s the hotel housed jurors while the Jonesborough courthouse was being renovated; the inn’s own history says William Henry Maxwell, who bought the house in 1851, set up a jury room in one of the large bedrooms. Either way, WATE reported that the energy and voices of those twelve men are thought to still echo through the suite, and that mysterious voices have been recorded there.
The happy ghosts
In 2019 the couple then running the inn, Blake and Katelyn Yarbrough, described it to local TV as a “happy ghost place” and said they enjoyed sharing it with friendly ghosts. They mentioned several unexplained events over the years without going into detail.
A word on the current owners
The inn changed hands after it was put up for sale in 2022, and its current website does not talk about ghosts at all. So go for the history and the atmosphere, and treat any encounter as a bonus rather than part of the package.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- The Jury Room: The largest bedroom, upstairs, with two full beds, a twin and Murphy beds; the room tied to the recorded voices.
- Peter Miller's Room: Named for the man who opened the Eureka Hotel in 1900, with a faux fireplace.
- Angeline's Room: Named for his wife, with a king bed and a skylight.
- The Sample Room: A first-floor queen room, named for the old hotel’s sample room for traveling salesmen.
- Laura's Room: Named for Laura Gosnell, who ran the house as a boarding house from 1869, with a working gas fireplace.
- The Tub Room: A second-floor room with a classic tub, a nod to the 1920s days when guests paid at the counter for a bath.
History of Historic Eureka Inn
In 1797 Robert Mitchell and his wife Harriett bought Lot 19 from the Town of Jonesborough and built a home on it, the oldest part of today’s inn. William Henry Maxwell bought the house in 1851 and set aside one of its large bedrooms as a jury room, and in 1869 Laura Gosnell made it her home and a boarding house.
In 1900 Peter and Angeline Miller bought it and opened it as the Eureka Hotel. J.R. Russell bought it in 1910 and added the first bathtub with hot and cold running water; by the 1920s, the inn says, guests paid for a bath at the counter, and the price could drop depending on how many had already used the water. By the 1950s a restaurant, a grocery and a taxi business were running from the ground floor.
Dr. William Kennedy bought the building in poor repair in 1997, and with partners restored it as an inn that reopened in 2000. Blake and Katelyn Yarbrough ran it from 2014. It paused during the pandemic and reopened in 2021 with fewer rooms, but WJHL reported in October 2022 that the Yarbroughs had closed it after the pandemic derailed their hopes of buying it, and that Kennedy, then 82, had listed the building for $1.25 million.
New owners reopened the Historic Eureka Inn & Event Center, and since 2023 the inn has been run by a team living on site, with nine guest rooms, event rooms, a courtyard and gazebo, and catering by The Gathered Table.
Tips for a haunted stay
- Book the Jury Room directly with the inn; booking requests are confirmed by the managers, so allow time.
- Weekend rates include a family-style breakfast; on weeknights breakfast can be added.
- Groups can take the whole inn (nine rooms, up to 21 adults) for a private haunted weekend, with a two-night minimum.
- Time a visit for the National Storytelling Festival in October, when Jonesborough’s ghost story tradition is at its best, but book very early.
- The haunted General Morgan Inn in Greeneville is about half an hour away for dinner at Brumley’s.
Want to investigate, not just sleep?
Sleeping in a haunted hotel is one thing. Investigating one after dark is another. On a Haunted Rooms ghost hunt our team takes you through the building with professional ghost hunting equipment, runs EVP sessions and lets you explore on your own during free roam.
- Haunted Thomas House Hotel Ghost Hunt and Sleepover: Our overnight event at the Thomas House in Red Boiling Springs, Middle Tennessee.
More haunted hotels nearby
- Martha Washington Inn, Abingdon: a haunted inn about an hour away in Virginia
- Grove Park Inn, Asheville: the famous Pink Lady, over the mountains
- Haunted places in Knoxville: more East Tennessee ghost stories
- Haunted hotels in Tennessee: the General Morgan Inn, Room 311 and more
- Haunted hotels in Tennessee
Stayed in one of these hotels? Tell us what happened
We collect first-hand accounts from guests and add the best ones to our guides, with your first name and the date of your stay. We read every story before it’s published.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Historic Eureka Inn haunted?
Past owners described it as a “happy ghost place” with friendly spirits, and mysterious voices have reportedly been recorded in the Jury Room.
What is the Jury Room at the Eureka Inn?
The inn’s largest suite, named for its history housing jurors. It sleeps up to five and is the room linked to the inn’s ghost stories.
Is the Eureka Inn open?
Yes. It closed for a time after the pandemic and was sold, and has been taking guests again under new ownership since 2023, with nine rooms.
How old is the Eureka Inn?
Its oldest section dates to 1797. It became the Eureka Hotel in 1900 and was restored as an inn between 1997 and 2000.
Does the Eureka Inn allow pets?
No. Two resident dogs live on the property and no other pets are allowed.
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the hotel’s own website, historic records and news coverage. Ghost stories are reported as guests, staff and local historians tell them. Read how we rate haunted hotels.
- The Historic Eureka Inn & Event Center: official site
- Town of Jonesborough: Historic Eureka Inn
- WATE: Historic Eureka Inn, the happy ghost place (2019)
- WJHL: Historic Eureka Inn on the market (2022)
- Blue Ridge Country: A dream come true at the Historic Eureka Inn (2022)
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About the authors
The Haunted Rooms Team runs public ghost hunts and overnight investigations at historic venues across the United States. We research every hotel in our guides using hotel histories, local archives, news coverage and the accounts of guests and staff, and we review each guide regularly so you are not booking a hotel that has closed or changed its name. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
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