Legends of Sensabaugh Tunnel

Sensabaugh tunnel has been a part of Tennessee folklore for years. Built in the 1920’s in Kingsport, TN and named after the man that owned the land, Edward Sensabaugh. A stream flows around and through the tunnel and the walls are covered in graffiti.

There are several claims of activity in Sensabaugh tunnel. One of the most frequently reported ones is the sound of a crying baby. It is also said that the apparition of a women will appear in the back seat of your car while driving through. Another one of the most common claims of activity, suggests that if you turn your car off when you are in the middle of the tunnel, you will not be able to turn it on again until you push it out of the tunnel. Many tales are in circulation about Edward and how the tunnel became haunted, every one of them differs depending on the source.

The Act of Kindness

Ed once let a homeless man into his house as an act of kindness. Shortly afterwards, the man tried to steal jewelry from Ed’s wife. Ed grabbed a gun and confronted the man. The man grabbed Ed’s infant daughter and ran from the house. It is said the he drowned the baby in the tunnel during his escape.

Crazed Madman

One tale revolves around Ed being a madman. Legend has it that, one night, Ed went crazy and murdered his wife and child. Ed proceeded to place the bodies inside the tunnel. No one really knows why he snapped.

“Get Out of My Tunnel”

Ed was always very protective of his land. In the 1950’s teenagers started to use the tunnel for many devious things. This upset Ed greatly. So, he started hiding in the woods and when a vandal would show up, he would let out a shrill that would echo through the tunnel. Needless to say this would scare off any unwanted visitors hiding inside.

Shelter from the Storm

One stormy night a mother and her child where driving through Kingsport. As the storm grew worse the mother decided that the roads where no longer safe to travel. When she came upon Sensabaugh Tunnel she stopped. They would not survive the night. The next morning their bodies were discovered inside the car, which was parked in the middle of the tunnel. Nobody knows exactly what happened to cause their sudden deaths or if it is even true.

What we found…

Regardless of the origin story, we visited Sensabaugh Tunnel for an investigation. Several claims state that if you turn your car off in the middle of the tunnel, it will not start back up. We tried turning the car off several times, in both directions, and the car started without a problem each time. After spending several hours there and not feeling or experienced anything, we concluded the investigation. During the review process, to our amazement we found an EVP that sounds exactly like a baby crying. We hope to visit the tunnel at a later date in hopes that we can prove or debunk some of the other claims of activity.