About Us 

I'm Margie Thessin, Franklin on Foot's owner. I earned a BA in history and a JD. I began my career as a lawyer followed by a few years as a stay-at-home mom. In 1995 I began to volunteer leading walking tours for Franklin's Heritage Foundation classroom program. Three years later, I became the Heritage Foundation classroom teacher, and in 2003 founded Franklin on Foot. I later spent three years as director of group tours, special events and weddings at Historic Carnton Plantation, and in 2008-09, served as Carnton's interim Executive Director. I wrote Ghosts of Franklin, Tennessee's Most Haunted Town in 2008. The motto I live by is that the worst day giving a walking tour is still better than the best day practicing law (by the way, there are no bad days giving walking tours). I'm married to Mark and have three children, Anne, Tyler and Molly, and a son-in-law Ryan.

                                                    Meet FOF's Tour Guides:

On the heels of one nationally recognized book and with another on the way in September, celebrated local author Lisa Patton recently joined Franklin on Foot as a tour guide. Lisa attended the University of Alabama and earned a B.A. in communications. She has worked in theater and radio promotions, and spent eight years as production manager for Michael McDonald. She also served as Carnton Plantation's special events director. But it was her stint as an innkeeper in Vermont that provided the inspiration for Whistlin’ Dixie In a Nor’Easter, the 2009 best-seller from St. Martin’s Press that received critical acclaim and landed Patton on Target’s Emerging Author list and in all 1,750 of their stores. Patton’s second book with St. Martin’s, the sequel Yankee Doodle Dixie, is due in stores in September.

Franklin native Anna Gregg Anderson is Franklin on Foot's newest tour guide. Anna and Margie are old friends who met as members of Franklin Junior Auxiliary, a women's service organization, back in the mid-90s. Both volunteered with the Heritage Classroom program, giving walking tours for the schools. Anna, who also directs the pre-school program at Walker Memorial Baptist Church, has always enjoyed Franklin's history and the telling of personal stories from her hometown. Anderson is an alumna of Battle Ground Academy and Middle Tennessee State University, where she earned a degree in elementary education. She and her husband, Jeb, live in Franklin with their three children.

Man-about-town, bon vivant, storyteller extraordinaire, fresh from his long-time gig dazzling audiences at the Tennessee state legislature is tour guide Mike Williams. Mike will entertain and thrill our guests on Franklin on Foot's ghost and crime tours. You'll relish his stories, you'll adore his delivery, you'll really like Mike. Be sure and ask him if he's ever experienced a ghost! He is also a big fan of Andrew Jackson and has conducted tours based on Jackson's numerous visits to and connection to Franklin. Mike owns Collier and McKeel, maker of Tennessee small batch whiskey, available at stores everywhere.

Ever since she can remember, Emily Palmer has loved to dress up, and has always counted the days to Halloween (since it affords her an excuse to do so). Every year her mom would wonder when she was going to realize that she was too old to be dressing up, and now--thanks to Franklin on Foot-- she still has an excuse! Emily also has a passion for history, which she plans to make her major in college. It must also be said that she loves to scare herself, and others, by the telling of ghost stories. She had often wondered how on earth she could incorporate all of these interests into one... and then she found Franklin on Foot! She is so very thankful and excited for the opportunity to work with them. In her spare time, Emily loves to act and sing, and has performed in many community theater productions. 

Martha Thuma entered the realm of Franklin storytelling when Margie invited her to be a volunteer docent at Carnton Plantation a few years ago.  She recently joined the FOF group and feels her storytelling skills have been perfected from reading to her six grandchildren.  She lives in downtown Franklin and is the newest addition on the board of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. In addition to being part of the Face of Franklin (as her husband likes to say) she is an active volunteer in other community non-profit efforts.

If Kevin Palmer's name and face seem familiar it's because he's Emily Palmer's big brother. And he's every bit the storyteller she is. I keep waiting for him to provide a bio but I guess he's just too busy. So I'll just have to tell you he's a great addition to the Franklin on Foot crew.

Media Appearances:

We have been featured on numerous television shows, including Southern Haunts (seen by over 1.4 million PBS viewers), Tennessee Crossroads, Turner South Blue Ribbon, Best Haunted Houses, Talk of the Town, Channel 50, Sonic Hometown Tour (WAKM)  and many others. We have appeared in the New York Times, the Tennessean, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Williamson A.M., the Williamson Herald, The Review Appeal, OnePaper, Franklin Life, The Nashville City Paper, and a bunch of websites, such as the one below, found here.  

 "For the best possible tour of the town, call up Franklin on Foot and take the Classic Franklin Tour. This 90-minute stroll touches on architecture, Civil War tales, and other history. Franklin on Foot is one of the few walking tour places that offers excursions for children. I Spy Downtown Franklin is aimed at kids 5-12, lasts about one hour, and involves a hands-on approach that combines fun and learning. Kids are not recommended for the Ghosts and Gore Tour, which features the best of downtown Franklin's ghost stories and explores some of the crime from Franklin's past--from rape, murder and prostitution to abortion, bootlegging and murder for hire. 

Daytime tours usually depart from Landmark Booksellers, 114 E. Main St." pictured at right.

Here's an interesting website, where we are listed as the best haunted tour in the Nashville/Franklin area.

Click here for quotes from some of the newspaper articles we've appeared in.

Franklin on Foot offers more than walking tours.  We also provide step-on guides for tour buses and local history programs for community, business and civic groups.  If you need a tour guide or someone to speak about local history, give us a call at 615-400-3808 or email themargie@comcast.net.

Call 615-400-3808 for tour information or reservations.