On Thursday, October 29, a hayride will stop in front of the old Post Hospital on Barnhardt Circle. Ghost on the Post runs from 6 to 8 p.m. out of the Fort Oglethorpe Welcome Center at 10 Barnhardt Circle. The city's event calendar describes "a quick bite" and a hayride ghost tour of Barnhardt Circle, "including a visit to the old POST Hospital." The host is Preservation of Stories and Times, Inc., the Fort Oglethorpe Historical Society, and its event page lists the price as $10 per person, which covers the tour, a hot dog, a side and a drink.
From now through mid-January, Fort Oglethorpe holds nearly all of its seasonal calendar on or right beside its old Army post. Haunted nights, a pet festival, a road race, a skating rink and the Christmas parade all happen there. The hospital is the largest building on that post, and as of the most recent county record, a county board hasn't decided what happens to it.
Why the hospital stop is different this year
The original part of the hospital went up in 1904 to serve the Sixth Cavalry. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, and an addition followed in 1953. The whole campus covers 30 acres and about 378,000 square feet, and both the old and new sections stand empty, according to Catoosa County News.
For years, CHI Memorial, now CommonSpirit, ran an emergency room and some hospital services from the newer section. That kept the property busy and lit. In January 2026 those operations moved to a new facility on Battlefield Parkway. CommonSpirit announced that CommonSpirit–Memorial Hospital–North Georgia opened January 11 at 4710 Battlefield Parkway and took in inpatients transferred from the Fort Oglethorpe campus. This is the first fall ghost season in which the building on the tour has nothing operating inside it.
Where the decision stands, in order
The county's own records give the clearest timeline:
- 2021. An Atlanta-based company, Enots LLC, donated the property to the Catoosa County Economic Development Authority, as Catoosa County News reported.
- June 15, 2026. The Catoosa County Public Facilities Authority released a request for qualifications seeking a public-private redevelopment partner. This is a different process from a conventional sale bid, and submissions were due at noon on Friday, July 31. The document asks respondents to describe how they would handle demolition. It allows the chosen respondent either to demolish privately or to work with the authority on demolition before redevelopment.
- Late June. County spokesperson John Pless told NewsChannel 9 that the buyer would determine the property's future and that there were no plans to demolish the buildings at that time.
- July 7. Barnhardt Circle residents brought the case for the old hospital to the Board of Commissioners. They brought a petition with more than 700 signatures and read a letter from W. Wright Mitchell, CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Mitchell called the building "one of the most important surviving buildings within the Fort Oglethorpe historic district" and suggested purchaser selection criteria, preservation easements or deed restrictions as ways to protect it during the sale, according to Catoosa County News. Commissioners said they supported preservation but also had to protect taxpayers' interests, and one said the authority would weigh more than the highest offer. The Times Free Press reported the next day that commissioners said they were willing to work with preservationists.
- September 8. The Public Facilities Authority met in executive session for legal and land acquisition matters. Back in open session, it took up a "proposed offer letter for Hutcheson Hospital building and property." The summary minutes read in full, "No action was taken on this item, as more information is needed."
The minutes don't say who wrote the proposed offer letter or what it contains, and the authority has not acted on it. The hayride on October 29 will stop at a building that is in that state. The Public Facilities Authority's agenda and minutes are the place to watch for the next step.
The rest of the post is already booked
The calendar below covers everything the city lists on or around the old post between now and mid-January. Every location is either Barnhardt Circle itself or within a short walk of it.
| Date | Event | Where | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri. & Sat. through Oct. 31, 7 to 10 p.m. | Fort O Fright | Stable 41, 214 First Street | Haunted stable, black-light skating, Barnhardt Circle ghost tour. $10 for one, $17 for two, $22 for all three |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Bark 'TOBER' Fest | Barnhardt Circle | Raises money for spay and neuter surgeries for Catoosa County Animal Shelter animals before adoption |
| Thu., Oct. 29, 6 to 8 p.m. | Ghost on the Post | Welcome Center, 10 Barnhardt Circle | Hayride ghost tour with a stop at the old Post Hospital, $10 |
| Nov. 6 to 7 | Georgia Tennessee Pickleball Tournament | Gilbert-Stephenson Park, 19 Van Cleve Street | Starts 4 p.m. Friday |
| Sat., Nov. 14, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Chickamauga Battlefield Races | Barnhardt Circle | Chattanooga Track Club series, running since 1980 |
| Nov. 21 to Jan. 17 | Winter Skating | Stable 41 | Covered pavilion rink |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 6 to 9 p.m. | Christmas in Fort Oglethorpe | Stable 41 and Lafayette Street | Parade, tree lighting, Christmas Market, Santa |
| Dec. 1 to Jan. 1 | Light Up Fort O | Citywide | Holiday home decorating contest, winner announced Jan. 11, 2027 |
Fort O Fright and Ghost on the Post each include a ghost tour of Barnhardt Circle, but they are separate events. Fort O Fright is the city's production at Stable 41. Its walking ghost tour is one of three attractions sold à la carte, with tickets at letsgoforto.com, and as of publication it has four nights left: October 23, 24, 30 and 31. Bobby Daniels, the city's Community Engagement Administrator, told The Pulse that the event is meant to be "connected to the history of Fort Oglethorpe" and to "use the unique setting to create something memorable." Ghost on the Post is the Historical Society's evening, and its listing names the hospital visit. If one night fits your schedule, go to the Historical Society's.
Stable 41 carries the post through winter
After Halloween, most of the season's activity moves to Stable 41. The city describes the pavilion at 214 First Street as its venue in the downtown historic district for the Stable 41 Market, Stage at the Stable and Christmas in Fort O. This year the city moved the Thursday summer market to the Welcome Center while pavilion improvements were underway, as Catoosa County News reported. The city's calendar lists 2026 as the market's fifth year.
Winter Skating opens on the covered pavilion November 21 and runs through January 17. The city pitches it as skating "no matter the weather." One week later, on November 28, Christmas in Fort Oglethorpe brings the annual parade down Lafayette Street, a tree lighting and a Christmas Market at Stable 41. The city expects thousands to attend. If you're decorating for Light Up Fort O, the contest window opens December 1.
Race morning and the battlefield roads
The Chickamauga Battlefield Races on November 14 start from Barnhardt Circle and run into the 9,000-acre Chickamauga Battlefield. The Chattanooga Track Club has hosted the Battlefield Marathon series there since 1980. The event runs from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., so expect activity around the circle all morning.
For anyone driving the park this fall, the National Park Service announced that East Brotherton Road between Alexander's Bridge Road and Jay's Mill Road would close for paving starting September 23. The release gave no reopening date and asked drivers to use other routes. Check the park's alerts before you plan a route through that section.
The building you can visit any week
If October 29 doesn't work, the Fort Oglethorpe Welcome Center at 10 Barnhardt Circle offers free admission, artifacts and exhibits covering the post from the Spanish-American War through World War II, and a self-guided Barnhardt Circle walking tour. The walking tour circles the same parade ground that Bark 'TOBER' Fest, the hayride and race morning use, and it passes the hospital.
Billy Rench, who works alongside Trish, has built more than 400 homes since 1987, and our team regularly talks with owners about what century-old construction needs to stay in use. If you live near Barnhardt Circle and want a practical read on an older home on or near the post, Trish Savage Homes is glad to walk it with you. Contact Us.
