13 Most Frightfully Haunted Places in Florida

As autumn approaches, the emergence of pumpkin spice everything signals to Floridians the coming change in seasons. This is the time to start planning fall gardens, put out the Halloween decorations, enjoy the beaches without throngs of tourists, and visit some of the most haunted places in Florida.

With a long history of old towns in Florida, including the oldest in the country, it’s no wonder the state has lots of spooky places. These 13 are the most haunted places in Florida, perfect for a Halloween fright night. They are the places you’ll definitely see a ghoul or feel a chill caress your skin.

FLORIDA HAS RECENTLY EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC BACK-TO-BACK HURRICANES IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND EARLY OCTOBER. Large parts of Florida have devastating damage with many businesses closed. The exceptions, as of mid-October 2024, are Southeast Florida and the Panhandle. If you plan to visit Florida, PLEASE do so with caution and check in with businesses you intend to support. Additionally, please DO NOT VISIT the most devastated areas until they are reopened and able to handle tourists and visitors. Wander Florida is fully reader-supported. For that reason, this article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This revenue helps keep Wander Florida free and updated. I only recommend products or services that I would use myself. Read the full disclosure here.

1. St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine

St. Augustine Lighthouse and oil house

In St. Augustine, the oldest continuously-inhabited European city in the United States, stands the oldest lighthouse in the country. And possibly the most haunted. Built in 1876, the St. Augustine Lighthouse replaced an older coquina tower which was built in 1824 to replace the original wood watchtowers, the first of which dated to the 1600s.

Despite relatively calm waters, shipwrecks were a problem along Florida’s coast due to the shallow waters and shifting shoals. More than 40 lighthouses once protected the coastline, though only 34 of Florida’s lighthouses still stand. So many shipwrecks occurred along this coastline it was nicknamed the Treasure Coast because treasure from old shipwrecks routinely wash up on the beaches.

Lighthouse keepers at St. Augustine had a system of flags and signals to let the people of St. Augustine know when ships were approaching or when they ran aground. Like many other lights of the time, keepers here also had small boats with which they attempted the rescue of shipwrecked sailors.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse has two main ghost stories. The first is that of two girls who drowned nearby. The Pittee girls were the construction superintendent’s daughters. Realizing the construction of the lighthouse would take longer than anticipated, he moved his family to the construction site. His daughters and their friends often played on a railway pier which facilitated the movement of materials from the mainland to the lighthouse.

Unfortunately, one day the railcar they played in lost a wheel, plunging five children into the water. Pittee’s two daughters and a friend drowned. To this day, guests report seeing short figures playing around the grounds as well as girls giggling in the woods.

A more sinister apparition simply called “The Man” haunts the lightkeeper’s house’s basement as well as the light itself. This ghost has been seen peering over railways in the staircase. His presence usually brings a smell of cigar as well as a sense of foreboding. No one knows for sure who this spirit belongs to though most agree he was probably a light keeper, possibly either William Russel who was very protective of the lighthouse or Joseph Andreu who fell from the earlier tower in 1859.

2. Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables

Biltmore Hotel
Photo Credit: Ebyabe (Wikipedia)

The Biltmore Hotel was one of Florida’s luxury hotels built during the land boom years of the 1920s. At the time of its completion in 1926, the Biltmore was the tallest building in Florida. The pool held the title of largest pool in the world at one time. Celebrities, politicians, and foreign dignitaries – Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, to name a few – enjoyed the Biltmore’s posh rooms and exceptional service.

During the devastating Hurricane of 1926, the hotel provided shelter for 2,000 survivors. During World War II, it became a military hospital then a VA hospital until 1968. For all its grandeur and war effort, the Biltmore remained vacant for 15 years. The city of Coral Gables took over ownership of the building and renovated it in the early 1980s with a grand reopening in 1987.

The Biltmore Hotel has a long history of hauntings and is considered one of Florida’s most haunted hotels. Teens snuck into the abandoned building through the 1970s and reported seeing ghostly figures and being tapped on the shoulders. Other creepy things happen, too.

The most common is seeing figures and people who simply disappear. Staff and guests have both reported that phenomenon. Another spooky occurrence happens with the only original elevator. It travels to the 13th floor on its own even though you need a keycard to do so. This one is likely the ghost of gangster Fatty Walsh who was killed at the hotel in 1929 over a gambling dispute. The others as well as the flickering lights and whispers…those are probably the ghosts of soldiers who died in the hotel when it was a military hospital.

3. Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, Cassadaga

Cassadaga

Officially named Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association, Cassadaga is the oldest continuously-active religious community in the Southeastern United States. The community was founded in 1894 by George Colby, a spiritualist from New York. More than 100 years later, the community has grown to 57 acres with 55 homes and several businesses. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the “Psychic Capital of the World”.

The community is made up mostly of mediums, psychics, and healers so it isn’t surprising that many people consider Cassadaga to be haunted. While visitors might see paranormal activity nearly anywhere in Cassadaga – almost half of the homes offer psychic readings, after all – the main activity is usually centered around the Cassadaga Hotel.

I would need to write a novel to recount stories of all the ghosts which reside at the hotel. In a nutshell, there’s Arthur who likes gin and cigars (guests report smelling for no obvious reason), Gentleman Jack who is a ladies man and makes himself known by tapping on a woman’s shoulder or touching her hair, and children running along hallways although guests must be 21 years old to stay at the hotel. If you have a chance to stay overnight, ask for Room 10.

4. Ashley’s, Rockledge

Ashley’s of Rockledge is a bar and restaurant in the small town on Florida’s Space Coast near Kennedy Space Center, inland of Cocoa Beach. The restaurant first opened in 1933. It maintains its tudor-inspired look with dark wood paneling, antique pictures, and stained glass windows. Trains passing on a nearby railroad track cause rumbling through the building, adding to the haunted feel of the restaurant.

Several ghost stories circulate around the restaurant. Paranormal activity includes plates and glasses falling, a feeling of being pushed while going up or down the stairs, shadowing figures, lights flickering, objects moved at night when the restaurant is closed, and whispering. These events have been attributed to three different stories. 

The most common is that of Ethel Allen, a 19 year old girl who was found murdered on the banks of the Indian River in 1934. Some believe she may have been murdered at or near the restaurant, called Jack’s Tavern at that time. Staff and patrons have seen a woman dressed in 1930s era clothing.

Others believe the ghost(s) at Ashley’s could be the victim of a train or car accident beside the building. Another common origin for the ghosts attributes the haunting to a male employee who once lived on the building’s second floor.  

5. Key West Cemetery, Key West

Key West Cemetery
Photo Credit: Averette at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0

The Key West Cemetery was established in its current location in 1847 after a hurricane in 1846 washed bodies out of the graves at the former location. It covers 19 acres and has numerous sections including one for Confederate Navy soldiers, one for Cubans who fought in the Cuban revolution in 1868, and one for the battleship Maine.

With 100,000 bodies, more people rest at the graveyard than people who live in Key West (pop. 30,000). There are humorous gravestones, beautiful sculptures, and graves much older than the graveyard itself. Those moved to this location after the aforementioned hurricane.

Visitors who disrespect the graves or cemetery often experience a visit from the resident ghost, a Bahamian woman who scolds anyone caught doing something of which she disapproves. Other paranormal activity includes strange lights, disembodied voices, shadows, and strange figures.

6. Robert the Haunted Doll, Key West

Robert the Doll
Photo Credit: Cayobo from Key West, The Conch Republic – Robert The DollUploaded by LongLiveRock, CC BY 2.0

Robert the Doll belonged to Robert Eugene Otto, a gift from his grandfather who brought it back from Germany in 1904. The doll remained in Robert’s childhood home in Key West while he attended school in New York and Paris. He and his wife returned to the home in 1930 and lived in it until their deaths in 1974 and 1976. Robert the doll was donated to the East Martello Museum in 1994. 

Reported supernatural activity includes moving objects, causing mishaps, giggling, and changing its facial expressions. Some believe the doll’s supernatural abilities were triggered by Otto when he blamed childhood mishaps on the doll. Believers report that Robert the Doll causes car accidents, job losses, broken bones, divorces, and other post-visit mishaps, especially to anyone who shows disrespect.

7. Bellamy Bridge, Marianna

The Bellamy Bridge in North Florida is one of Florida’s oldest bridges and is widely considered Florida’s most haunted bridge. The area where the bridge now stands has been a crossing point for the Chipola River for hundreds of years. Historians believe the first recorded crossing here comes from the accounts of Spanish explorer Marcus Delgado in 1686. Maps dating back to the 1820s show a road crossing the river at this point as well.

In 1836, Dr. Edward Bellamy and his wife, Ann, bought the land here. Ann’s sister, Elizabeth, lived at or near here and married Dr. Samuel Bellamy but in 1837 Elizabeth unexpectedly died. Samuel never recovered from the heartbreak and committed suicide 15 years later. However, church law forbade him to be buried with Elizabeth. Legend says at the moment of his death, Elizabeth’s spirit returned to the swamps surrounding the river, and she has been searching for him ever since.

Other ghosts also haunt the Bellamy Bridge. Nearby residents report hearing a wagon rumbling down the road late at night. Pulled by mules, the driver appears normal when the wagon goes towards the bridge but is headless on his return. This wagon may be that of a father who decapitated his daughter at the river and then committed suicide.

Another ghost who haunts the bridge might be a murdered moonshiner, Sylvester Hart, who died there in 1914. During an argument over missing moonshine, Sylvester’s cousin shot him in the back of the head. His body was discovered by a mail carrier the next day. His spirit appears as light anomalies around the bridge. 

Three wooden bridges crossed the Chipola River starting in 1851. The current steel-frame bridge took shape in 1914 and provided a crossing for cars until 1963. Though closed to vehicular traffic, the bridge remains open to pedestrians though the wooden floor boards collapsed into the river long ago. Ghost tours are provided at night on the two nights closest to Halloween.

8. Castillo San Marcos, St. Augustine

A corner of Castillo San Marcos with palm trees and blue sky

The oldest masonry fortification in the United States, the Spanish built Castillo San Marcos to protect St. Augustine and help defend Florida. Though St. Augustine was founded in 1565, a series of wooden forts first protected the city. In October 1672, Governor Manuel Cendoya broke ground on the stone fort that would become the Castillo. Cendoya suffered a number of setbacks, including lack of funds from Spain and a devastating epidemic which killed thousands of Native American laborers and possibly Cendoya as well. He died in March 1673, leaving his wife and two small children in Cuba. 

Castillo San Marcos was completed in 1695. It withstood its first siege just seven years later in 1702 and another siege by the British in 1740. It never fell to enemy forces in battle. In the years after, Castillo San Marcos served many purposes, including as a prison. One can only imagine the amount of death and torture seen within the fort’s walls.

Several ghosts reportedly haunt Castillo San Marcos. Perhaps the most famous is that of Chief Osceola, the Seminole Chief who was captured after the Second Seminole War. Though he died in South Carolina, his body was prepared for burial by an old friend in St. Augustine, Dr. Weedon. The doctor severed Osceola’s head and displayed it in his drugstore. Many believe the Native American Chief haunts the grounds of the fort.

Another ghost at the fort is that of Dolores Marti. The wife of Colonel Garcia Marti, she had an affair with one of her husband’s soldiers. The Colonel discovered the affair and chained the two in a hidden room within the walls of Castillo San Marcos where he left them to starve to death. Visitors who encounter Dolores most often report smelling her sweet perfume. A third spirit who haunts the fort is a shadow man seen walking within the fort as well as around the fort’s grounds. Many visitors report seeing him over the years.

9. I-4 Dead Zone, Sanford

I 4

According to Teletrac Navman, a fleet management software company, the most dangerous highway in the United States is I-4 which extends 132 miles from Tampa to Daytona and passes through Orlando. With just over 1 death per mile, it’s a highway many people avoid. It’s also a highway used by millions each year. I-4 has a particularly dangerous section called the I-4 Dead Zone. However, it didn’t receive its name from fatal accidents. Instead, it has a reputation for being haunted. 

The story begins in the 1880s when Henry Sanford sold land to a group of German immigrants for a new settlement called St. Joseph’s Colony. Unfortunately, the settlement never really got off the ground. Only four families settled there. Sadly, one of those was wiped out by yellow fever in 1887. Fearing contagion from the disease, the other settlers buried the dead in a field near Lake Monroe, and the settlement abandoned.

Eventually a farmer began using the field but weird things happened if the graves were disturbed. Farmer Hawkins removed the rotting grave markers; his house burned down. A young child dug among the graves; he was killed by a drunk driver. The field became known as the “Field of the Dead”.

In the 1960s, the government bought this land to build I-4. The graves were marked for relocation but never were moved. Instead, they were covered by fill dirt to build up the highway and paved over. Since then, this ¼ mile stretch of highway has had more accidents than any other part of I-4. Drivers report seeing anomalies like bouncing lights which aren’t headlights, apparitions walking on the side of the road, and problems with their cell phones and radios.

10. Arcadia Opera House, Arcadia

The Arcadia Opera House is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Arcadia. Once a major industrial hub, most of Arcadia’s downtown strip burned to the ground in 1905, including an orphanage. The Opera House was the first building constructed after the fire, on the site of the old orphanage. It quickly became a social center for the town, hosting musical acts, political rallies, and even the occasional church function. Sadly, a couple of years after opening in 1906, a young girl fell to her death from one of the second story windows.

Today, the Arcadia Opera House houses one of the largest antique malls in Florida. It is widely known as one of the most haunted places in Florida. The owner has let several paranormal investigators and TV shows explore the building at night. Many have recorded spirit voices and other anomalies.

One ghost most people see is that of a little girl, often in a second story window. Other people hear the sound of children laughing and running. Another dark spirit, literally dark, hangs out in the second story hallway. Some believe that may be the spirit of a young woman who hung herself from the rafters after being jilted by her lover, the original owner of the building, JJ Heard. One thing is sure, the Arcadia Opera House is a bizarre place with a unique history that continues to play out day by day.

11. The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, St. Petersburg

The pink building of the Vinoy seen across the water at St. Petersburg

One of Tampa’s most iconic and historic hotels began as a bet between two golfing buddies. Pennsylvania businessman Aymer Vinoy Laughner won $170,000 (about $2.7 million today) from famous golfer Walter Hagen. Friends suggested he use the money to build a world-class resort right there in St. Petersburg. Though the friends joked, Laughner knew a good idea when he heard one. The Vinoy Park Hotel opened on New Year’s Eve 1926.

The hotel welcomed celebrity guests through the 1930s. During World War II, the US government leased it for military housing. After the war, the Vinoy resumed its place as one of the most luxurious and romantic hotels in Florida, a reputation it held into the 1960s. By this time, though, its amenities were becoming dated, and by the 1970s the hotel sold rooms on a low-rent nightly basis. It closed permanently in 1975, remaining shuttered for nearly 20 years. 

Since reopening in 1992, the Vinoy has been a popular hotel with professional baseball players when they travel to St. Petersburg to play the Tampa Bay Rays. Many of these baseball players have reported seeing paranormal activity. Most of the ghost activity involves a man, sometimes in a room and other times walking down the hallway, at times in formal wear. Guests also hear shuffling, footsteps, and chains; see flickering lights; and have witnessed faucets turning on and off on their own as well as toilets flushing on their own.

12. Tampa Theatre, Tampa

Exterior of the historic Tampa Theatre with its iconic Tampa sign

The Tampa Theatre opened in 1926 as one of the country’s most opulent and elaborate movie palaces. By the 1970s, it faced ruin and demolition like many other movie palaces around the country. However, Tampa residents rallied around this beloved landmark and saved it. The theater maintains its original elaborate interior, though renovated. A replica Mediterranean courtyard with flowers, gargoyles, and statues invites guests to relax beneath a realistic starry sky.

Known as one of the most haunted places in Florida, eerie happenings spook guests on ghost tours as well as guests who attend shows and events at the Tampa Theatre. Mysterious voices spook some guests while others report strange feelings around them. Seat 308 is one of the most haunted spots in the theater. A man wearing a fedora often sits in that seat during after hours. Another ghost, the Lady in White, walks along the towering balcony wearing a flowing white gown.

Unknown ghosts aren’t the only ones who haunt Tampa Theatre though. Fink Finkley, a long-time projectionist, suffered a heart attack at the theatre. He later died but hasn’t been able to leave the job he loved and performed for 30 years. Fink has been spotted, and even photographed, in the projection booth. Another ghost might be that of Robert Lanier who was murdered one night after his shift. A ticket taker in the 1950s, Robert was found behind the ticket booth where he worked, his skull bashed in, his murderer never found.

13. Spook Hill, Lake Wales

Spook Hill

Spook Hill is located in Lake Wales, Florida, a small community in the south central part of the state. The surrounding landscape is characterized by rolling hills and the historic Bok Tower and Gardens, a quaint place to visit. Spook Hill gives the town a little umph of excitement.

When cars became a thing in the 1950s, people naturally went out more and more to explore the countryside and see new sights. Spook Hill became a tourist attraction when people discovered that a car seemingly pointed uphill would actually roll uphill rather than downhill. Soon, legends exploded to explain the bizarre phenomenon.

One legend states that the pirate Sasparilla is buried at the hill and pushes cars up the hill. Sasparilla probably didn’t actually exist; plus, the name is suspiciously similar to Gasparilla, the pirate festival in Tampa sparked by another pirate that didn’t exist. Another legend says that the spirit of a giant alligator lives in the area and causes the spooks.

Wrapping It Up (Like a Mummy?): Florida’s Most Haunted Places

Did you find anything eerily exciting to do on this list? I love all of these places, though I find Robert the Doll to be the spookiest. Of course, one of my favorite activities to do in a new town is enjoy one of the haunted tours.


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    16 Comments

    1. So many fun spooky places in Florida! I went to St. Augustine and did a ghost tour while there. Definitely a good place for something spooky with all the history there.

    2. Your comprehensive research on these places is fascinating. Who knew there was so much paranormal activity in Florida? Just in time for Halloween.

    3. Robert the Doll is sure creepy! I don’t think I’d want to go near that thing. I also love the look of the hotel where the Duke & Duchess of Windsor stayed – you painted a vivid picture.

    4. Wow, this a really spooky list! Who knew that there are so many cool places in Florida with such amazing stories? Perfect to explore on Halloween.

    5. This is just in time for Halloween! It’s funny, I always expect Europe to have more haunted places (with their long history) so it is pretty cool to hear about these spooky spots in Florida!

      I normally don’t find building *too* creepy, but dolls, omg. No thank you to meeting that haunted fella!

    6. Love this guide to the 13 most haunted places in Florida. I’ll need to check a couple of them out the next time we visit – some are pretty eerie!

    7. I had no idea about these haunted places in Florida! I’d want to visit all of them as they each have such fascinating stories. The Tampa Theatre, I-4 Dead Zone and the St Augustine lighthouse intrigue me the most! And I’ll definitely avoid driving that stretch of road on I-4! I’ve never been a fan of dolls but that one is creepy!

    8. I always find haunted places so interesting! I find it fascinating to visit them and learn about their spooky history. I’d visit all of these but I won’t be going anywhere near that haunted doll! Dollys are creepy, haunted or not! Thanks for the great guide!