A List Of Haunted Places To Visit In Florida
Happy Halloween! It is the spookiest day of the year and what other way is there to spend it than visiting a real haunted house. In Florida it’s not just beaches and sunshine. Instead there are many places that are supposedly haunted and have ghost encounters. Check out this list of haunted places to visit for a scartastic Halloween.
- Loews Don CeSar Hotel, St. Pete Beach– This one hits close to home for Central Florida residents. The iconic pink hotel was built in 1928 at the height of the Gatsby Era. It is rumored the hotel is haunted by the hotel’s original owner, Thomas Rowe, and his sweetheart, Lucinda. The most common sighting is of a man, whose description matches Thomas’, walking the beach in a white suit waiting for his lover. Thomas’ ghost has also been seen on the fifth floor, in the lobby and in the garden. Thomas fell in love with Lucinda the minute he laid eyes on her at his favorite play. Lucinda’s parents quickly escorted her back to Spain when they heard of the growing relationship, as they didn’t approve of Thomas’ religion. The lovers promised they would write each other, but all of Thomas’ letters were returned to him unopened and it is believed Lucinda died due to a true broken heart. He did receive one letter from Lucinda before her passing that read, “Time is infinite. I wait for you by our fountain … to share our timeless love, our destiny is time.”
2. St. Augustine Lighthouse- Built in 1874, the gigantic lighthouse has seen several people pass away in or near it. One of the most common reports is hearing children’s laughter and footsteps on the stairs. Those footsteps are probably the ones of the Pettee girls. Their father was hired to work on the lighthouse. The girls, 13 and 15 at the time, got in the construction cart and rolled into the Bay. Before anyone could get to them quick enough they drowned. To this day there are so many spiritual reports at the landmark that there are ghost tours that let visitors investigate the lighthouse for themselves.
3. The Miami Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables- This spooky hotel was built in 1924 at the height of the Florida land boom. The hotel has stood through the Jazz Era, The War Years and into the A New Era. There are two events that flag this hotel as spooky. First the most famous legend is that of a mobster, Thomas “Fatty” Walsh, being killed in a gmabling dispute. His spirit is said in remain in the hotel. Second, the hotel was temporary re purposed to be a military hospital during World War II. Guests and employees have seen lights turn on and off by themselves and the elevator repeatedly going to the wrong floor. The spirit is also said to hold doors open for servers in the hotel’s restaurant.
4. The May-Stringer House, Brooksville- Also known as the Hernando Heritage Museum, this house is often called Florida’s most haunted house. The Victorian house was made into a museum to display antiques and artifacts of the Victorian era. However, there were many past residents that died in that house and still occupy the house. At night the house hosts adult-only haunted tours and groups of paranormal researchers. Reports include feeling someone on guests shoulders when no one is around and a soft wail of a small child.
5. Key West Cemetery- Visit this haunted landmark at your own risk. Many reports at this site have said there is a ghost so angry that it has been known to attack those who visit the cemetery at night. Some visitors have said to hear laughter of children, attributed to the ghost of several children that passed away in a fire just across the street from the cemetery years ago.