The phantoms of five of the most haunted places in St Augustine, Florida are eager to tell their spooky stories. Here are our spine-chilling picks from the Ancient City!
St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine, Florida
In 1871 the US Lighthouse Service constructed a 165-foot lighthouse replacement for the 1737 watchtower that was potentially going to fall into the sea. In 1980, a suspicious fire gutted the vacated keeper's house. A maritime museum opened full-time in early 1994.
With its long and intriguing past, it's not surprising the old Lighthouse in St. Augustine has a strong and validated haunted reputation. Many who have dared to explore it, worked in it, and even those that live close by, have reported experiencing something that is extraordinarily mysterious. Often times it cannot be explained. Many call it one of the most haunted lighthouses in the world! A popular story is that of the two young sisters who died on the property. Hezekiah Pity was hired to renovate the tower in the late 1800s. His daughters, Eliza and Mary, were playing inside a cart that was being used to carry materials back and forth to the lighthouse. When the cart broke loose, they weren't able to jump out in time and the cart slid rapidly into the bay, plummeting both girls to a watery death. Today and most days since then, the girls can be heard laughing at the top of the tower late at night. Others have spotted Eliza floating about the grounds wearing the same blue dress she died in.
Discover more about this property by reading the details in our extended listing HERE.
Castillo de San Marcos
St. Augustine, Florida
Constructed in 1695, the Castillo de San Marcos is the only existing 17th-century military construction in the country and the oldest masonry fortress in the United States.
Dr. Frederick Weedon was a prominent physician who cared for ailing Seminole leader Osceola during the Second Seminole War. Osceola contracted malaria while imprisoned at the Castillo and then transported to Fort Moultrie in South Carolina, where he later died. After his death, the doctor decided that the best way to pay homage Osceola was to embalm his head and keep it as a souvenir. Shadows, moving figures, and conversational sounds are sometimes attributed to Osceola. Old bones were uncovered not long ago in a hidden space of the dungeon, thought to be that of a commander and his wife. People today smell her perfume and hear voices in the same dungeon room. Others hear the sound of soldiers walking the halls and the sound of a firing squad. Full apparitions of uniformed officers and a soldier who walks the wall at the fort are often seen.
Discover more about this property by reading the details in our extended listing HERE.
Casablanca Inn on the Bay
St. Augustine, Florida
The Casablanca Inn was constructed in 1914 and known initially as The Matanzas Hotel. Its original operator, Ms. Bradshaw, helped bootleggers smuggle alcohol into the bay. On nights ships were scheduled to deliver their illegal cargo, Ms. Bradshaw would wave a lantern from a second-floor window to let the bootlegger’s know that no law enforcement was in the area.
Through the years, many visiting the now prestigious inn have reported sighting the lady who owned the building so long ago. Others say that fishermen still see a light that appears to be a lantern gleaming through its windows in the middle of the night at the Casablanca Inn. Guests have also seen a strange, wispy fog that simulates an apparition floating through the air in several different spots around the inn. Common places include the halls, guest rooms, and the property outside. Many have also heard the sounds of someone walking the halls and people talking.
Discover more about this property by reading the details in our extended listing HERE.
Casa Monica Hotel
St. Augustine, Florida
Built in 1888, the Casa Monica was built by Franklin W. Smith, a Boston hardware merchant. Smith ran into financial difficulties and sold the hotel to Henry M. Flagler.
There are stories that a guest committed suicide in one of the rooms and now guests claim to feel an icy wind in the room, finding cold spots in certain places and hearing footsteps when they are alone in the room. Some have seen apparitions of men in old-fashioned clothing standing in the room. Housekeeping staff report hearing kids running, playing and laughing in the hallway, but look in the hall it is empty. It is not uncommon for maids to hear radios and alarm clocks turn on when they are cleaning rooms on the 4th floor. Guests and staff have spotted a woman in a formal white dress, and some saw men in morning coats or dapper suits wandering the halls. Even after renovations, there are still stories of activity in rooms 411 and 511.
Discover more about this property by reading the details in our extended listing HERE.
The Old Jail
St. Augustine, Florida
Listed on Florida's and National Register of Haunted Places. Henry Flagler, a key figure in St. Augustine’s development, built the structure in 1891, and conditions for prisoners were notoriously inhumane. Some of the most dangerous criminals were housed in the jail’s maximum-security area, and eight men were hung from the gallows.
This is certainly considered one of the most haunted jails in the United States. Many have detected a sweet aroma that seems to be consistently in the air. It reflects that of molasses. Regardless of the dedicated cleaning performed to eliminate the smell, it always returns. Others have heard barking dogs that cannot be explained. Many say that these are the spiritual hounds that Sheriff Perry had. Disembodied voices singing songs such as "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" have also been heard. In many areas of the jail, you may actually hear footsteps accompanied sometimes with the sounds of chains in motion. Some have also heard the unnerving echoes of shouts and wails with an undeniable tone of desperation.
More Reads on the Haunts of St. Augustine Florida...
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