Most Haunted Places in Florida

Posted: 06.23.2024 | Updated: 05.01.2025

Florida is one of the top vacation destinations in the country (and maybe the world). You could hang with Mickey, Minnie, and the entire gang at Walt Disney World or check out the miles of beaches while soaking in the sun in the place affectionately known as the Sunshine State.

While the southernmost state in America has its share of beaches, theme parks, and tourist destinations, it does have a little something else. It’s a state that has its share of haunted sites, each with its equally sordid stories.

If you’re planning on visiting Florida soon and have a knack for all things otherworldly, you do not want to miss some of these cool spots (no pun intended, of course). Let’s get right to it:

What Are The Most Haunted Places In Florida?

Florida may be famous for its theme parks and beaches, but beyond the sunshine lies a much darker, haunted history. From ancient forts to ghost-filled saloons and eerie cult compounds, the Sunshine State is home to some of the scariest places in Florida.

One of the oldest and most haunted is Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine. This stone fortress once served as a prison for Native Americans during several wars. Visitors today report seeing ghostly figures pacing the walls, and hearing whispers echo from the cold, dark cells. Reminders of the pain and struggle locked behind its heavy doors.

Not far from there, the Palace Saloon in Fernandina Beach carries its own ghostly tale. Florida’s oldest bar, it’s said to be haunted by Charlie, a former worker who lived in the back room and never really left. Some say they’ve heard footsteps, glasses clinking, and even caught glimpses of Charlie’s spirit still checking up on his favorite place.

And then there’s the Koreshan State Historic Site, once home to a strange cult led by Cyrus Teed, who renamed himself “Koresh.” He founded the religion of Koreshanity and gathered followers who believed in a hollow Earth and eternal life. Though long gone, many believe the site is still alive with spiritual energy—a Florida haunted house unlike any other.

From the ruins of old beliefs to Florida haunted hotels and beyond, every corner of the state seems to have a ghost or two hiding in plain sight.

Read on to uncover more haunted places in Florida, and decide for yourself which of these ghost stories are real… and which might come knocking on your door. Think you’re fearless? Test your courage on a ghost tour through Florida’s haunted streets with Tampa Terrors.

The Vinoy Renaissance Hotel

This luxury hotel in St. Petersburg is a place worth checking out. Most guests will often complain about the various noises they have heard during their stay. Some have even said they have felt a presence in the area the moment they walked into the lobby.

The spirits that are said to be walking around are a man who appears to be wearing clothes from the 1920s and a woman wearing white and appearing “misty.” This Florida haunted hotel is also where some baseball players in the Major Leagues stayed during spring training, and where some refuse to enter.

Castillo de San Marcos

This structure was constructed in the 17th century by the Spaniard colonists as a defense buffer against enemy attackers. It was also used as a prison for Native Americans during several wars between the Spanish, British, and Americans and the Seminole tribe.

Fittingly enough, it is located in the oldest city in America. St. Augustine was founded in 1565, so it should come as no surprise that so many places in the city are haunted.

Visitors of Castillo de San Marcos have seen plenty of apparitions ranging from Spanish soldiers to Native Americans. Light orbs have been a common sighting inside the structure.

The Miami Biltmore Hotel

During the height of organized crime in the United States, it was no secret that many mobsters would often hang out in even some of the most luxurious hotels in the country. Believe it or not, Al Capone had a home in Miami.

One such spirit that might have overstayed his welcome is said to belong to a mobster who was murdered over a gambling debt. This spirit seems to be quite mischievous, as guests and staff of the hotel reported lights flickering on and off almost constantly.

Other unearthly occurrences that may have happened were elevators stopping on the wrong floor and the kitchen doors somehow being held open for the servers coming in and out.

Gilbert’s Bar-House Of Refuge

Many ships have sailed the seas and have never reached landfall because of nasty storms and high-roaring seas. But those who have survived shipwrecks near the Florida coast would often find a place where they could eat, drink, and relax after a stressful ordeal. That was the reputation of Gilbert’s.

Located in the coastal town of Stuart, this bar was built in 1876 and housed shipwrecked sailors. While the kitchen hadn’t been in operation for nearly 80 years, those who have visited the old bar reported smelling freshly cooked beef coming from there.

Koreshan State Historic Site

If there is a place where you know it will be haunted, it’s likely where a possible “cult” started. Here, people lived with a man who claimed to be a Messiah. The man was a doctor named Cyrus Teed, and he would eventually rename himself as Koresh.

Koresh was the namesake of the religion of “Koreshanity.” Most of his followers decided to pack everything up from their homes in New York and settle deep into a wooded area of Estero, Florida. More than 250 of these followers were said to have resided here.

After Koresh died in 1908, his body wasn’t buried. Rather, it was propped up for three weeks until it had to be disposed of. Koresh’s body was interred in a mausoleum soon after and has since been washed away by a brutal hurricane.

While the last Koreshan follower passed away 40 years ago, the spirits of these followers were reportedly sighted on the grounds. People who had visited the site would report hearing footsteps and people appearing and quickly disappearing after appearing to take a second look back.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

The St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Fernandina Beach is the sight of a famous ghost story that locals never get tired of telling.

It is said that the ashes belong to Amelia Duryee, the wife of a deceased military officer. One of the church employees had placed the ashes in front of a mirror which was donated to the church by Duryee’s husband before his passing.

Having forgotten about the ashes, the same church employee retrieved the urn the following day but found a large crack in the mirror. No one knows what may have caused it.

However, many stories and theories have long been part of the conversation between the locals and those who visit the town.

The Palace Saloon

Not far from the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Fernandina Beach is a bar where the spirit of a longtime employee is still paying his dues. Except these days, he’s just walking around.

A man named Charlie worked at the Palace Saloon and lived in a back room. Charlie passed away years later in that same room. Some have reported seeing the back room’s door open and shut for no apparent reason.

When a fire broke out at the Palace Saloon, every room except for one was badly burned. You can easily guess which room was spared. There is a picture of Charlie hanging outside the doorway of the Palace Saloon. If you see a man that looks just like him, you may have just seen his spirit.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Perched on the edge of Florida’s oldest city, the St. Augustine Lighthouse stands where a Spanish watchtower once kept guard over the coastline. Today, it’s not just famous for its stunning views or the iconic Fresnel lens casting light across the Atlantic, it’s also considered one of the most haunted places in Florida, dubbed the “Mona Lisa of Haunted Sites.”

Legend has it that the lighthouse’s most notorious ghost is “The Man in Blue,” believed to be Joseph Andreau, the original lighthouse keeper who tragically fell to his death while painting the tower in 1859. Workers report being chased up and down the tower’s 219 stairs by a shadowy figure in blue.

And he’s not alone.

On July 10th, 1873, two young girls, Eliza and Mary Pittee, drowned in a tragic accident when a work cart they were playing on plunged into the sea. Ever since, staff and visitors alike have reported eerie laughter, mysteriously unlocked doors, and gift shop music boxes playing by themselves. Some guides even swear they feel tiny hands tugging at their clothes during tours.

Haunted? Absolutely. But around here, it’s just another day at the lighthouse.

East Martello Fort

Before it became a quirky museum in sunny Key West, Fort East Martello was built in the 1860s as a Civil War stronghold, though it never saw battle, many died during its construction. Those restless souls may still linger, as paranormal investigators claim up to 42 entities haunt the place today.

But the museum’s most infamous resident? A child-sized doll named Robert. Don’t let his sailor suit fool you. Robert the Doll has a chilling reputation.

Once owned by a young boy named Robert Eugene Otto, the doll is said to move on its own, cause misfortune, and even glare at visitors. Since being relocated to Fort East Martello, he’s become the creepy crown jewel of the haunted collection.

And the eeriness doesn’t stop there.

Also interred at the museum is the tomb of Elena Milagro de Hoyos whose twisted tale is the stuff of nightmares. Her “admirer,” Carl Tanzler, a radiology tech obsessed with her, stole her body after she died of tuberculosis.

He preserved it with wires, plaster, and even perfume, convinced he could bring her back. Today, both Carl and Elena’s spirits are said to roam the fort, locked in a haunting bond even death couldn’t sever.

Ma Barker House

Tucked away in the quiet woods of Ocklawaha, Florida, the Ma Barker House looks peaceful until you know the story. On January 16, 1935, it became the site of the longest gun battle in FBI history.

Infamous gangster Ma Barker and her son Fred were hiding out when agents surrounded the house. Rather than surrender, the duo unleashed hellfire. What followed was a four-hour shootout with nearly 2,000 bullets flying. The walls still wear the scars.

Their spirits, it seems, never left.

Visitors report sounds of rowdy gatherings, glasses clinking, laughter, and the unmistakable slap of poker cards. It’s like the Barkers are still throwing one last party.

Paranormal investigators using a spirit box in the upstairs bedroom, where Ma and Fred died, heard a chilling voice say “Blackburn,” a name Ma once used as an alias for FBI agent Carson Bradford.

One retired cop, Donald J. Weiss, toured this Florida haunted house before it was relocated and heard a guttural warning: “Get outta here, lawman.”

It’s clear Ma and Fred still don’t take kindly to authority.

Haunted Florida

Florida might be known for sunshine, theme parks, and beachside fun, but don’t be fooled. Behind the palm trees and roller coasters lies a shadowy side of the Sunshine State that most visitors never see. From restless spirits to chilling legends, these are truly some of the most haunted places in Florida.

Take East Martello Fort, for example, where the infamous Robert the Doll still sits in his glass case, watching… waiting. Many who dare to disrespect him report strange misfortunes soon after.

Then there’s the Ma Barker House, a true Florida haunted house where the notorious outlaw and her son met their violent end, and where the echoes of that final shootout still seem to linger.

And don’t forget the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel, a luxurious getaway that doubles as a Florida haunted hotel. Guests have reported flickering lights, ghostly figures, and things moving on their own—proof that even glamour can’t keep the spirits away.

So whether it’s haunted houses, haunted hotels, or forgotten forts, the scariest places in Florida are never far.

Want more bone-chilling tales from Tampa and beyond? Check out our blog. Or, if you dare, book a ghost tour with Tampa Terrors and walk the very streets where these stories began.

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Sources:

1. http://fernandinafun.com/
2. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gilberts-bar-house-of-refuge
3. https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/exhibits/koreshan/origins/
4. https://www.ripleys.com/stories/carl-tanzler
5. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/barker-karpis-gang