The Spirits of the Suntan Art Center

Posted: 03.31.2025 | Updated: 03.31.2025

This isn’t your usual ghost story.

For one, the location is quite atypical. Instead of a creaky castle, haunted theaterhouse, or ghoulish graveyard, today’s haunted location is an arts center. And, even more curious, it’s in perhaps one of the least scary places in America – the Sunshine State.

Yes, this Florida Center for the Arts is said to be haunted by a series of increasingly bizarre ghost characters. Located in St. Petersburg – the second-most populous city in the Tampa area – the Suntan Art Center is a local institution that continues to draw art lovers and ghost hunters year after year.

Whether you’re an aspiring painter or you want to crack the mystery of who some of the ghosts in the Suntan Art Center are, we recommend you keep reading to learn just what the Suntan Center is, its transformation over the years, and the ghosts that call it home. 

And after you’re done, we’re sure you’ll be interested enough to want to learn even more about haunted Florida in general. The best way to do that is by booking an in-person ghost tour with us at Tampa Terrors.

Is Suntan Art Center Haunted?

After reading about all the strange goings-on that happened at Suntan, it’d be hard to say that this art center is anything but haunted. From ominous ghosts like the Running Man to more benign ones like the Hostess, it’s recommended that any visitor to the center keep their wits about them. 

History of the Suntan Art Center

The history of the Suntan Art Center began in April of 1963 when 29 charter members elected to construct it. The goal was to bring a cultural arts center to St. Pete Beach. It was initially located in the Upham Building and moved several times before finally settling in the Don Vista Building in 1981. 

The Don Vista Building itself, curiously, also served quite a few roles over the years including being an administrative office, a bank, a military hospital storage unit, and even home to the US Fish & Wildlife Service! 

Interestingly, the Don Vista Building’s next-door neighbor is also unique. The Don CeSar Resort – The Pink Castle – opened on January 16, 1928. The owner of the hotel passed away in 1939, and that, coupled with the start of World War II left the place without any guests, a rather significant problem for a hotel. The property was purchased by the Army, and they got a lot of use out of it during the war, utilizing it as a hospital, submarine spotting station, and Air Force Convalescent center. 

Its neighbor, the Suntan Art Center, seems to have established a fairly permanent presence here in the Don Vista Building, with many patrons and supporters flocking to it year after year. This includes even after hiccups, like when the place had to be closed from 2003-2005 for renovations, or tragedies like Hurricane Helene, where the center had to temporarily shut down in 2023 to weather the fierce storm. 

The love that locals have for the center can best be seen in 2011 when members and volunteers donated a 22-foot giant mosaic glass mural on the building’s eastern facade that continues to draw visitors. 

Hauntings at the Suntan Art Center

But while its first claim to fame is being one of Florida’s premier arts centers, there is something else rather unique about Suntan; its ghosts. From local residents to temporary tourists to Art Center employees, no matter who you ask around these parts, you’ll typically get the same answer to the question of whether or not the place is haunted. 

And that answer is a resounding YES. Because the Suntan Art Center doesn’t just have one ghost – it has a whole cadre of them roaming through its halls and galleries! Remember the owner of the neighboring hotel that was mentioned earlier? 

His name was Thomas Rowe, and he was an upstanding businessman and financier beloved by the local Florida community. After his death in 1939, it left the neighboring Don Vista building (where Rowe lived) without any guests. This is what caused the military to purchase it and use it for their purposes. 

The Running Man

However, some believe that Rowe never really left the area, even after his death. You see, there is a ghost rumored to haunt the Suntan Art Center, and if you ask certain workers or visitors, they’ll tell you his presence is more than just a rumor. His ghost is called The Running Man. 

Always in a hurry, he will speed through the halls of the Suntan Art Center – sometimes even through the walls – as he desperately tries to get to where he’s going. He’s dressed in 1930s-era clothing and is known for avoiding questions and always carrying a briefcase and financial papers. 

Many believe that the identity of the Running Man is Rowe himself. His demeanor, dress, and commitment to business certainly line up with this idea. However, no matter how many walls he runs through, he will never stop and talk with an onlooker, leaving his true identity a mystery. 

Other Haunted Happenings

However, the Running Man isn’t the only ghost to haunt this curious little Tampa arts center. There’s also another ghost with a nickname said to creep around the place. 

This ghost is a lady known as the Hostess, and she’s one of the only people, alive or dead, who seems to be able to control the Running Man. She controls one of the upper floors and, unlike the Running Man who’s always darting off all over the building, she confines herself there.

Notably, that’s the one floor the Running Man does not enter – it seems like the Hostess keeps him off-limits. Maybe she’s worried he’ll disturb her well-manicured decor. 

There’s also another ghostly resident who shares the space with this cast of characters. This one doesn’t have a colorful nickname, but he does have a colorful uniform. He’s dressed in military dress blues and has been detected recently – starting in the 2020s –  marching around the place. 

Could this be a new ghost or one that’s only just been uncovered? Is he a soldier or just an actor? Because of how new and shy this particular ghost is, all these questions and many more remain about his identity. 

With new ghosts still popping up to this day, the place remains a hotbed for ghost hunters and explorers alike. Ghost-hunting equipment has detected unusual phenomena such as unexplained voices, mysterious cold spots in various parts of the building, and doors that slam shut by themselves. It seems clear that the mysteries of the Suntan Art Center are only just starting to reveal themselves. 

Haunted Tampa

Maybe you’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Running Man or the Hostess if you take a trip to the Suntan Art Center on your next Florida ghost-hunting trip. Or maybe, you’ll even be able to get a glimpse of a new, undiscovered ghost who lives there.

If you liked this story and want to learn similar tales, check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They spotlight other offbeat ghost stories all over the United States. Checking our blog is another good way to stay up-to-date with all the latest ghost stories and haunted spots in Florida.

If you want to explore Tampa Bay ghosts up close, a ghost tour with Tampa Terrors is the best way to do that. Our guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and can provide even more information on the area. 

Sources:

• https://www.suntanart.org/our-story#:~:text=Suntan%20Art%20Center%20was%20formed,a%20permanent%20tenant%20was%20located.
• https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/2021/10/25/the-ghosts-of-the-suntan-art-center-in-st-pete-beach/
• https://thegabber.com/suntan-art-center-gets-new-home-in-warehouse-arts-district-st-pete/