One immediately thinks of Disney World when one thinks of Florida, and that’s fair since Disney amusement parks invoke immense charm & nostalgia. But there is a lot more to explore in Florida, for instance, its wide beaches, or the Everglades National Park. But maybe you’re more daring than the average tourist. For you, we’ve compiled a list of the top haunted places in Florida attractions that will lure you in with their mysterious charm and scare you to your bones with their eerie atmosphere and terrifying stories. Almost every town in Florida has some lingering ghosts, are you ready to meet them?
Haunted Places In Florida
Ready for some scary fun tourism? Read on and include the following haunted places of Florida into your travel itinerary this year.
- St. Augustine Lighthouse
- The Devil’s Chair, Cassadaga
- Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando
- The Devil’s School, Jacksonville
- The Cuban Club, Tampa
- Pensacola Lighthouse, Pensacola
- Villa Paula, Miami
- Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables
- Robert the Haunted Doll, Key West
- Coral Castle, Miami
1. St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Founded in 1565, the city has a rich history of art, architecture, and even hauntings. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is a fascinating combination of all three of them. The lighthouse was constructed in the late 19th century and it is 165 ft tall with 220 steps that spiral up to the top. This iconic building has been featured on several paranormal TV features including the famous show Ghost Hunters. It is reported that the lighthouse is home to the spirits of two teenage children of a lighthouse keeper. One can often hear their laughing voices, and footsteps running up and down the stairwell. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is one of the top haunted places in Florida, no doubt, but if you’re a diehard horror fan, this is one scary place in America that you cannot afford to miss out on.
Location: 100 Red Cox Drive, St. Augustine, Florida, United States
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2. The Devil’s Chair, Cassadaga
Nestled between the cities of Deland and Deltona is the charming small town of Cassadaga, the home of the Devil’s Chair. The Devil’s Chair is a legend well-known across the entire country, a haunted landmark that marks Florida as one of the top spooky destinations in the USA. The chair is located inside a cemetery and is made entirely out of bricks. It is said that if you sit in the chair throughout the night, the devil himself will make an appearance and show himself to you. And if you leave a cup of beer in the chair, in the morning it will be gone with no one having entered the cemetery.
Where else can such fantastic stuff happen but in Florida? The chair was initially constructed as a ‘mourning chair’ where visitors who come to pay respect to dead family members can sit and grieve, but owing to the stories of the devil, the chair has taken on a life of its own now. It is now considered one of the most haunted houses in Central Florida.
Location: Lake Helen – Cassadaga Cemetery, Florida, United States
3. Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando
Throughout pop culture, cemeteries are portrayed as one of the scariest places with sound effects mimicking howls, snapping twigs, and rustling leaves in the wind. The bad reputation is not unwarranted; it truly is one of the most haunted houses in Orlando Florida. It helps keep people away from disturbing the gravesites and from angering any lingering spirits. Visitors to the cemetery have reported seeing ghost children playing and laughing among the tombstones. Ghosts of soldiers from the American Civil War can also be seen strolling aimlessly in the oak trees. Midnight tours under the moonlight in the cemetery are available. Fred S Weeks’ mausoleum is another spot here that you can’t miss.
Location: 1603 Greenwood Street, Orlando, Florida, United States
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4. The Devil’s School, Jacksonville
The rumours related to this place are seriously crazy. One of the top haunted houses in Jacksonville Florida, visitors come far & wide to visit the school. Some stories lie here of an insane janitor who burned students alive in the boiler room of the school or a principal who kidnapped children and ate their meat. Further rumours state that the school grounds were used for satanic rituals and demon summonings. The school shut down in the 60s and has been abandoned ever since. Declared a city landmark, visitors can only see the place from outside, going inside the building is strictly prohibited. Thus goes the story of one of the most-visited abandoned places in Jacksonville Florida.
Location: Annie Lytle Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
5. The Cuban Club, Tampa
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Located within the bustling neighbourhoods of Ybor City in Tampa, Florida, is the Circulo Cubano or The Cuban Club. The place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the several spots on the Ybor City ghost tour. The building was a popular hangout spot for many of the Cuban immigrants in Florida. The place is alleged to be haunted by many spirits from different periods ever since it was built in the 1910s. An actor who committed suicide on stage, a man who was murdered during an argument that got too heated, and a lady in a beautiful grey dress – are all ghosts whose stories still linger in the halls of Club Cubano. One of the top haunted houses in Tampa Florida, this one is a must-visit.
Location: The Cuban Club, Tampa, Florida, United States
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6. Pensacola Lighthouse, Pensacola
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Another popular and magnificent haunted lighthouse on the list isn’t surprising. Lighthouses do tend to be haunted. This one too is one of the top 10 haunted places in Florida. Located on the city shore, this structure is 150 ft tall and is beautiful to look at. But something creepy crawls inside; it is said that the lighthouse is haunted by the spirits of the lighthouse keeper and his wife who murdered him. The children can also be heard sometimes, running around and breaking things, giving the visitors a spooky chill down the spine. While some people have reportedly seen ghosts here, others were only encountered by the jaw-dropping views of the ocean, so visit the lighthouse and see for yourself if any malignant spirits find you.
Location: 2081 Radford Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32508, United States
7. Villa Paula, Miami
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This building was Miami’s first Cuban consulate and was built in 1926 in a neo-classical style. It houses ten bedrooms and has high ceilings. Today, it boasts an art gallery and has some great exhibition space. While the architecture here is stunning, it is believed to be one of the most haunted places!
Consul Domingo J. Milford’s wife, Paula, mysteriously died at a young age, after a leg amputation went wrong. It is believed that Paula’s ghost can often be seen with a single leg, wandering the halls of this building. Others have also felt the smell of brewed coffee and roses when you can see nothing!
Location: 5811 N Miami Ave, Miami, Florida, United States
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8. Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables
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Another old building in Florida, this one is known for gangster Thomas Walsh’s shooting in 1929 over a gambling dispute. It is speculated that his ghost still haunts the hotel, especially the bar area, where unusual sounds of glasses clinking, and bottles shaking have been heard! The gangster, who was known for his taste in alcohol and Cuban cigars, lurks around the bar as they say. Some even say he plays tricks on the staff and guests. Rumours also suggest that his apparition has been seen on the 13th floor, where he was killed. There is also a strange scent of cigar smoke that can be felt throughout the hotel.
Location: 1200 Anastasia Ave, Coral Gables
9. Robert the Haunted Doll, Key West
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Fort East Martello is one of the oldest buildings in the town being constructed during the American Civil War. It has great historical significance, and now that it has been turned into a museum, it holds various objects important to the local art, history and folklore. One such item is Robert The Haunted Doll, one of the creepiest dolls in existence. It originally belonged to an artist from Key West, Robert Otto, who was convinced that the doll was animate and responsible for a bunch of mischief that went down daily in his life. Visitors have the strange sense that the doll’s eyes are following them and that it moves and blinks every so often.
Location: East Martello Museum, Key West, Florida, United States
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10. Coral Castle, Miami
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This is a monument of unrequited love and is haunting, to say the least! It is said that in the early 1900s, Edward Leedskalnin got engaged to his lady love, Agnes, who was only 16 years old at that point. The day before they were to get engaged, Agnes called off the relationship. Edward spent the next 28 years building this monument as a mark of love. He tirelessly sculpted more than 1,100 tons of coral rock manually without any large machinery and finished its construction in 1940. He died after 11 years in his sleep at a local hospital. Some visitors have experienced eerie feelings while visiting this memorial.
Location: 28655 S Dixie Highway, Homestead, Miami
How To Reach Florida
The best way to reach Florida is by air. The journey takes approximately 20-40 hours depending upon the destinations as well as the stops. International flights are connecting flights via Washington DC, New York City, Dubai, Toronto, and Chicago. There are direct flights as well. The flight costs start approximately with a range of 20,000 INR. Traveling by road from US cities is also an option but it can be hectic and tiresome. Florida has many international airports – Jacksonville (JAX), Tampa (TPA), Miami (MIA), Orlando (MCO), and Tallahassee (TLH).
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So, now you know all the top spots to visit in Florida if you’re planning on taking on a challenge. Whether or not these ghost stories are true, you’ll have to go visit to see for yourself. If you are bold enough, plan a trip to the USA and visit these chilling places.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Haunted Places In Florida
What is the most haunted spot in Florida?
St. Augustine Lighthouse is one of the most popular haunted places in Florida. Since the place has an interesting ghost story that is riveting to most visitors - a story of two children who drowned and haunt the lighthouse now, and the structure is also beautiful, it has the most appeal out of all the haunted houses in Florida.
Which is the most haunted Mansion in Florida?
There is no shortage of haunted houses in Florida. The ones that you must visit on your Florida trip are - Villa Paula in Miami, Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, The Cuban Club in Tampa, and Coral Castle in Miami.
How many haunted houses are in Florida?
Currently, it is reported that there are more than 90 haunted houses in Florida.
Does Florida have a ghost town?
Florida has not one but many ghost towns including - Holopaw, Zion City, Fort Dade, Okeelanta, Yukon, Anona, etc.
What is the dead zone in Florida?
The Dead Zone in Florida is a stretch of 130 miles, located between Daytona Beach and Orlando that is considered to be haunted. Legends say that the highway is haunted by the souls of the German immigrants who were buried here, and over the same land the highway was constructed.
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Abhay Kumar is a graduate of English Literature. Writing is both his hobby and his passion. He writes academic research articles as well as poetry and short fiction. He loves reading science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, and translated fiction. He also loves traveling and writing about himself in the third person.
