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| Florida allegedly has more ghosts than you can count! |
According to those who hunt ghosts, Florida is one of the most haunted states in America. Maybe ghosts like the warm weather; maybe they like the sand and swamps. More than likely, it is because some of the oldest cities in the country are in Florida and it is also a place where many people come to retire and live out their final years.
HauntedPlaces.org lists more than 500 places in Florida where ghosts allegedly have been sighted. Now, you could certainly visit each place one by one and check them out for yourself. Ghosts don't tend to keep a regular schedule; though, so you may have to wait days or weeks at each place, hoping to see one (until you give up).
Instead of taking a hit or miss approach, why not go on a ghost tour? There are plenty of tours throughout Florida where you are much more likely to encounter a presence from the afterworld. Even if you don't meet up with a spirit, your ghoul guide will tell you hair raising stories surrounding the various places you'll be visiting that will make you glad you didn't!
Here are the most popular tours, arranged by geographic location:
Ghost Tours in Central Florida
- Downtown Orlando Ghost Tour: On this very popular ghost tour, guests learn of some of the scandals, unsolved mysteries and eerie ghost sightings in downtown Orlando. Various tales surrounding the old Church Street Station complex are revealed as well as a particularly eerie tale of the ghosts that now haunt a building built on the land of what was once Orlando's first cemetery. One of the more interactive ghost tours in Florida, you actually get to go inside of most of the haunted buildings and guests are given special ghost hunting equipment to aid them in their ghost quest.
- Kissimmee Ghost Tour: Historic downtown Kissimmee is a quaint little place that is as "Main Street USA" as it gets. That is, until you learn of some of the truly bizarre and horrific events that have occurred in the town's history. On this ghost tour, learn of a headless horseman who has been spotted on many occasions, of a little girl who died who still swings invisibly on the swing set, of a man who died in the lake while looking for the dock (his ghost is still looking) and of the many tortured spirits that linger around the "hanging tree."
- Haunts of Daytona: Scary stories, scientific facts and gruesome history all combine to make this nighttime Daytona walking tour a frightfully fun frolic. Owned and operated by a certified ghost hunter and paranormal investigator who has authored several books about paranormal activity and had ghost cases featured on the Discovery Channel, this ghost tour is all about real, documented hauntings, not silly folklore. The highlight of the tour is Pinewood Cemetery. Pretty creepy stuff!
- Discover Haunted Coconut Grove: On the south side of Miami sits Coconut Grove - a chic area known for its dining, unique shopping, museums and art. It also is home to a ghost tour that is fun for the whole family that includes tales of smugglers, pirates, mobsters, soldiers and more. Learn about some of the haunted places in the area, the celebrities who have frequented "the Grove" and some of the unique history of the area. Tour highlights include stops outside of a haunted playhouse and the Mutiny Grove Hotel.
- Ft Lauderdale Ghost Tour: This 2 hour walking tour covers 10 city blocks, exploring some of the most haunted places in all of Florida. The Stranahan house, for instance, is home to 6 ghosts and is ranked as the 4th most haunted house in all of Florida. The paranormal researchers who put together this tour also play EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) that they have recorded at various times. Wear a comfortable pair of walking shoes, or, if the eerie tales become too much to bear, perhaps a pair of running shoes would serve you better!
- Ghosts of Palm Beach: Rich people have ghosts, too! This hour and a half walking tour recounts many of the mysterious happenings, scandals, glamor and, of course, ghosts in the Palm Beach area. Be forewarned; the Ghost of Palm Beach tour operators say that they will not be held responsible for any haunting, supernatural event, soul-possession or poltergeist activity you experience during or after participation on the tour!
- Wicked Delray Ghost Tours: Described by Rand McNally as "the most fun town," Delray Beach is such a great place, many people have apparently refused to leave - long after they have been buried. With a lantern lighting your way, your tour guide will tell you the stories of some of Atlantic Avenue's most famous haunts. You'll hear of the ghosts of shipwrecked passengers, the tales of many sightings of ghosts at the Colony motel (a luxury hotel that is still open for business) and of a British pub where the spirits aren't just in the bottles.
- The Original Ghost Tours of Key West: Featured on the TV shows "America's Most Haunted Places" and "Weird Travels" this is one of the more famous ghost tours in Florida. Featured tales include one of Robert - a possessed doll formerly owned by renowned artist and author, Robert Eugene Otto, a well as the story of Count Carl Von Cosel - a disturbing tale of embalming, necrophilia and communicating with the dead. The walking tour ends inside of the only haunted Hard Rock Cafe in the world.
- Tampa, St. Petersburg & St. John's Pass Ghost Tours: Expertly told ghost stories is what these tours are all about. Learn the spooky stories surrounding the deaths of the ghosts that haunt these two cities and visit the sites of the numerous ghost sitings.
- Ybor City Ghost Tour: Rated the #1 ghost tour by US City Traveler, this two hour walking tour through the Tampa Ybor City neighborhod takes you to numerous places where ghosts have been spotted. Your ghost guide will tell you spine tingling tales of the people who once made Ybor City their home and who have refused to leave.
- Amelia Island Museum of History Ghost Tour: This tour begins in one of the creepiest places of all - a cemetery. Your guide then leads you on a one hour walking tour down dark streets, recounting the area's rich history and the many unexplained sightings at the various mansions.
- St. Augustine Ghost Tours: The oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine is also described by many as the most haunted city in America. There are far too many ghost tours in St. Augustine to summarize them all. Here are links to some of the more popular ones:
There are a bunch of neat things to do, places to eat and gobs of beach in St. Augustine. We visit every Summer and it's a new adventure every time.
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