Vote up the most haunted haunts in Florida, but only if you've actually been there.
There are an infinite amount of terrifying stories that come from Florida. A few of those creepy Florida stories include the infamous 2012 Miami cannibal incident where a man tried to eat another man's face. Then there's the onslaught of hurricanes, and let's not forget the giant alligators that keep appearing on Florida golf courses.
Florida certainly provides a fair share of nightmare fuel, and to make matters worse, some of the paranormally freaky things that happen in Florida are considered the real deal.
From the Key West Cemetery to the Apollo 1 launch site, there have been a number of suspected supernatural sightings down in the Sunshine State. If you have the travel bug and the desire to see some possibly sunburned spirits, here are a few of Florida's haunted locales you can actually visit.
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77 VOTES
St. Augustine's Old Jail, Where Former Prisoners Linger
Operating from 1891 to 1953, the Old Jail in St. Augustine has the type of sordid history that supposedly lends itself to residual paranormal activity. While it was in use, there were reportedly no bathing or sanitary facilities, creating an awful environment that alone would be enough to give any visitor nightmares. Prisoners were also allegedly subjected to starvation, beatings, and torture while they were incarcerated.
As a result, those who dare to visit report supernatural occurrences such as cold spots and mysterious smells. Some say they can hear the sound of heavy footsteps dragging along the concrete floor, while others hear whispers, wails, and laughter within the walls of empty cells.
77 votes
2
56 VOTES
The Florida Theatre, Where The Late Projectionist Roams
Old-time theaters certainly have their charm, but in some cases, when the lights go out they reveal a darker side. Constructed in 1926 and opened in 1927, the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL, is the former site of an old police station, which many believe is the cause of its reported paranormal activity.
Some have claimed to see strange shadows in the theater's balcony, while others report mysterious shapes and figures appearing in the photos they've taken. According to rumors, the ghost of the theater's old projectionist still roams the halls late at night.
Paranormal experts attempted to disprove the hauntings of the Florida Theatre, and instead found further evidence that something supernatural resides within its walls.
56 votes
3
78 VOTES
The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, Where A Dead Woman Mourns Her Daughter
St. Augustine's Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, built in the 1700s, is home to some of the creepiest occurrences in the city. Visitors report seeing children giggling in and around the grounds and candles moving on their own.
It seems that whoever inhabited the grounds doesn't intend to leave anytime soon. According to the Orlando Weekly, a psychic visited the school and claimed that a grieving woman still roams the halls, mourning for the daughter she lost while she was alive.
78 votes
4
77 VOTES
Key West Cemetery, Where Over 100,000 People Are Buried
When over 100,000 people are buried in a cemetery, you can expect a few souls to stick around. Florida's Key West Cemetery is no stranger to the supernatural, including disembodied voices and unexplainable lights. Among the supernatural entities, a mysterious woman occasionally appears to scold visitors who sit on gravestones or in some way disrespect the interred.
The cemetery also comes with an extra dose of mordid history. Although it was established in 1847, some of the graves date back to 1829 because a hurricane blew through the state and unearthed several bodies, forcing them to be moved to the Key West Cemetery. Other unique headstones might not date back before the place was established, but certainly call for attention with inscriptions like Pearl Roberts: "I told you I was sick."
77 votes
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72 VOTES
St. Augustine's Old Lighthouse, Where A Dead Keeper Wanders
Built in 1874, St. Augustine's Old Lighthouse is allegedly home to Joseph Andreu, the original keeper who fell to his death during construction. It also supposedly houses the daughters of Hezekiah Pity, who both drowned in a freak accident.
Visitors have claimed to see the wandering spirits of the keeper and the two girls - wearing the same clothes they died in.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, FL, was originally constructed in 1672 and has been used as a home base for soldiers and their families, a prison for Native American tribe members, and now a museum for tourists who come to visit the national park.
Over the course of the castle's 300 year history, it has been under Spanish, British, and American control with decades of battles in between. Some visitors claim to have seen the ghosts of fallen soldiers patrolling near the castle's walls. There have also been accounts that the souls of a woman and her two lovers, a Spanish colonel and a captain, wander the halls of the dungeon where their bodies were mysteriously discovered.
