The Definitive Guide To All Things Haunted And Creepy In Florida
While many people associate Florida with palm trees, warm sandy beaches, and emerald green ocean, there is a creepy Florida history that is often overlooked. Florida has quite the list of haunted places to explore, especially when it comes to abandoned buildings and historical hotspots. It’s easy for a state like Florida, which is packed with history, to have dozens of haunted houses or creepy facts circulating. From spending the night in a haunted hotel room to visiting a cemetery where you can sit down and have a beer with Satan himself, here are a few of the most terrifyingly haunted places throughout Florida.
The story behind the May-Stringer house in Tampa is the stuff that Hollywood horror films are made of. Built back in 1856 by a man named John May, problems began quite quickly for the May family. John passed two years after the house was built, then his wife passed soon after while giving birth. The daughter was next to pass at the age of three and has been known to frequent the halls of the home over the years searching for her doll collection. But it wasn’t until the house was sold at Dr. Sheldon Stringer that things became truly terrifying. While Stringer was using the home for his medical practice, it was reported that eight different ghosts wandered the halls, including a sinister spirit in the attic who would wreak havoc on any women who crossed the threshold of the home. Today, the house is home to a heritage museum but also hosts ghost tours for anyone brave enough to actually spend the night inside. Would you spend a night in this Florida haunted mansion?
The Most Haunted Road In Florida (And Maybe America)
If you live near central Florida then you’ve likely traveled the popular I-4 highway from Orlando to Daytona. But did you know that this is reportedly one of the most haunted highways in the state? This stretch of I-4 has been dubbed “The Dead Zone” and the nickname has nothing to do with cell reception. As the legend goes, this part of the highway was built over the graves of four German immigrants who died of yellow fever decades ago. Fast forward to an unusual amount of deadly accidents, plus photos of wrecks that appear to have paranormal sightings. Do you believe this part of I-4 is truly haunted?
1. One of the scariest tales to come out of Florida involves Ashley’s of Rockledge, dubbed the most haunted restaurant in the state. As the legend goes, there is a malevolent spirit that frequents the restaurant who has a gruesome history. A woman by the name of Ethel Allen was last seen at Jack’s Tavern (what is now Ashley’s of Rockledge) before her mutilated and burned body was found near the Indian River back in the 1930s. Many paranormal investigators believe that Allen was murdered inside of the restaurant, despite her body being found nearby. Think you can brave a meal with the paranormal?
2. Bellamy Bridge in Marianna, Florida was built back in 1914 and is the oldest of its kind in the state. While it’s impossible to drive over or drive to anymore, visitors can still hike the half-mile trail to get to what has been dubbed the most haunted bridge in Florida. One of Florida’s most terrifying tales is associated with this bridge, and it has been said that the ghost of a woman named Elizabeth Bellamy stays close by to keep watch. There have been many different stories surrounding Bellamy’s death, from a fire to a gruesome suicide. But regardless of how she died, it’s been said that Bellamy roams the bridge at night searching for her family. Think you’re brave enough to meet her?
3. A haunted campground in Florida? It doesn’t get much creepier than that. Fort De Soto Park is a truly stunning place to visit during the day. But it’s said that at night, it is a completely different story. Many soldiers perished at Fort De Soto during the Spanish American War from both heat and yellow fever. It’s been said that at night, these soldiers appear, wandering around to find their camp. Can you handle spending the night with ghosts?
One of the creepiest places to visit happens to be located in the country’s oldest city—St. Augustine. The city itself has been known for its ghost stories, but you can also take tours of haunted places as well. The Old Jail in St. Augustine is a perfect example, as visitors can take a spooky nighttime tour and learn all about the free-roaming spirits. Could you handle the nighttime tour of the Old Jail?
5 Creepy Facts About Florida
1. In a recent study of which states in the country produced the highest number of serial killers, Florida ranked #3.
2. Within Port St. Lucie Park Hammock Park there is an old oak tree that many locals have determined to be evil. It has been said that before the park was established, an ex-deputy of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office brutally murdered two 19-year-old girls there. Over the years, bloodcurdling screams can be heard in the area, plus the police have noted satanic rituals to have taken place nearby.
3.Captain Tony’s Saloon, established in 1852 in Key West, Florida is supposedly the oldest saloon in the state. But before it was the local watering hole, it was used for refrigeration purposes as the city’s morgue.
4. The Devil’s Chair in Cassadaga, Florida is located within the town’s cemetery. Local lore says that if you bring a beer at midnight and sit in the chair the devil will appear to you.
5. Florida has its very own version of Bigfoot known as the Skunk Ape. This creature stands at 7-feet-tall and can be found devouring animal carcasses in nearby caves. While scientists have debunked the creature’s existence, many eyewitnesses claim it to be real.
Florida is chock full of haunted places that come to life during Halloween season. Perhaps the scariest of all is Scream-A-Geddon in Tampa. As Florida’s premier horror park, there are six different horrifying attractions all within one location. Killer clowns, an asylum, and so much more. Do you have what it takes to make it through this haunted house?
When autumn rolls around, Florida becomes flush with haunted corn mazes. But perhaps the best haunted corn maze in the state is at Farmer Mike’s U-Pick farm. Not only is this haunted maze one of the biggest you’ll find in Florida, but you actually have to sign a waiver before you enter. Do you have the courage to complete this haunted corn maze?
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