Best Haunted Houses in St. Augustine, Florida

Is your family a bunch of ghost hunters and are you looking for haunted houses in St. Augustine Florida?  Well, then you are in the right place, the best haunted houses in Saint Augustine, America’s Oldest city. If you are interested in information about other cities in Florida, please visit our Florida Post.

Here in Florida, the Fall is setting in and two things come to mind: Football and Halloween.  While none of Florida’s big three College teams (Florida, Florida State, and Miami) had much to celebrate in recent years, at least this year (2023) Florida State is on top. With Halloween, we also get the annual Florida/Georgia game here in Jacksonville, and unfortunately, we have learned what to expect.

Anyway, here on the First Coast and specifically in St. Augustine Halloween and Haunted Houses are certainly popular. The amusement parks over in Orlando make a big deal about the holiday.  But over here on the “First Coast” in St. Augustine, the ancient city,  it is the haunted season all year long. Ask any history buff and they will tell you that Saint Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States. For more statistical data about traveling in the United States, please see our post 100 Critical Travel Statistics.

The historic district, centered by St. George Street is a virtual historic walk of the old city. However, according to the St. Augustine Historical Society, being the Nation’s Oldest City, St. Augustine has a history that makes it possibly one of the most haunted cities in the country, and certainly in Florida.  It is considered to be a haunted city due to its rich history. Also, this is because of the many ghost stories that have been passed down over the years. 

St. Augustine History

 St. Augustine has seen its fair share of battles, wars, and natural disasters, which have left behind a legacy of ghostly tales and legends. It all started with Pedro Menéndez de Avilés of Spain.  He was a Spanish conquistador who founded St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. Menéndez de Avilés sailed to Florida with 11 ships and about 2,000 men. On August 28, he entered and named the bay of St. Augustine and built a fort there.  On September 20, he took the nearby French colony of Fort Caroline and massacred the entire population, hanging the bodies on trees with the inscription “Not as Frenchmen, but as heretics”. 

At the same time, there was Jean Ribault. He was a French naval officer and a navigator. He also was a colonizer who played a significant role in the French attempts to colonize Florida.  In 1562, Ribault led an expedition to the New World. Two years later, he took over command of the French colony of Fort Caroline in what is now Jacksonville, Florida. However, Ribault and many of his followers met a tragic fate at the hands of Spanish soldiers. This occurred during the Massacre at Matanzas Inlet, near St. Augustine.

Years Later – Henry Flagler

Years later, another famous person in St. Augustine was Henry Flagler.  Henry Morrison Flagler was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio.  He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of the Florida East Coast Railway. In addition, he is known as a founder of the cities of Miami and Palm Beach, Florida.

Flagler College is named after Henry Flagler. He was instrumental in the development of St. Augustine, Florida, where the college is located. The college is housed in what was once one of Henry Flagler’s most opulent Gilded Age hotels–the Ponce de Leon Hotel. The hotel was built in 1888 as a luxury hotel. It is on the national register, and is now part of Flagler College.

Best Haunted Houses & Places in St. Augustine, Florida

Here is a partial list of some of the haunted houses in St. Augustine Florida, including our favorites on the spooky side of St. Augustine. Most of these places have reported ghost sightings. 

Ponce De Leon Hall

The Flagler College – Ponce De Leon Hall is where we make a transition from St. Augustine’s History to St. Augustine’s Ghost Buildings.  Ponce de Leon Hall is our first haunted building as it is said to be haunted by the ghost of Henry Flagler’s mistress.

Casa de La Paz

Many other places in St. Augustine are believed to be haunted, including the Casa de la Paz bed and breakfast. This is where guests have reported seeing the ghost of a woman named Miss Mabel.  Miss Mabel is a ghost that is said to haunt the Queen Isabella’s room at the Casa de la Paz. 

It is believed that after losing her husband, Miss Mabel remained in that room until she died a short time later. People who have been in that room say Miss Mabel moves objects around. She is sometimes seen holding a suitcase inquiring of the shocked guests when they would be leaving. The building is now closed. But it still manages to rustle up some scares due to its ghostly atmosphere.

The Castillo de San Marcos

The Castillo de San Marcos is considered to be one of the most haunted places in St. Augustine. It is a National Monument in the heart of St. Augustine. The fort was built by the Spanish in 1672 to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route.  It has a dark history as a prison for Native Americans, one of whom was beheaded as a souvenir.  The fort is also known for housing hundreds of Native American prisoners and ruthless European soldiers.  Also, visitors have reported seeing unexplained shadows walking in the fort, and some claim to have witnessed a headless apparition.  Other phenomena include unexpected drops in temperature, sudden chills, and hearing disembodied voices.

According to legend, the old fort is haunted by the spirits of Captain Manuel Abela and Dolores. She was the wife of cold-hearted Colonel Garcia Marti. The fort is also believed to be haunted by the ghost of Osceola, a Native American leader. He was imprisoned there along with 200 of his men during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842).  Osceola died of quinsy, an infection in the back of the throat, while incarcerated at Castillo de San Marcos. Visitors have reported seeing his ghostly apparition within the walls of this old fortress.

The Spanish Military Museum

The Spanish Military Hospital in St. Augustine, Florida is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the city. The hospital was originally named “Our Lady of Guadalupe” and was built in the late 1700s.  It was reconstructed in the 1800s and is now a museum that showcases medical practices from the Second Spanish Period. The hospital is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of patients who died there, as well as by the spirits of Timucuan Indians whose burial ground was discovered beneath the hospital during renovations.  Visitors have reported seeing apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and experiencing sudden drops in temperature. 

One of the Best Haunted Houses in St. Augustine Florida – The Old Jail

Another building that contributes to the haunted history of St. Augustine is the Old Jail.  The Old Jail in St. Augustine, Florida was built in 1891 and served as the St. Johns County Jail until 1953.  The Old Jail served as a prison for some of the most violent criminals and carried out capital punishment on a set of gallows on the property. The two-story northern wing of the Jail consists of a general population and maximum security area, a women’s section, and a lower-level kitchen.  Maximum Security housed the most dangerous prisoners held at the Jail and included a Death Row cell, for those condemned to die.  A total of eight men were hung from the Gallows on the Jail compound during its history.

By Ebyabe – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3992177

Haunted Houses in St. Augustine Florida – The St. Augustine Lighthouse

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is considered to be one of the most haunted places in St. Augustine  The lighthouse has a rich history and has been standing on the northern edge of Anastasia Island since the mid-1500s. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and experiencing sudden drops in temperature. The most famous ghost story associated with the lighthouse is that of the Green Lady, who is said to be the ghost of a woman who died in a shipwreck. Visitors have reported seeing her apparition in the window of the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.

Other ghost stories associated with the lighthouse include:

• The ghost of Pierre Rasmussen, a former lighthouse keeper whose wife died at the lighthouse. Visitors have reported feeling his presence on the lighthouse grounds, where he is said to be looking for his wife.
• The ghost of Hezekiah Pittee, a superintendent of lighthouse construction who moved to St. Augustine with his family to oversee the construction of the new St. Augustine Lighthouse.  His three daughters drowned in a cart accident on site in 1873, and their spirits are said to haunt the lighthouse grounds.
• The ghost of an unknown African-American girl who drowned along with Hezekiah Pittee’s daughters.

Other Buildings in St. Augustine that are Considered Haunted:

• The St. Francis Inn, a bed and breakfast hotel, is the oldest in St. Augustine.  It is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman named Lily who died in the inn in the 1800s.  Guests have reported seeing her apparition and feeling her presence in the inn.
• The Don Pedro Horruytiner House is a historic building in St. Augustine, Florida that is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a woman named Elizabeth.  Visitors have reported seeing her apparition in the house.
• The Casablanca Inn is a bed and breakfast in St. Augustine, Florida that is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a woman named Lucinda.  Guests have reported seeing her apparition and feeling her presence in the inn.

Haunted Cemeteries

The Huguenot Cemetery is also believed to be one of the most haunted places in St. Augustine due to the many people buried there.  The cemetery was established during the Yellow Fever Epidemic and is believed to be the final resting place of many of its victims.  Visitors have reported seeing apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and experiencing sudden drops in temperature. The cemetery is also home to the ghost of a toothless judge named John B. Stickney, who is said to roam the grounds as a shadowy apparition in a black hat.

The Tolomato Cemetery in St. Augustine is also believed to be haunted. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States and contains the remains of approximately one thousand St. Augustinians, including bishops, slaves, and convicted murderers. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions and feeling cold spots on the grounds. The ghosts of Bishop Verot and Father Varela are said to walk the grounds of Tolomato Cemetery.

Buildings in St Augustine that are Not Considered Haunted:

The Maritime Museum in St. Augustine is not known to be haunted. The St Augustine Alligator Farm is also not considered haunted, however, it has had its paranormal activity.  

In November 2018, a Florida man named Brandon Hatfield, known as “The Florida Man” broke into the St. Augustine Alligator Farm after hours and jumped into a crocodile exhibit.  He reportedly spent four hours in the exhibit after breaking in and was captured on surveillance video repeatedly jumping into the pit from a 20-foot roof.  The video also shows him swimming around the pond with the crocodiles.  Hatfield was bitten by one of the crocodiles and had to be taken to a hospital. He was later booked at the St. Johns County jail and faced multiple charges, including burglary and criminal mischief, stemming from the break-in.

Ghost Tours

If you’re interested in learning more about the haunted history of St. Augustine, you might consider taking a ghost tour.  Several companies offer guided tours of the city’s most haunted locations.  Here is a partial list: 

• Ghost Tours of St. Augustine 
• Secrets of St. Augustine Ghost Tours
• Ghost and Gravestones.com
• Old City Ghost Tour
• Haunted Trolley Tour of St Augustine
• St Augustine Ghost Tour – A Ghostly Encounter
• Ghost Tour of St. Augustine: The Original Haunted History Tour
• Afterlife Tours – Behind the Grave Tour
• Secrets of St Augustine Ghost Tours
• The Last Private Golf Cart Ghost Tour
• Self-Guided: Haunted Ghost Walking Audio Tour
• Old City Ghosts: Phantom Pirates & Poltergeists Tour

Most of the tours are walking tours at night and you can schedule them here on Viator.

Ghost Pub Tours

In addition, there are several Ghost Tours that are focused on Pub visits.  If you take one, make sure you visit the Scarlett O’Hara Pub.   The Scarlett O’Hara Pub in St. Augustine is believed to be one of the most haunted places in the city.  The pub is located at 70 Hypolita Street and is known as the “Ghost Bar”.  It was built in 1870 as a private residence and was later converted into a restaurant and bar.  The owner of the house, George Colee, was found dead in his bathtub under mysterious circumstances.  His ghost is said to haunt the pub, and employees have reported seeing his apparition, hearing his voice, and feeling his presence.

Other ghost stories associated with Scarlett O’Hara include:

• The ghost of a woman named Lily who died in the St. Francis Inn bed and breakfast in St. Augustine is said to haunt Scarlett O’Hara’s as well.
• The upstairs pub is also believed to be haunted by another male presence who pulls out a barstool, sits, and then vanishes.