Top 9 Most Haunted Places in Florida

Florida has a rich history—and with it comes ghosts.

With a nickname like the Sunshine State, it’s easy to forget that Florida has a darker side. As Halloween quickly approaches, we’ve put together a list of some of the most haunted places across the state. Are they truly haunted or just the product of urban legend and campfire stories? You decide.

Círculo Cubano, Tampa 

An actor who reportedly committed suicide on stage… a sophisticated lady in a white dress and red shoes… a boy who drowned in a pool. These are just three of the hundreds of apparitions that reportedly haunt the Cuban Club (aka Círculo Cubano de Tampa), a place in Ybor City where immigrants from the Caribbean island congregate.                                                                                                      

Patrick Manteiga, president of the Cuban Club Foundation, told the Tampa Bay Times that he has never seen a ghost there, but knows several credible people who have seen strange things they cannot explain.  

“They say they’ve seen the elevator moving floors on its own and heard people singing and a piano playing when no one is there. I have no reason to disbelieve them,” Manteiga said.

Listed among the Travel Channel’s “Top 10 Most Haunted Places,” the Cuban Club is also featured on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of several stops on the Ybor City Ghost Tour. 

The Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables 

Long considered one of the most haunted hotels in the Sunshine State, this grand luxury palace first opened its doors in 1926 and later served as a military hospital during World War II, among other “incarnations,” before reverting back to a luxury hotel in 1987. 

Because of its sheer grandiosity and elegance, The Biltmore attracted la creme de la “glitterati,” from politicians such as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to gangsters like Al “Scarface” Capone. The most notorious ghostly resident though? That would be Thomas “Fatty” Walsh, a gangster who was murdered in 1929 over a gambling dispute … on the 13th floor of the Biltmore.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996, guests have experienced lights switching on and off, chilling sounds coming from “somewhere,” and indecipherable messages scrawled on mirrors. 

The Blue Anchor Pub, Delray Beach

A wife caught in a compromising position… a murderous husband…  a pub in rainy London town… What does all of that have to do with Florida, you ask? Plenty, it turns out. While this pub was built back in the 1840s in London, its facade and wooden interior were sent to this quaint SoFla town in 1996. 

According to legend, however, they did not travel alone. The pub came with the ghost of young Bertha Starkey, who was reportedly murdered by her husband for cheating during Jack the Ripper times.  

More than 100 years later, many allege that this restless spirit can be heard rattling pots, wailing, and generally raising Cain at The Blue Anchor. 

Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando 

Since it opened in 1880, Greenwood Cemetery has become known for its otherworldly apparitions. Visitors report seeing the ghosts of Confederate soldiers roaming among the massive oak trees, while the spirits of children can be heard playing and laughing near the tombstones. Other strange phenomena include floating apparitions, disembodied melodies, laughter, and strange, unexplained smells. 

The cemetery’s most famous resident is Fred Weeks, who died trying to avenge a scam; he’s said to wander through the cemetery at night. There are also reports of a ghost appearing at the mausoleum of the influential Wilmott family, a male figure in an old-fashioned military uniform, looking off into the distance.  

Glenwood Cemetery, Chipley 

When a young girl named Mary J. Nepper died in Chipley, Washington County, around the 1870s, her weeping family laid her to rest in an above ground tomb in Glenwood Cemetery. But there was one major, if overlooked, detail: Young Mary was far from dead. 

In fact, when grave-robbers looking to steal jewelry from the newly dead pried the top off Nepper’s grave, the girl sprang to a sitting position, scaring them half to death! 

After her premature burial, Nepper went on to marry and give birth to three children. She was buried for the second time on June 5, 1911, 35 years after her first internment. You can visit Nepper’s final resting place in the Glenwood Cemetery, off North Avenue near downtown Chipley. But considering her track record, maybe proceed with caution.

Stranahan House, Ft. Lauderdale

Built in 1901, this paranormal hotspot is the oldest surviving building in Broward County with at least six ghosts reported inhabiting the premises: Frank Stranahan, who killed himself after suffering a devastating financial loss; wife Ivy Julia; three of their relatives; and the ghost of a young Seminole girl who died on their doorstep. 

Visitors have claimed that they’ve encountered Frank’s ghost at night, and guides warn that this apparition might photobomb their selfies. Some report having visions of Frank committing suicide along the banks of the river, while Ivy is often seen as a gentle spirit who guides visitors up the stairs with a hand on the shoulder. Meanwhile, Augustus Stranahan—Frank’s father—has been heard tossing books around in an upstairs bedroom.

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, St. Augustine

When Hezekiah Pittee moved with his family from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to oversee construction of the new St. Augustine Lighthouse, all was well at first. But in 1873, a tragic accident involving a construction cart killed two of his three daughters and a friend. Now, some claim that the place is haunted by the spirit of the girls.

Since then, guests have reported many ghostly shenanigans, like the sight of a small girl standing by the bed of the Keeper’s house renter, and apparitions of the girls playing a spectral game of hide and seek during tours.

Lake Helen-Cassadaga Cemetery, Cassadaga

Founded as a spiritualist community by George Colby in 1875 and widely considered “The Psychic Center of the World,” the quaint community of Cassadaga is known for its haunted history. But one story in particular has spooked visitors for generations, and continues to scare those who dare to visit the so-called “Devil’s Chair” at Lake Helen-Cassadaga Cemetery.

According to legend, if you sit in the massive brick chair at midnight, the devil will make an appearance! What’s more: if you leave an unopened can of beer on the Devil’s Chair, it will reportedly be empty or gone the next morning. 

One story about the origins of the Devil’s Chair claims that it was originally constructed as a “mourning chair” so people could sit and pay respects to their dearly departed loved ones. 

Robert the Haunted Doll at Fort East Martello Museum, Key West 

Scared of Chucky? Still have nightmares starring Annabelle? Well, if animated dolls freak you out, get ready for Robert the Haunted Doll, one of the creepiest dolls in existence. 

Visitors to the museum have reported seeing the doll move and change facial expressions… and even make giggling noises! How’s that for spine-tingling? 

It is believed that Robert was given to Robert Eugene Otto (1900-1974), an eccentric Key West artist, by a Bahamian servant girl when he was four years old. According to legend, Otto used to blame the life-sized doll for all kinds of mischief and mayhem that he himself had committed. 

Need one more reason to be scared silly? Visitors are warned that taking a photo of Robert without asking his permission will bring bad luck. But the creepiness doesn’t end with the doll. Otto’s former home is now a bed & breakfast called The Artist House, which—you guessed it!—is also believed to be haunted.