St. Augustine Ghost Tours

Walking tours through the colonial district cover St. George Street, the plaza, and surrounding blocks where Spanish, British, and American history layered over centuries. The Oldest House, dating to the early 1700s, demonstrates how archaeological investigation revealed burial sites beneath residential floors.

The Spanish Military Hospital Museum recreates the conditions wounded soldiers faced in colonial St. Augustine. Tours explain medical practices—and mortality rates—that left generations of dead in unmarked graves throughout the city center.

Casa Monica, now a luxury hotel, incorporates portions of the original 1888 Cordova Hotel. Staff and guests report encounters throughout the building, particularly in the tower rooms and basement-level spa.

The Castillo de San Marcos, now a National Monument, offers ranger-led tours during the day. Ghost tours operate outside the walls at night, discussing the fort's history of imprisonment, siege warfare, and documented paranormal activity.

The fort's coquina construction—made from compressed seashells—gives it an otherworldly appearance, especially at night. Spanish soldiers, British prisoners, Native American captives, and Union soldiers all spent time within these walls across three centuries.

Fort Matanzas, 14 miles south, guards the inlet where Spanish forces massacred shipwrecked French Huguenots in 1565. The name "Matanzas" translates to "slaughters." The smaller fort is accessible by ferry and included in some extended tours.

Huguenot Cemetery, visible through iron gates on the edge of the historic district, accepted Protestant burials from 1821 to 1884. Yellow fever victims fill many of its plots. Tours pass the cemetery at night, when shadows play across its weathered stones.

Tolomato Cemetery served the Catholic population from 1777 to 1892. It holds the remains of the first bishop of St. Augustine, Spanish colonists, and Minorcan settlers. The cemetery is occasionally open for tours organized by the Diocese of St. Augustine.

St. Augustine National Cemetery, established in 1881, contains remains relocated from earlier military burial grounds including those from the Seminole Wars. Three Dade Battlefield pyramids mark mass graves of soldiers killed in the 1835 massacre that began the Second Seminole War.

The St. Francis Inn, operating since 1845, consistently appears on lists of America's most haunted hotels. Room 3A reports the most activity, attributed to a servant named Lily who died on the property. Guests have reported apparitions, unexplained footsteps, and objects moving.

Casa Monica Hotel, originally the Cordova Hotel built in 1888, connects to the Lightner Museum via an underground passage. Staff report a woman in period dress who appears in the tower and disappears when approached.

The Casablanca Inn on the Bay, overlooking Matanzas Bay, served as a boarding house during Prohibition when the owner allegedly signaled rum runners from the widow's walk. Her ghost reportedly still keeps watch.

Ghost trolley tours cover more ground than walking tours, accessing locations on the outskirts of the historic district including the lighthouse, Old Jail, and areas beyond comfortable walking distance. Tours typically run 75-90 minutes.

The Ghost Train operates on the same tracks used by Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway. Evening departures create atmospheric conditions for storytelling as the train passes sites associated with Flagler's development of Florida.

Trolleys provide accessibility options for visitors who cannot manage St. Augustine's brick streets and uneven sidewalks. Many operators offer reserved seating and climate control.