Ghostly encounters in NE Florida

With Halloween just around the corner, some people begin thinking of ghosts, but Ghosts and ghost sightings are not just confined to Halloween. Many people claim to have seen ghosts or evidences of them all during the year. Two books about ghosts in Florida detail such events.


Ghosts of St. Augustine
David Lapham
1997, Pineapple Press, Sarasota
In twenty-four stories set in St. Augustine, people see ghosts and observe evidence of ghostly activities. A chill will run down your neck as you read accounts of objects being moved, lights clicking off and on, mysterious smells emanating from corners and shadows drifting in and out of rooms. You may find yourself looking around for reassurance that you're really alone.
St. Augustine has had 400 years of frequently violent history, and many residents do believe that some places in the city are haunted.  Ghost Tours of St. Augustine conducts ghost walks to point out such places to tourists.

Haunt Hunter's Guide to Florida
Joyce Elson Moore
1998, Pineapple Press, Sarasota
You'll learn of thirty-three places in Florida haunted by ghosts. The book divides Florida into seven regions. The author then details the ghostly tales about places in the region, visiting info and directions to the locations.
Northeast Florida has ten places where people have told of seeing ghosts or evidences of ghosts: They have been seen at Ft. Clinch St. Park. A mysterious woman in white has been seen at the Tabby House on Ft. George Island. Kingsley Plantation was the location of a moving bed and a gingerbread aroma. Guests and employees of the St. Francis Inn in St. Augustine have reported presences, sounds and whispers. Figures and footsteps at the old lighthouse have convinced some people that it is haunted.
Other Northeast Florida ghostly locations are the Castillo de San Marcos and the house at 46 Avenida Menendez in St. Augustine, the Devil's Millhopper in Gainesville, Herlong Mansion in Micanopy and Washington Oaks State Gardens. The Herlong Mansion was actually investigated by "ghostbusters."

You can also take a Florida Ghost Tour at Daytona Beach, Haunts of the World's Most Famous Beach