Apparently, some people are into freaking themselves out.
I’ve never understood that. I am the world’s biggest baby. In fact, the one and only thing my husband doesn’t let me do is watch scary movies. He claims that being sent off into a dark house to look for burglars and axe murderers at 2 in the morning is not cool. (Actually, he says it is “freaking ridiculous, Britt! Again? Seriously?! Go to sleep!” And he doesn’t say freaking.)
But my job here at the UpTake vacation blog is to give the people what they want. And my editor says the people want to know where to go to have the poop scared out of them!
It seems that Florida offers no shortage of scary, haunted places. I wish someone would have told me that before I moved here.
St. Augustine – the whole damn town, apparently
Spooky St Augustine Lighthouse
Spend your Friday the 13th (and there are two coming up in February and March) on one of St. Augustine’s famed ghost tours.
This city along the northeastern coast of Florida is the oldest city in the United States. I guess if a place has been around that long it is just inevitable it will be filled with ghosts. Known to those of us who don’t seek out scary things for its world class golf and beautiful lighthouses, St. Augustine offers several places that are notorious for haunting. Locations claiming to house spirits and spooks include houses, parks and even an old jail! *shudder*
Picture by Ukine – because like I would ever go near a haunted lighthouse!
Cassadaga – the town of gypsies and mystics!
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp
Cassadaga is located smack dab between Daytona Beach and Orlando, just off of I-4. There are no hotels in town, and it’s not even a town really. But it’s a must see pit stop on your way to and from anywhere – especially if you’re intrigued by the paranormal.
Cassadaga is a gypsie camp (or Spiritual Camp as some of the inhabitants call it). The streets are lined with signs for fortune tellers, palm readers and spiritual readings. Legend has it that this is the place to go if you want to convene with a loved one that has passed away.
OK, that’s all I can say about Cassadaga. I live entirely too close to this place to keep going on and on about ghosts and spooks and mystics and some kind of spiritual vortex that could be hovering right over my house.
Picture by Ebyabe, because again – no freaking way.
Cedar Key – where all the hotels are haunted!
Old Fenimore Mill at Cedar Key
If being on land with ghosts and invisible dead things isn’t scary enough for you, venture out to the island of Cedar Key! I don’t know what says “horror movie waiting to happen” like 360 degrees of water and a nearly abandonned old town rumored to be swarming with spirits.
Of course, you’re not really a tough guy unless you’re willing to sleep with the ghosts. According to legend, a former owner of the Cedar Key Island Hotel & Restaurant was murdered on the property – and that’s just one of the spirits that hangs around!
Picture of the haunted mill on the haunted island by fuzzcat, also known as someone who is not me
Seven Sisters Inn – Ocala, Florida
oooh - The Seven Sisters Inn!
I mentioned this Inn previously as a potential Orlando Valentine’s Day destination for anyone but me, but I would be remiss not to include it here as well. Unfortunately, you might find it difficult to get a room (anywhere) for Valentine’s Day. Not to worry – you can creep you and your loved one out on February 13th or March 13th and have an officially too scary for me Friday the 13th!
Seven Sisters is reportedly “the most haunted inn in Florida”, although a friend of mine recently spent a weekend and insisted he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, when he said it he sounded disappointed so he is clearly crazy and not to be trusted. I think the rumors alone would be enough to keep me up all night.
Picture of the scary bathroom in the haunted bed and breakfast taken by the crazy person who went there specifically to ghost hunt. Or, Avitable.
And there you have it. Four of the creepiest places in Florida where you can willingly attempt to have someone or something scare the bejeezus out of you.
Now, which one of you wants to explain to my husband why I’m going to be waking him up in the middle of the night tonight?
Poor bastard has no clue what he is in for
(Now that picture I took.)
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10 Responses
The scariest episode of “Ghost Hunters” ever was filmed at the St. Augustine light tower.
Screwwwww that.
I’ve been to St. Augustine every year for the past 22 years, and have taken a ghost tour or two in my day. I’ve never seen any supernatural activity anywhere, not at the lighthouse, and not at the jail. My sister said she saw a ghost on the ghost tour once, but I did not/do not believe here. But I do not believe in ghost at all.
But regardless, St. Augustine is a wonderful place that I consider my second home. Everyone should visit it and find the Mill Top and eat there.
Sign me up! I’m always in for a good scare.
And you’re right–your husband looks very unsuspecting. Poor guy, indeed.
This is a great post. I don’t like being scared either, but the teen in me loves it.
[...] Florida is home to some of the oldest cities in the United States. Many of these coastal cities still have old lighthouses that can be toured. The St. Augustine lighthouse is a popular vacation destination, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it’s supposed to be haunted. [...]
[...] Florida is home to some of the oldest cities in the United States. Many of these coastal cities still have old lighthouses that can be toured. The St. Augustine lighthouse is a popular vacation destination, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it’s supposed to be haunted. [...]
We have been to St. Augustine 3 times in the past year. Visited the Light house, and walked the Down Town Area. The only thing we ever experienced was at the old cemetery in the middle of down town. We didn’t go in the cemetery, just around the old oak by the entrance. We saw somthing fly into the tree, somthing the size of a bat, but it went right into the tree base it’s self, while we were standing there. We took pics of the area where it went in but nothing there. There was no way it just flew away, we were looking right where it went in. That I found strange. Even stranger, was the tree was warmer then the other oaks and palms next to it.
I love the article. As a paranormal investigator, I’m always looking for spooky places to go. It’s awesome to read about these places though the eyes of someone who doesn’t neccessarily care to be creeped out.
Okay well first of all i live in Ocala and i’ll be the frist to tell you the only thing haunting this town is all the old people. Nothing scary here at all and i’ve stayed at that inn and the Ritz which is “haunted” too beacuse it caught on fire and some lady was burned to death and they say you can still hear her screams around 1am everynight. ha
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-Holly ♥
Wow, if you ever move to Wyoming, take a picture inside my house outside the laundry room. Two of my friends said they saw something in there and they at first thought it was my sis and her friend playing tricks on us, but they were both in the living room when we rushed there. My mom wasn’t home or anything either! I think there’s a little girl here, but I don’t know what happened to her. No wonder I got the chills whenever I passed the laundry room ever since I was 7!