People enjoy ghost tours in St. Augustine, Florida for a variety of reasons, either because they believe there are ghosts or they enjoy the humorous side of it. St. Augustine is known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States, and it has a strange and often dark history that includes wars, disease outbreaks, and even piracy. With quite a few walking tours and trolley tours to get the ghost stories, St Augustine ghost tours seem to be one of our biggest tourist attractions.
Many visitors to St. Augustine are drawn to its historic charm and the sense of mystery and intrigue that surrounds it. With every old city comes a collection of creepy or weird stories, so it makes sense that this is a drawn for our town. Ghost tours offer a unique way to explore the city’s history and hear stories of the supernatural and paranormal. Read on for suggestions for ghost tours and historic/creepy sites that you can visit while you’re here. If you have any questions about exploring St Augustine or need some more recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!
Ghost Tours in St Augustine to Book
Ghost tours in St. Augustine offer a unique and eerie way to explore the city’s history and experience the supernatural (if you’re into that). Whether you believe in ghosts or not, these tours can be a fun and memorable way to spend an evening in this historic and fascinating city. I like doing ghost tours because you get a lot more of the city’s stories, including some of the ones that make you cringe. St Augustine is beautiful, but being an old town we’ve had some bad things go down. Ghost tours give you the full scoop!
Ghosts and Gravestones St Augustine
A part of Old Town Trolley Tours, Ghosts and Gravestones is probably the most popular of the St Augustine ghost tours. You may have done the Key West Ghosts and Gravestones tour, or maybe up in Savannah as well, but we have our own stories and special ghosts here. I like the way the guides tell the stories on the St Augustine Ghosts and Gravestones Tour, and you can’t beat being guided through our city after dark.
Book St Augustine Ghosts and Gravestones here
A Ghostly Encounter St Augustine
This was the first ghost tour we ever did here in St Augustine. This is a walking tour led by a costumed guide who knows all about our history, all the creepy stories and they love to answer all the questions. This is a really good option if you’re looking at doing any St Augustine ghost tours with kids.
Book a Ghostly Encounter Tour here
The Original Haunted History Tour of St Augustine
If you’re looking for a more intense, more serious sort of St Augustine ghost tour, the Original Haunted History Tour is the pick for you. This one is all about both history and paranormal investigation. It’s good for the people that really do want to be creeped out, but also for the people who want to learn about our town and what has gone down here over the years. This is led on foot through downtown.
Book the Original Haunted History Tour here
St Augustine Afterlife Tours – Beyond the Grave
I haven’t been on this tour myself, but when our in-laws came to visit last, they booked it and raved about it. My MIL enjoyed the examples of how ghosts can sometimes be captured in photos or sound recordings, and the whole concept behind looking for paranormal activity. I’m sure we’ll all do this tour together when they come back to town.
Book St Augustine Afterlife Tour here
The Original Haunted Pub Tour
I always like to give the Original Haunted Pub Tour a plug because it’s really fun and my neighbor is one of the guides. This is one of the longer ghost tours in St Augustine because you get to make lots of stops and enjoy beverages as you get the history and look for spirits… and enjoy spirits. This one isn’t kid-appropriate, but is fun if you’re heading downtown with other adults.
Note: drinks are NOT included but you do get a souvenir shot glass
Book the Original Haunted Pub Tour here
Riding With Ghosts Tour
Not everyone wants to do a walking tour, but also sometimes you don’t want to do a tour with a larger group like on Ghosts an Gravestones, so the Riding With Ghosts tour is great to fill that gap. Being led through town on a large golf car, Riding with Ghosts tour is a great way to see the spirits and get the history of St Augustine without being on foot. It’s just the right length of a ghost tour (an hour and 15 minutes or so) and you get to see a lot of our beautiful downtown at night.
Book Riding with Ghosts Tour here
Ghostly Places to Visit in St Augustine on Your Own
When you’re looking for ghosts in St Augustine, you can either do it on your own or take a tour. The benefit of being on a tour is getting all the stories that come along with many of the fabled hauntings, but you can absolutely explore many of the historic and creepy sites on your own. The sites that ghost tours in St. Augustine visit vary depending on the tour, but some of the most popular locations include that you can visit on your own are included below.
St Augustine Lighthouse and Keepers Quarters
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is one of my favorite places in town to visit, and not just to see ghosts or be creeped out. This 1874 lighthouse is said to be haunted by the ghost of a former lighthouse keeper’s daughter who fell to her death from the tower. Visitors to the lighthouse have reported strange occurrences such as unexplained footsteps, moving objects, and ghostly apparitions. – You can visit during the daytime on your own or do a nighttime tour here.
Huguenot Cemetery
The Huguenot Cemetery is at the start of downtown and it’s very easy to find on foot. This historic cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghosts of former residents and soldiers. Visitors have reported hearing voices, feeling cold spots, and seeing ghostly figures. This cemetery is known for its large number of yellow fever deaths. I don’t like going in here because I think it’s creepy.
Old St Augustine Jail
The Old Jail is a fun place to visit in the daytime or when you arrive at twilight for a ghost tour. This 1891 jail is said to be haunted by former inmates and their families. Visitors have reported strange sounds, ghostly apparitions, and the feeling of being watched. My kids have been scared of the Old Jail since they were little.
Tolomato Cemetery
I think the Tolomato Cemetery is my favorite of all of our ghost haunts in St Augustine. It’s pretty… and creepy. This historic cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghosts of former residents and Native Americans. Visitors have reported seeing ghostly figures, feeling cold spots, and hearing unexplained noises. You can only enter the cemetery once a month, on the third Saturday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, but you can always walk by it and stare through its gates.
Castillo de San Marcos
The Castillo de San Marcos is the big, looming fortress on the St Augustine waterfront. This historic fort is said to be haunted by former soldiers and prisoners. Visitors have reported hearing strange sounds and seeing ghostly apparitions. In the daytime you can access the fort and explore on your own or do a tour with a National Park Ranger. At night you can walk the moat wall and who knows what you’ll see…
Ghost tours are generally intended for entertainment purposes and to offer a glimpse into the history and folklore of the area. While some people may claim to have captured ghostly images in their photographs, these sightings are often subjective and open to interpretation. If you’re interested in photography on a ghost tour, it’s best to focus on capturing the historic and atmospheric locations and the experiences of the tour rather than seeking out supernatural phenomena that may not exist, and then if you happen to capture a specter of some sort, you’ll have a great story to share.
If you have any questions about doing St Augustine ghost tours or need other ideas for exploring our beautiful town, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help YOU plan a wonderful visit to St Augustine!
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