We bid you welcome to visit our Haunted Hometown…if you dare…
Nestled the northeast coast of Florida, the charming city of St. Augustine is known for its picturesque streets, rich history, and enchanting ambiance. However, beneath its idyllic facade lies a reputation that has earned the little Spanish settlement the coveted title of “America’s Most Haunted City”. Tales of paranormal encounters and ghostly sightings have contributed to St. Augustine has become a popular destination for paranormal investigators. It’s no wonder that this little ancient city is the home and headquarters of our ghost tour and ghost hunting equipment company GhoSt Augustine. Our company is, as you can probably tell, named in honor of this beautiful haunted old city. Today, we guide you through the mystery and history that contributes to St. Augustine’s spooky reputation.
St. Augustine’s history as a settlement and city with European roots dates back to 1565 when it was founded by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez. This makes the city over 450 years old and thereby the town can proudly call itself the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the United States of European origin. The area has witnessed a series of tragic events, conflicts, and epidemics, leaving a profound emotional residue that some believe contributes to the city’s haunting phenomena. The bloody battles fought between early colonizers from France, Spain and England, indigenous people, and pirates have left their mark on the land, creating a spectacular backdrop for ghost stories and hauntings. Echoes of the past lingers within the city’s narrow cobbled streets, historic buildings, and Spanish colonial architecture, as if the spirits themselves are reluctant to part ways with their beloved home.
St. Augustine is filled with haunted residences and landmarks, each with its own eerie backstory. One of the most famous haunted sites in St. Augustine is the Tolomato Cemetery. Established in 1777, this historic burial ground is said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity. Numerous accounts describe apparitions, eerie sounds, and inexplicable phenomena experienced by visitors. The graveyard is the resting place to a number of prominent locals, each bringing their own chapter to the story of city’s rich history. The final resting place’s connection to the city’s tumultuous past and its peaceful yet haunting ambiance contribute to its ghostly reputation.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse’s history and location goes back far back and precedes the current lighthouse, which by the way first lit its beam on October 15th, 1874. The area where it stands has long been associated with supernatural tales. The tragic death in the summer of 1871 of three young girls during the construction of the original lighthouse has led to the sightings of their spirits, still running, and playing as they did in life. They have appeared in many ghostly photos taken on our tours as you can see on our facebook page ghostaug.They have also been caught in recordings and once when asked what her name is, Annabelle was recorded as a reply. They like to play around and interact especially with girls their own age around 7-13 years old. Typically they make themselves known by lighting up the lights on the K2 EMF meter that is provided to our tour guests on the Evedark Express tour.
In the late 1800’s a drifter was allowed to seek shelter at the lighthouse keeper’s building and his lifeless body was found the next morning hanging from a beam. It is believed to be his ghost that appears in the keepers building as a rather tall and lanky gray figure. He was once spotted in the basement in the 1990’s by Kathy Flemming who later became the Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. She was closing up the Keeper’s Building Museum. When she entered the basement, she spotted a man who she thought was a museum guest. She asked him to please come upstairs with her since the museum is closing. Instead, he walked away from her and down the hall past the old water collection cisterns and proceeded around the corner to an area where there is no door to exit. She went down the hall to reiterate her request. But to her astonishment she found the area vacant from any person whatsoever. He had looked like a real person. Visitors and staff have reported sightings of a girl in the keeper’s building and a man inside the lighthouse and outdoors at the top of the tower. There is a plethora of suspected paranormal activity in the entire location including among other things mysterious footsteps, voices, clanging of metal, tobacco smoke when no one is around as well as locked doors to the lighthouse found open in the mornings. It’s been a common routine for the police to come out in the middle of the night due to the alarm system having been triggered. Back when Jonas Brihammar, the founder of GhoSt Augustine, worked at the lighthouse in 2000 to 2001 the alarm to the tower was never activated, since it would go off at night on a regular basis without any sign of any attempt of breaking and entrance…by a human that is.
St. Augustine’s haunted reputation is a testament to its deep-rooted history, tragic events, and the enigmatic charm that defines the little city’s character. Whether you are a believer in the supernatural or a skeptic, the stories and experiences shared by locals and visitors alike add an extra layer of intrigue to this historic coastal gem. Join us for ghostly strolls and let us guide you to some of the most haunted locations in the ancient city. Or join us for a paranormal investigation at various haunted sites or at our haunted house on the Para4ce Investigation. Keep your mind open, and your camera ready, for you never know when you might encounter a glimpse of the unknown. Let us guide you into and through the dark history and mysterious other dimensions that this oldest city in America is also famous for. Taking a ghost tour or other experience with us will enrich your stay and make the most of it.