A Special Haunted Roadtrip Series
For five weeks, Haunted Roadtrips is exploring America’s Most Haunted Cities. From colonial cemeteries and pirate taverns to battlefields and forgotten prisons, these towns aren’t just historic—they’re haunted.
We began in Savannah, Georgia, where restless spirits linger among moss-draped oaks. Then we walked the misty streets of New Orleans, where life and death dance to the same rhythm.
This week, we journey to the edge of the Atlantic—to a city older than them both. A place where Spanish soldiers still guard the walls, where the ocean whispers secrets, and where the past refuses to rest.
Welcome to St. Augustine, Florida.
The fog drifts in from Matanzas Bay, curling around the coquina walls of the old fort. The air smells of salt, iron, and rain. Somewhere in the darkness, a bell tolls from a forgotten tower.
A lone lighthouse stands sentinel on the shore, its beam sweeping through the mist. For an instant, the light catches something—movement in the tower window. A figure in a long skirt, her outline faint, her hair fluttering as if caught in a wind that isn’t there.
And then she’s gone.
Locals say the spirits of the dead still walk here—the soldiers who defended this ancient city, the prisoners who cried for mercy, the sailors lost at sea. In St. Augustine, history doesn’t just live on in the buildings. It lingers in the air.
Where Are We Headed?
Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States. Long before English colonies rose along the Atlantic coast, the Spanish built their fortress here. The city survived pirate attacks, fires, sieges, and centuries of storms.
Every cobblestone, every rusted cannon, every weathered stone wall holds a story. And many say those stories never ended.
The ghosts of soldiers, prisoners, and lost children still haunt the city’s narrow lanes. Even the sea breeze that drifts through St. George Street carries whispers of the past.
Castillo de San Marcos
No site defines St. Augustine quite like the Castillo de San Marcos, the massive Spanish fort that has guarded the harbor for over three centuries. Built from coquina—a shell-based limestone—the fortress has withstood war, hurricanes, and time itself.
The Spirits of the Fort:
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Visitors report shadowy figures pacing the walls after dark, dressed in the armor of Spanish soldiers.
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In the dungeon, guests feel sudden cold spots and hear whispers in Spanish and English.
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The smell of gunpowder and the echo of cannon fire have been reported even when the fort is silent.
The Lovers’ Legend:
During the 1700s, two skeletons were discovered sealed inside a hidden chamber in the fort—one male, one female, their remains entwined. Some believe they were lovers executed in secret, entombed alive for their affair. Paranormal investigators claim to feel an overwhelming sadness near the sealed room, as if the souls still cling together in defiance.
Today, the Castillo stands as both monument and mausoleum—a fortress of stone and memory, echoing with voices that refuse to fade.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse
Rising above the coastline, the St. Augustine Lighthouse is one of the city’s most iconic—and haunted—landmarks. Its red-and-white tower has guided ships since 1874, but the beacon’s light shines on tragedy as well as beauty.
The Pittee Sisters:
During construction, the lighthouse keeper’s daughters—Eliza and Mary Pittee—were playing near a work cart that broke loose and rolled into the bay. The girls drowned before help could arrive.
Ever since, their laughter has been heard echoing through the tower. Visitors feel small hands tugging at their clothing or see figures of two young girls at the top of the stairs.
The Keeper Who Never Left:
One former keeper, Joseph Andreu, fell to his death while painting the tower. Staff report footsteps climbing the stairs and the sound of heavy boots pacing the balcony. Others claim to smell kerosene and tobacco in empty rooms.
Modern Encounters:
The lighthouse has been featured on Ghost Hunters and Kindred Spirits, both capturing unexplained shadows and voices. Even seasoned investigators describe it as one of the most active locations in the country.
The Old Jail
Built in 1891 under the direction of Henry Flagler, the Old Jail looks deceptively charming—painted pink with Victorian trim. But inside, its history is far from pleasant.
Life Behind Bars:
Inmates lived in harsh conditions, enduring disease, beatings, and executions. The gallows still stand behind the building, and visitors report the smell of burning rope and the sensation of choking when they pass beneath it.
Hauntings:
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Disembodied voices calling for help echo through the cell blocks.
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Cold spots and shadow figures appear near the solitary confinement cells.
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Tour guides report hearing jangling keys and slamming doors when no one is nearby.
The Sheriff’s Wife:
Some stories claim the spirit of the sheriff’s wife, who lived upstairs above the jail, still tends the house. Visitors smell roses and baking bread, even though the kitchen has been empty for over a century.
Today, the Old Jail is one of the most popular ghost tour stops in Florida—and one of the most chilling.
Tolomato Cemetery
Nestled off Cordova Street, the Tolomato Cemetery dates back to the mid-1700s. Its moss-draped trees and crumbling headstones make it one of the city’s most atmospheric sites.
Restless Dead:
Locals say the cemetery is haunted by Bishop Augustin Verot, whose apparition has been seen praying at night near his own tomb. Others report seeing a young boy who died before baptism—his white figure darting among the graves.
Unfinished Burials:
The cemetery closed in 1884, but not all its graves were properly marked or recorded. Some believe construction over nearby land disturbed forgotten burials, fueling the strange lights and ghostly shapes seen drifting over the grounds after dark.
The Huguenot Cemetery
Across from the City Gate stands the Huguenot Cemetery, founded in 1821 for victims of the yellow fever epidemic. Many of its dead were buried quickly, sometimes before death had truly taken them.
Lingering Spirits:
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Visitors see pale forms hovering near the gates and hear sobbing from within.
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A woman in a white dress is often seen kneeling beside a grave, only to vanish when approached.
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One of the most famous spirits is that of Judge John Stickney, whose coffin was moved after his death. Legend says his body was disturbed, and now his ghost roams the cemetery, still seeking peace.
Guides warn visitors not to linger by the iron gates after midnight—it’s said those who do may feel a cold hand reach through the bars.
Other Haunted Hotspots
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The Spanish Military Hospital – Patients still scream during reenactments; staff report footsteps and the scent of ether when no one’s inside.
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The Casa de Sueños Bed & Breakfast – Guests hear piano music and see the ghost of a woman in blue wandering the halls.
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Flagler College (formerly the Ponce de León Hotel) – Students tell of ghostly footsteps and the scent of cigar smoke near the grand staircase.
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The Casablanca Inn – Once a Prohibition-era boarding house, it’s said the owner used a lantern to warn rum-runners of police. The light still flickers in the window when no one is there.
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The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse – Visitors report children’s laughter and moving desks, as though classes still continue in another time.
Firsthand Chilling Encounters
St. Augustine’s haunted tours are filled with stories from visitors who swear they’ve seen the unexplainable:
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The Lighthouse Screams – Guests have recorded a woman’s voice crying “Help me!” from the tower when it was empty.
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Fort Phantom Soldier – Tourists captured a figure in Spanish uniform walking the Castillo’s ramparts in daylight—only for him to vanish on camera.
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The Old Jail Cell Slam – A paranormal team witnessed a cell door slam shut with no visible cause.
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The Boy in the Cemetery – Multiple witnesses have seen a small figure dart behind gravestones at Tolomato, always just out of reach.
Even skeptics leave St. Augustine unsettled. Something about this city makes you feel watched—like history itself is keeping score.
The Real History Behind the Hauntings
St. Augustine’s hauntings stem from centuries of struggle and survival.
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Wars & Sieges: Spanish, British, and American forces all fought for control, leaving battlefields soaked in blood.
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Epidemics: Yellow fever, malaria, and smallpox wiped out entire families.
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Pirates: Sir Francis Drake sacked the city in 1586, and pirates continued to raid its coast for decades.
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Enslavement & Injustice: The area’s early history includes the forced labor of Indigenous and African people under Spanish rule.
The ghosts of St. Augustine aren’t just echoes of individuals—they’re the memory of everything the city has endured.
Want to Visit?
For the brave, St. Augustine is a paranormal paradise:
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Ghost Tours – Try the Ghosts & Gravestones trolley, or candlelit walking tours through the old town.
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Stay Overnight – Book a haunted inn like Casa de Sueños or St. Francis Inn.
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Cemetery Walks – Tolomato and Huguenot offer official tours on select nights.
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Historic Sites – Visit the Castillo by day, then return at dusk for a ghostly atmosphere.
Every brick and cobblestone here has seen centuries pass—and some spirits still haven’t left.
Fun Facts & Lesser-Known Stories
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Oldest City, Oldest Haunts: Founded decades before Jamestown or Plymouth.
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Coquina Walls: The fort’s shellstone walls actually absorbed cannonballs during battle.
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Pirate Attacks: The city was burned twice, rebuilt each time stronger—and some say, more haunted.
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Lighthouse Lens: The original lens still functions, even after multiple deaths and fires.
Similar Legends
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Key West, Florida – Another coastal haunt, famous for Robert the Doll and Captain Tony’s Saloon.
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Charleston, South Carolina – Like St. Augustine, its cobblestones echo with the footsteps of soldiers and slaves.
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Williamsburg, Virginia – Colonial hauntings and Revolutionary ghosts mirror St. Augustine’s own past.
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Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – Where soldiers still march at dusk, just as they do on the Castillo walls.
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Salem, Massachusetts – A reminder that tragedy and superstition always find a home in America’s oldest towns.
Each of these cities tells the same truth: the older the city, the deeper its ghosts.
Pop Culture + Paranormal Cred
St. Augustine has been featured in:
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Ghost Hunters
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Haunted History
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Mysteries at the Museum
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Kindred Spirits
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Dozens of documentaries and travel shows
Its haunted lighthouse remains one of the most investigated sites in the U.S.
Spooky Scale
👻👻👻👻👻 (5 out of 5 Ghosts)
In St. Augustine, the ghosts aren’t just visitors—they’re residents.
Final Thoughts
St. Augustine is beautiful, ancient, and endlessly haunted. Its ghosts aren’t confined to cemeteries or crumbling walls—they linger in the sea air, in the echo of footsteps on the old streets, in the quiet hum of a city that remembers everything.
For ghost seekers, this isn’t just another stop. It’s where history breathes—and sometimes, it breathes back.
Next week, we travel to Charleston, South Carolina, another coastal city steeped in war, slavery, and supernatural tales that refuse to fade.
Would you dare climb the lighthouse steps alone after dark—or walk the Castillo’s ramparts when the fog rolls in?
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Check out last week’s edition, where we explored New Orleans, Louisiana.
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