FL's Most Haunted Places Revealed In New Rankings

Florida has no shortage of places with ghostly reputations, but only a handful can back up their spooky stories with reports of paranormal activity.

The 2026 HauntBound Index, a new national ranking of more than 6,000 supposedly haunted places, examines decades of published accounts rather than simply recycling the same old ghost stories.

Subscribe

The list by HauntBound, a Michigan-based website specializing in haunted travel and historical ghost lore, includes historic homes, hotels, cemeteries and other places where visitors have reported seeing things that have no earthly explanation.

Some are open for tours, some offer overnight accommodations, and others are best admired from a safe distance. Whether any of them actually have ghosts is another matter entirely.

According to HauntBound's state-by-state index, Florida has 282 documented locations associated with paranormal activity.

Here's a look at the top 10, as ranked by HauntBound

1. Ringling College of Art and Design, Keating Hall — Sarasota

"Originally opened in 1925 as the Bay Haven Hotel, Keating Hall was built in the Spanish Mission Revival style. Following Florida's land boom collapse, the property became associated with gambling and prostitution before John Ringling purchased it around 1931 and converted it into classrooms and a women's dormitory for his art school."

2. Casa de Solana — St. Augustine

"Built by Spanish soldier Don Manuel Lorenzo Solana, the historic residence reportedly shelters several spirits, including a woman dressed in white believed to be Solana's first wife, Mary Mitchell. Other accounts describe a soldier named Frederick, supposedly killed while protecting the property, and a mysterious presence known as Victoria in the Montejurra Room."

3. St. Augustine Lighthouse — St. Augustine

"Completed in 1874, the 165-foot lighthouse has a tragic history that includes the drowning of two sisters and another young girl during construction in 1873. Visitors and employees have reported unexplained cigar smoke inside the keeper's residence and a rocking chair that supposedly moves by itself in an upstairs bedroom."

4. May-Stringer House — Brooksville

"The historic May-Stringer House, now operating as a museum, has been the subject of multiple published accounts of unexplained activity. Reported experiences include ghostly apparitions and sudden cold spots, contributing to its reputation as one of Florida's most haunted historic residences."

5. Evergreen Cemetery — Jacksonville

"Evergreen Cemetery has been associated with paranormal accounts dating back decades. Published reports describe mysterious apparitions and unexplained sounds throughout the burial grounds, helping establish the cemetery's place among Florida's most frequently documented haunted locations."

6. Artist House (Former Otto Family Home) — Key West

"Built in the 1890s, this Queen Anne-style residence was once home to Robert Eugene Otto, whose famous doll, Robert, occupied an upstairs turret room. Since the property became a guest house in 1978, visitors have reported seeing a woman in a wedding dress on the staircase, believed to be Otto's wife, Anne, along with shadowy figures appearing near guests' beds."

7. González-Álvarez House (The Oldest House) — St. Augustine

"Dating to approximately 1723, the González-Álvarez House is considered St. Augustine's oldest surviving residence. Ghost stories describe a mysterious woman dressed in black wandering the upstairs hallway, doors closing without explanation and figures appearing in windows. A night watchman reportedly resigned following an unexplained incident in 1974, although the historical society that operates the museum does not maintain official records of paranormal activity."

8. Flagler College (Former Hotel Ponce de Leon) — St. Augustine

"Opened in 1888 by railroad magnate Henry Flagler, the former Hotel Ponce de Leon became Flagler College in 1968. After Flagler's body lay in state inside the building's rotunda in 1913, stories emerged of doors opening and closing on their own. Students have also described seeing a mysterious mustachioed man wearing formal clothing near the rotunda."

9. TacoLu Baja Mexicana (Alpha Paynter Homestead) — Jacksonville Beach

"Built in 1934 by Alpha Paynter, the property originally served as a boarding house before becoming the Homestead Restaurant and eventually TacoLu Baja Mexicana. Employees dating back to the 1960s have described a mysterious woman near the limestone fireplace, unexplained footsteps upstairs and lights and doors behaving strangely. Some believe the activity is connected to Paynter herself."

10. Captain Tony's Saloon — Key West

"Dating to 1851, the building originally served as an ice house and morgue and was constructed around a tree reportedly used for hangings. Human remains have reportedly been discovered during renovations, while patrons have described unexplained cold spots, pool balls moving without assistance, phantom footsteps and the lingering smell of pipe tobacco in empty rooms."

Why Is This List Different?

There are plenty of websites and apps to help people find a good Halloween scare. HauntBound digs into something different, exploring places with reputations for being haunted long before Halloween decorations became a multimillion-dollar industry.

Instead of ranking locations by popularity or how often a ghost story gets repeated, HauntBound examines the number of independently published accounts, how thoroughly the claims have been documented, and how far back the reports go.

The index doesn't attempt to prove ghosts exist. It measures the documentation behind claims that they do.

"We do not attempt to determine whether paranormal phenomena are real, and we never count a source that only establishes a building's history as evidence of haunting claims," the site says.

Haunted, But Can You Visit?

The index covers 6,041 locations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., including 5,718 classified as family-friendly and 1,983 listed as bookable.

Each location includes a family-suitability rating and information about whether visitors can tour the property, book an experience or spend the night. A place may have a terrific ghost story but be privately owned, closed to the public or otherwise off-limits to curious visitors.

HauntBound also identifies each state's oldest documented haunted site, the location with the most published accounts, a recommended haunted overnight stay, and a particularly family-friendly destination.

The rankings are based on research through Sept. 15, and the national index was updated Sept. 29 to remove private homes, operating hospitals and locations with nothing left to visit.