Florida Haunted Lighthouse Tours Perfect For Fall Nights
Fall in Florida brings cooler temperatures and spooky vibes, making it the perfect time to explore haunted lighthouses along our coastline.
These historic beacons have guided ships safely for centuries, but they also harbor dark secrets and ghostly tales. Whether you’re a paranormal enthusiast or history buff, these lighthouse tours offer thrilling experiences that blend maritime history with spine-tingling encounters.
1. St. Augustine Lighthouse’s Shadowy Staircase
Climbing the 219 steps of St. Augustine Lighthouse might introduce you to more than just breathtaking views. Many visitors report feeling invisible hands touching them on the spiral staircase, particularly near the top where a young girl tragically fell to her death in the 1870s.
Lighthouse keepers claim to hear children’s laughter echoing through the tower at night, believed to be the spirits of the keeper’s daughters who drowned in an accident. The keeper himself is said to still maintain his watch, appearing as a shadowy figure near the lantern room.
During fall tours, the cooler evening air seems to intensify paranormal activity, making October visits especially active. Ghost hunters frequently capture EVPs and unexplained orbs in photographs here.
2. Pensacola Lighthouse’s Restless Keeper
Standing tall since 1859, Pensacola Lighthouse harbors the spirit of its most dedicated keeper, Jeremiah Ingraham. Visitors often feel sudden cold spots near the watch room where Jeremiah died during a violent storm while refusing to abandon his post.
Staff members report tools mysteriously moving overnight and lanterns turning on by themselves. The most common experience? Hearing heavy footsteps ascending the metal stairs when nobody else is in the tower.
Located on active Naval Air Station property, this lighthouse offers exclusive nighttime paranormal tours during fall months. Ghost Adventures and other TV shows have featured this location, capturing compelling evidence of voices answering questions about maritime disasters that only the keeper would know.
3. Jupiter Inlet’s Whispers From The Past
Jupiter Inlet’s distinctive red lighthouse holds secrets from its 160-year history. Visitors frequently report hearing whispered conversations in empty rooms, particularly in the keeper’s quarters where several lighthouse keepers passed away from yellow fever during an 1890s epidemic.
Children visiting the site often ask parents about “the man in the funny hat” who nobody else can see believed to be former keeper Captain Seabrook who died after falling from the tower. During fall evening tours, the museum staff leads specialized paranormal investigations where guests can use ghost-hunting equipment.
My favorite aspect is the lighthouse’s unique positioning surrounded by water on three sides, creating an eerie isolation that intensifies the haunted atmosphere after sunset. The brick structure seems to trap energy from the past.
4. Ponce Inlet’s Disappearing Watchman
Florida’s tallest lighthouse at Ponce Inlet features a disappearing watchman who startles visitors on the observation deck. Dressed in period keeper attire, this full-bodied apparition vanishes when approached, leaving behind only the scent of pipe tobacco.
Staff members report hearing someone climbing the 203 steps when the lighthouse is closed, with heavy footsteps echoing throughout the brick tower. Motion sensors frequently trigger without explanation during overnight monitoring.
Fall paranormal tours here include the keeper’s dwelling and surrounding buildings where multiple spirits reportedly reside. The most active area is the assistant keeper’s quarters where objects move on their own. During a recent investigation, a rocking chair began moving rhythmically while temperature gauges recorded a 15-degree drop in the immediate area.
5. Sanibel Island’s Phantom Lighthouse Ship
Sanibel Island Lighthouse harbors a unique spectral phenomenon the ghost ship that appears offshore during fall storms. Witnesses describe seeing a 19th-century schooner sailing dangerously close to the shoals before vanishing completely.
This lighthouse differs from others as the haunting extends beyond the tower to the surrounding waters. Paranormal investigators believe the phantom vessel represents one of many ships that wrecked before the lighthouse was constructed in 1884.
Evening tours allow visitors to scan the horizon with night-vision equipment while learning about the area’s maritime tragedies. Local fishermen avoid certain spots near the lighthouse after sunset, claiming their boats become mysteriously difficult to steer in those waters. The lighthouse keeper’s quarters reportedly experience unexplained cold spots and the sounds of dripping water even during drought conditions.
6. Egmont Key’s Vanishing Soldier Patrol
Accessible only by boat, Egmont Key Lighthouse offers Florida’s most secluded haunted experience. Visitors report encountering uniformed soldiers who vanish when approached – believed to be spirits from the island’s former military fort.
What makes this location especially eerie is its isolation and abandonment. Much of the former military installation lies in ruins, with lighthouse keeper quarters long since demolished. Yet people still report hearing doors slamming and voices giving military commands in areas where no buildings remain.
Fall tours include nighttime landings on the island where paranormal activity peaks during the changing of tides. The lighthouse itself seems to serve as a beacon for spirits as well as ships, with orbs and unexplained lights frequently photographed near its tower. Ghost hunters have captured EVPs of what sound like military drills and distant cannon fire.
7. Hillsboro Inlet’s Ghostly Keeper Family
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse stands out with its unique octagonal design and resident ghost family. Visitors frequently encounter the spirits of keeper Thomas Knight and his wife Martha, who appear engaged in their daily routines as if still maintaining the lighthouse.
During fall evening tours, guests report seeing lights moving inside the tower when it’s closed and hearing children’s laughter near the keeper’s quarters. The most compelling evidence comes from multiple independent witnesses who describe seeing the same woman in a blue dress hanging laundry near the lighthouse then vanishing when approached.
This location offers specialized “keeper experience” tours where participants can help perform the lighthouse duties that Thomas and Martha once handled. Strangely, modern electronic equipment often malfunctions inside the tower, yet the historic mechanisms operate flawlessly despite their age.
8. Amelia Island’s Weeping Widow Light
Amelia Island Lighthouse earned its nickname “The Weeping Widow Light” from the heartbroken spirit who still waits for her husband’s return. Local legend tells of keeper William Folsom who disappeared during a violent storm in 1886, leaving his wife Catherine to maintain the light while watching for his return.
Visitors report hearing a woman’s soft crying near the top of the tower, especially during stormy weather. Some have captured photos showing a woman in period dress standing at the gallery railing, gazing out to sea.
Fall tours focus on Catherine’s story and the mysterious circumstances surrounding William’s disappearance. The lighthouse offers one of Florida’s most emotionally charged hauntings, with multiple witnesses reporting overwhelming feelings of grief when entering certain rooms. Staff members occasionally find roses placed at the tower entrance with no explanation of who left them.
9. Cape Canaveral’s Space Coast Specters
Cape Canaveral Lighthouse blends maritime history with space-age hauntings. Visitors report encountering both 19th-century lighthouse keepers and more recent spirits of early space program workers who died in accidents near the Cape.
This unique lighthouse sits on active Space Force property, creating an unusual juxtaposition of historic architecture and modern launch facilities. Paranormal investigators have recorded unexplained voices discussing both ships and rockets, suggesting the spirits span different eras of the Cape’s history.
Fall tours require special security clearance but offer exclusive access to areas normally closed to the public. The most commonly reported phenomenon is the appearance of mysterious lights moving erratically near the tower – too slow for spacecraft but following no pattern a boat would use. The keeper’s quarters feature unexplained cold spots and the persistent smell of burning matches.
10. Cedar Key’s Spectral Lighthouse Keeper
Cedar Key Lighthouse harbors the spirit of keeper Andrews who died protecting his light during the devastating hurricane of 1896. Visitors frequently report seeing a bearded man in period clothing tending to now-obsolete equipment inside the lighthouse.
Unlike other lighthouse hauntings, Andrews seems unaware of modern visitors, focused entirely on his duties from a century ago. Tour guides share accounts of the phantom keeper walking through solid walls where doors once existed in the original lighthouse configuration.
Fall evening tours coincide with the anniversary of the great hurricane, when paranormal activity reaches its peak. Electronic equipment often captures unexplained voices warning of approaching storms even on clear nights. The most compelling evidence comes from multiple witnesses who independently describe seeing the same figure adjusting equipment that no longer exists in the modernized lighthouse.
11. Cape Florida Lighthouse’s Phantom Flames
History burns bright at Cape Florida Lighthouse, where phantom flames sometimes appear in the tower at night. These ghostly fires echo the 1836 Seminole attack when the lighthouse was set ablaze with keeper John Thompson trapped inside.
Though Thompson survived by hiding in the powder magazine, his traumatic experience seems imprinted on the location. Visitors report smelling smoke where no fire exists and hearing agonized screams near the top of the tower.
Fall evening tours explore this tragic history while guides share first-hand accounts of paranormal encounters. Park rangers avoid the tower after sunset, claiming the temperature drops unnaturally inside regardless of outside weather. What makes this location unique is how the paranormal activity intensifies during the anniversary week of the attack each July.
12. Key West Lighthouse’s Victorian Specter
Key West Lighthouse features Florida’s most well-dressed ghost Barbara Mabrity, the elegantly attired Victorian-era keeper who maintained the light for 38 years. Visitors frequently glimpse her apparition in a flowing white dress near the top of the tower, particularly during stormy weather.
Though small compared to other Florida lighthouses, this historic beacon compensates with intense paranormal activity. Electronic equipment often malfunctions inexplicably, and cameras capture strange light anomalies that staff can’t explain.
Fall tours here include access to the keeper’s quarters where personal items mysteriously move overnight. The staff maintains a logbook of unexplained occurrences, now filling its third volume. Barbara seems especially active during hurricane season, perhaps still concerned about keeping sailors safe from storms.
