What’s the scariest thing to do when staying at one of our top St. Augustine beachfront rentals?
Ask one long-time local, and your answer may be the old jail. With resounding confidence, the old jail is one of the most compelling and unique attractions in the city. Ask another, perhaps newer local, and they may shower praise on the latest additions to St. Augustine haunted history, including trolley tours, walking tours, and the torture museum.
In the right light, at the right time, St. Augustine is incredibly spooky, and most of the best attractions highlight this haunted history.
Below we cover the best of St. Augustine’s scares, all sights you can see via the famous Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tour.
St. Augustine’s Haunted History
Firstly, we need to take a brief glimpse at why exactly a St. Augustine vacation can be scary. Ask a random local about the city’s spooky history, and you are sure to get a strong response- yes, St. Augustine is genuinely haunted.
Television crews have come to the downtown graveyard to film, showcasing the presence of orbs and other spirits. Flagler College is one of the largest buildings in the city and was a luxury hotel for the famous for decades. Even now, entire halls are closed off and residents have both refused to stay and administrator have kept areas off-limits due to numerous unexplained incidents.
St. Augustine is dubbed the ancient city- and it is quite literal. This old city stands as an unofficial founding of the country. Dating back to 1565, St. Augustine is the first city in the United States. This rich history bleeds out into all facets of St. Augustine life, like its education (home to the oldest standing wooden schoolhouse) and, of course, its haunts.
The Ghosts and Gravestones St. Augustine trolley tour carries you through many of the city’s spookiest locales, sharing stories of local legends and giving you glimpses into centuries of scares.
Old Jail
The Old Jail is one of the most famous scary locations in the city. It is also on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was built just outside the edge of downtown to keep it away from what was going to be a bustling tourist area.
The Old Jail has a lot of captivating, albeit frightening features. You can see an inmate hanging area in the back of the jail. There’s also a dark hole where punished inmates would go and spend their days. It had a single tiny slot in the door and space is specifically designed to swallow all light.
It’s spooky. It’s unnerving. And you ask just about anyone here in town, it’s haunted. Hear stories when you go on a dedicated tour of the Old Jail.
Plan Your Vacation
Whether you are looking for a vacation home or rental condo in St. Augustine we have you covered. Our team at Saint Augustine Vacation Rentals is devoted to ensuring that you have the most enjoyable vacation as possible! For more information on Saint Augustine, other attractions in the area, and our full selection of St. Augustine condo rentals contact us today!
Castillo de San Marcos
The Castillo do San Marcos has an enthralling history. Owned by multiple parties over the centuries, this mostly-Spanish owned fort sits right on the water. Filled with numerous tight bunkers, a feeding area, and a place dedicated for the sick and unwell, this fort is a classic with nearly 350 years of history. On the Ghosts and Gravestones tour, you can see the fort illuminated for the night.
Old Drug Store & Potter’s Wax Museum
To say that the Old Drug Store and Potter’s Museum are haunted is a bit of an overstatement. While neither is especially spooky (unless wax figures creep you out) both are really cool. The Old Drug Store is designed to replicate an existing drug store of the 1800s. Filled with old candy, peculiar trinkets, and more, the Old Drug Store is a time capsule of oddities. It is located right next to the Old Jail.
Potter’s Wax Museum is another oddity in the city. It features wax figures of famous individuals, both fictional and real.
The Ghosts and Gravestones tour will take you to the museum after hours for what is dubbed the Chamber of Horrors. This special area will turn dark and surround you by some of the spookiest wax figures in the collection!
Check out the best St. Augustine ghost tours with Ghosts and Gravestones. After the scares are over, settle in at one of our convenient St. Augustine pet-friendly rentals and finally relax after an evening of frights.