A Very Haunted Halloween Here on the Suncoast
It’s that time of year again when people willingly step into their worst nightmares to support the holiday of Halloween. From haunted houses to some creative costumes, this holiday is one for the imagination and is sure to leave some people with therapy-worthy new fears. Unfortunately, not all the haunted spaces are set up for just this time of year. The following list of places are locations throughout the Suncoast of Florida purported to actually be haunted and the stories that led to their designations.
Coquina Beach – On the far southern end of Coquina Beach, just before the bridge, there used to be a hotel that is now just a picnic area. Supposedly, a “male figure” in black clothing walks back and forth between the picnic area and the beach, even during daylight.
Haunted Clearwater Tour – This is a 75-minute trolley Ghost tour that will explore the history, ghosts, haunted locations, and tales of Clearwater’s spooky past.
Some of the haunted and historic sites that we will visit and learn about include:
- The Biltmore Hotel
- Clearwater Municipal Cemetery
- The Capitol Theatre
- Andrew’s Chapel
- The Historic Fenway Hotel
- Curtis Fundamental Elementary School
Haunted History Tour – This is a 90-minute walking tour that takes you to some of the most haunted locations in downtown Fort Myers, such as the Arcade Theatre, the Edison Theatre, and the Hotel Indigo. You’ll hear stories of ghosts, murders, and mysteries that will send chills down your spine.
Peace River Seafood Restaurant – This restaurant, located near a cemetery, has been rumored to have paranormal activity.
Sulphur Sprints Tower – The tower that you see today was actually built to replace a tower that was once a marker on many pirate treasure maps! According to local legend, it is now haunted by the spirits of long-dead pirates who are still searching for the treasure that was never found.
The Cordova Inn – This 1921 boutique hotel is supposed to be haunted by the apparition of a well-dressed man in an old-fashioned suit. Employees believe this is the ghost of a former butler who has saved the building from demolition and despair on several occasions.
The Gator Club – The two-story brick building, which stands on Main Street and Lemon Avenue, was built in 1912 by William David Worth to be a grocery store with a family residence upstairs. Over the years, it has been a series of lively establishments, including a cigar shop, an ice cream parlor, a speakeasy, and a brothel. To this day, staff reports the brothel’s madam, a young boy an inebriated man, and others appearing to them in the club.
Have you visited any of these haunted Suncoast locations before? Are you brave enough to test your nervous system’s fortitude by walking into these most haunted of actually reported dark locations up and down the Suncoast? For some, imagining the worst is bad enough, but taking on locations with ominous backgrounds that might actually have left the darkness behind is outside of anything they are willing to take on. How brave are you?
Happy Haunted Halloween, Suncoast!
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