Adult & Teen Summer Reading Challenge 2025
Week Three — Haunted Florida
Florida has a rich, sometimes tumultuous, history that including wars, piracy and shipwrecks. These contribute to the countless ghost stories and supernatural encounters throughout the state. Have you traveled through the "Dead Zone" on I-4? Have you seen an apparition at the St. Augustine Lighthouse? Or felt a sense of foreboding at the Biltmore Hotel? If so, you're not alone. Florida is considered one of the most haunted states in the country.
Looking for some scares with Florida flare? Try these if you dare:
- Duma Key by Stephen King
- FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven
- The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
- Brimstone by Cherie Priest
- Evil Whispers by Owl Goingback
- The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell
- Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
- Be My Ghost by Carol Perry
- Ghost Moon by Heather Graham
- Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
- Dark Florida: Animal Attacks, Historic Murders, Deadly Disasters and Other Calamities by Alan N. Brown
- Florida's Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore by Greg Jenkins
- Haunted Florida: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Sunshine State by Cynthia Thuma
- Spooky Florida : Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore by S.E. Schlosser
- Creepy Florida : Phantom Pirates, the Hog Island Witch, the Demented Doctor at the Don Vicente & More By Mark Muncy
- Haunted Florida Love Stories by Christopher Balzano
Looking for a chilling adventure this summer? Consider a Florida ghost tour, or explore the unexplained at one of the these spooky sites:
The May-Stringer House in Tampa has been given the title of “Most Haunted in Florida” by various media outlets over the years. Built in 1852, this 14-room house has gone through many occupants over the years, some of whom may have stayed beyond their lifetime.
The Skunk Ape is Florida's legendary cryptid associated with the Everglades region, particularly Collier County. The Skunk Ape Research Headquarters is a roadside attraction, featuring animal exhibits, guided tours, and camping opportunities.
Central Florida has plenty of creepy spots to visit. This list of haunted places to visit in Central Florida includes a haunted stretch of I-4 and the Legend of Spook Hill, right here in Polk County.
The Thrillist has a great compilation of haunted hotels, landmarks, and parks throughout the state.
Fort East Martello in Key West houses Robert the Doll, a sailor puppet that is said to be possessed by a vengeful spirit, according to the Key West Art & Historical Society.
Lilian Place in Volusia County, Florida was built in 1884 and on December 31, 1896 Stephen Crane recuperated in the house after his boat "Commodore" sank off the shoreline of Daytona Beach. Crane’s ghost has supposedly been sighted in the house, as well as a woman dressed in white, laughing children, and a mischievous ghost named Lucille.
Florida also has numerous abandoned towns that many consider ghost towns, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
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