Key West is a city packed with history and, inevitably, the hauntings that come with a turbulent past, which are best explored on one of these ghost tours.
(Photo: Viator.com)
Even by looking at some of the buildings around Key West, such as the creaky, old mansions, sprawling cemeteries and isolated lighthouses, there are plenty of buildings that would make the perfect setting for a horror story. And it just so happens that there are many tales of creepy goings on and reports of paranormal activity from around the city. Linking them all together are these four fun ghost tours, which are selected for this list on various merits, such as value for money, your guide, the itinerary, and of course, scares.
Key West Ghost and Mysteries Guided Tour
Spend 90 minutes of an evening, exploring the Key West streets and alleyways in search of this Floridian city’s paranormal. Pass by Ernest Hemingway’s Casa Antigua residence, as well as the Dean-Lope Funeral Home to hear the tale of Count Von Cosel. Finally, see the house where Robert the Doll, and its owner Robert Eugene Otto, once lived. At over a century old, Robert the Doll is believed to change its facial expressions and is blamed (perhaps a little unfairly) for a number of calamities, including divorces and car crashes. From $33 per person.
The Dark Side of Key West Ghost Tour
If you’d prefer a no holds barred approach to a ghost tour, over the usual family-friendly approach, then this adults-only tour offers a much darker, grislier set of stories. Plucked from a past that has seen plenty of murders and dark deeds during Key West’s centuries of human history, the walking tour visits the Artist House, Hemingway House and many more Key West hotspots. This tour has daily departures throughout the year. From $35 per person.
(Photo: Viator.com)
Ghosts and Gravestones Trolley Tour
If the idea of walking around Key West for 90 minutes during the dark hours sounds less than appealing to you, then there’s an excellent trolleybus alternative that is more restful but no less thrilling. The hour-long trip is narrated throughout and riding this Trolley of the Doomed also means you’ll get to see haunted locations in Key West that are less accessible on walking tours. Gruesome locations include the Hanging Tree, Porter Mansion, and the Artist’s House. Multiple departures are available each evening. From $39 per person.
Civil War Fort Ghost Hunt
For anybody with a strong tolerance for paranormal activity who wants to push their experience of the underworld to the limits, this 90-minute tour focuses on hunting ghosts. Begin with an hour of active ghost hunting (detection equipment is provided) in Fort East Martello, a brick citadel that was used during the US Civil War. Next you will get the chance to meet Robert the Doll face to face. While other tours only visit the house in which it was kept, on this tour you’ll be locked in a room with the supposedly haunted doll for 25 minutes. From $52 per person.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)