Visit America’s Oldest (and most haunted!) City for Halloween Get in the “spirit” with special events, tours, and eats & drinks sure to send shivers down your spine. This week, we’ll tell you why St. Augustine’s beacon of light has a place on the “most haunted” lists of publications including Southern Living, Conde Nast Traveler, and Conde Nast. Architectural Digest considers the Ancient City one of the most beautiful haunted destinations in the world – learn more through THIS LINK.
FACE YOUR FEARS
This week, we visited the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum for the Ghost Tales Tour. With only the light from the glowsticks given to us at the start of the tour, we were shown around the grounds, the Keeper’s House, and the base of the lighthouse. Our guides shared the history of the grounds, stories of the people who lived and worked there, and their personal encounters with the souls that never left. We described the family-friendly tour as “equal parts creepy and informative” as we got a wonderful history lesson, and while we didn’t capture any entities on camera, we certainly felt the presence of two former keepers, Mr. Harn and Mr. Rasmussen! The Lighthouse has been visited by SYFY Channel’s Ghost Hunters twice and has been recognized by USA TODAY, BuzzFeed, Conde Nast, and others as one of the most haunted places in Florida and the US. Click THIS LINK to learn more about the ghost tours offered year-round.
NO TRICKS, JUST TREATS
O. C. White’s Seafood & Spirits, a popular restaurant at 118 Avenida Menendez, occupies the historic building formerly known as the Worth House. 21st-century staff and customers have reported encounters with the spirits of those who lived in the house hundreds of years ago. The Worth House was built in 1790 by prominent St. Augustinian Don Miguel Ysnardy, who ran it as one of the first hotels in the city. The coquina structure was eventually purchased by the Worth Family, who owned it for generations. With over 200 years of history, phantoms and unexplained happenings in the building should come as no surprise. Modern day witnesses believe they have seen the ghost of Margaret Stafford Worth, whose husband – a decorated military officer – died of cholera in 1849. Left to fend for herself as a widow, Mrs. Worth consoled herself by writing letters to her late spouse and it is said she kept them until her death in 1869. Visitors to O.C. White’s claim she has set and reset tables, possibly to assist wait staff. Her son-in-law, Colonel T. Sprague, has been spotted in the mirrors of the men’s restroom wearing a bowler hat. Doors seem to open by themselves, candles are relit after being snuffed out, and salt and pepper shakers slide across countertops, untouched by human hands. Overlooking the City marina and the Bridge of Lions, O.C. White’s is the place to go for great food with stunning balcony views. The cozy atmosphere is the perfect setting to enjoy fresh local seafood, choice steaks, chowder, pasta, and so much more. O.C.WHITE WEBSITE
St. Augustine Lighthouse after dark
