St. Augustine's best-known ghost stories grow out of real, documented events: the 1873 drowning of three girls at the Lighthouse construction site, the 1821 yellow fever epidemic that led to the Huguenot Cemetery, and more than 60 years of prisoners at the 1891 Old Jail. The tragedies are history. The ghosts are legend. You can visit all three places and decide for yourself.
Why St. Augustine has so many ghost stories
Spanish soldiers, British and American garrisons, epidemics, sieges, hurricanes: when a city has been occupied since 1565, it collects a lot of sad endings. Ghost stories tend to grow wherever real loss happened, and St. Augustine has more than four and a half centuries of it.
That's what makes the city a great place to practice a detective skill: separating what the records show from what people retell. On Since 1565 we label everything as one of three things. Documented history is backed by records or archaeology. Legend is a story people tell that can't be proven. Fiction is invented (like the characters in our adventures). Here are three famous "haunted" places, sorted honestly. For more, browse all our Mystery Files.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse: the Pittee girls
Documented On July 10, 1873, while the current lighthouse was being built, the superintendent's daughters were playing on a supply cart that ran on a small rail line from Salt Run to the construction site. The cart tipped into the water. Mary Pittee (15), Eliza Pittee (13) and an unidentified girl of about 10 drowned. Four-year-old Carrie Pittee survived. A worker, Dan Sessions, lifted the cart, but it was too late. The Pittee family took their daughters home to Maine for burial. The third girl's grave has never been found.
Legend Visitors and staff report footsteps, giggling in the tower and figures on the grounds. A name often given to the unidentified girl came from psychics, and the museum says its own research hasn't confirmed it. The museum itself says it can't explain the reports and leaves it to visitors to decide.
See our Mystery File on the lighthouse: The Lighthouse That Watches the Sea.
Huguenot Cemetery: the yellow fever burying ground
Documented The cemetery across from the City Gates was founded shortly after 1821. That year a serious yellow fever epidemic hit the city, just after Florida passed from Spain to the United States. Tolomato Cemetery, the only active cemetery, was limited to Catholics, so Protestants needed somewhere to bury their dead. Memorial Presbyterian Church acquired the ground in 1832 and ran it as the Protestant burial ground until it closed in 1884. Only four marked burials are linked to the 1821 outbreak. Local accounts describe mass burials, but the true death toll is unknown.
Legend Night tours tell of figures among the graves. No record supports them, but the people buried here were real. Their stories are the subject of our Mystery File The Names on the Forgotten Stones. The cemetery sits right by the City Gates, one of our free sights.
The Old Jail: built 1891, used until 1953
Documented The Old St. Johns County Jail on San Marco Avenue was built in 1891 by the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis. Henry Flagler donated $10,000 toward its construction. It held prisoners until 1953 and later became a tourist attraction.
Legend Stories of restless former inmates are a staple of night tours there. Like the others, they can't be documented. Flagler's role in the city is covered in our Mystery File The Millionaire Who Transformed a City.
How to tell history from legend on a ghost tour
Ghost tours are fun, and a good one will tell you which parts are history. Bring these questions along:
- Is there a name and a date? Real events usually leave both.
- Who recorded it, and when? A newspaper or church record from the time is stronger than a story first told 100 years later.
- Does the story change from tour to tour? Legends shift; records don't.
- Is the "proof" a feeling, a photo or a sound? That's an experience, not evidence. It can still be a great story.
Compare ghost and history night tours on our tours page (affiliate links).
Plan a spooky (but true) visit
- Walk it free: the City Gates and Huguenot Cemetery are side by side at the north end of St. George Street. Start with our free sights guide.
- Play it: our Ghosts of the Ancient City hunt (ages 10+, $19.99 per group) visits real locations and asks players to sort fact from folklore.
- Bring the kids: younger children may prefer The Little Detectives (ages 4–9), with no scary content.
- Stay the night: where to stay downtown.
- Check what's on: events this week and this season.
For hours and admission at the Lighthouse and the Old Jail, check with each attraction before you go.
Questions people ask
Is St. Augustine really haunted
No one can prove it. What's documented is the history behind the stories: epidemics, accidents and centuries of hard lives. The ghosts are legend, and you're free to decide for yourself.
What happened to the girls at the St. Augustine Lighthouse
On July 10, 1873, a supply cart used to build the lighthouse tipped into the water. Mary and Eliza Pittee and an unidentified girl drowned. Their younger sister Carrie survived.
Why was the Huguenot Cemetery created
It was opened after the 1821 yellow fever epidemic as a burial ground for Protestants, because Tolomato Cemetery was limited to Catholics. It closed in 1884.
When was the Old Jail in St. Augustine used
It was built in 1891 and held prisoners until 1953.
Are St. Augustine ghost stories OK for kids
Many are, if you focus on the history. Our Ghosts hunt is designed for ages 10+. For younger kids, try The Little Detectives.
Sources: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum ("Ghost Stories: The Pittee Girls"); Florida Division of Historical Resources (Huguenot Cemetery National Register listing); Florida Historical Marker, Old St. Johns County Jail. See all sources.
Hours, fees and schedules change. Confirm with each organizer or site before you go. ← More from the blog