Ghost Stories and Haunted Places in Northwest Florida

Ever hear the tale of Two Toed Tom? Have you visited the Orman House in Apalachicola or the Pensacola Lighthouse? How about the haunted town of Monticello? 

Believe it or not, Northwest Florida is absolutely teeming with spirits, monsters, and strange events. Some of the most haunted houses and swamps in Florida lie between Pensacola and Tallahassee, and ghost tours and tales can be found here year round. Paranormal societies in Pensacola and the Tallahassee area provide information on where to find ghosts and haunted houses, and Pensacola also hosts the annual Para Con, a sci-fi and paranormal convention.

Since it is October, and the time for all things spooky, I thought I'd reprint an article I wrote in 2010 for the online magazine Suite101. Here are 13 ghost stories and spooky tales of the region along with where to find them.

Swamps, Forests and other Haunted Places

1. From the swamps that border Florida and Alabama comes the tale of Two Toed Tom, a monstrous alligator that terrorized the region in the 1920s. Said to be between 18 and 24 feet long, the gator’s red eyes shone through the forests at night as it stalked farm animals and humans, leaving a footprint that showed only two toes on its left foot. Tom was never tracked down and some believe he still lives in the Choctawhatchee Bay...

2. In the woods and wilderness areas of Northwest Florida there is an old Euchee Indian legend of a strange creature that inhabits the swamps and eats flesh. Some have called it Bigfoot, but along the Choctawhatchee River it's called the Swamp Booger and it is periodically seen by hunters and farmers.

3. The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge is the tragic tale of the death of Samuel and Elizabeth Bellamy in 1837. When Elizabeth died of a terrible accident on their wedding day, Samuel took to drink and later committed suicide. Ever since in the cypress swamps of the Chipola River near Marianna, Elizabeth can be seen, perhaps searching for her Samuel.

4. On Highway 65 in the Apalachicola National Forest in Liberty County is the town of Sumatra. Locals say don’t stop at the railroad crossing at 3:30 a.m. A ghost hearse with a body in the back is said to appear out of nowhere and follow unwitting drivers all the way to the cemetery trying to force them off the road.

5. In the Village of Bagdad just off I-10, the Bagdad Cemetery holds secrets both day and night. During the day, the laughter of children has been heard when no children were there and at night a huge marble ball atop a pedestal that is the tombstone of John Hanshaw has been seen and heard to rotate.

6. At the confluence of Holmes Creek and the Choctawhatchee River is Boynton Island. It is said that the spirit of a long-dead timber man, Moses Boyington, once the best fiddler and dance caller in Washington County still plays the fiddle near his old log cabin for a ghostly party of dancers.

7. In 1875, a farmer named Cebe Tate set off into the vast forest of Franklin County in search of a panther that was killing his livestock. He became lost and wandered the forest drinking swamp water for seven days. Snake bitten and starved, Tate finally emerged, his hair stark white. His only words were, "My name is Tate and... I've been through hell," then he fell over dead. Since then the forest has been known as Tate's Hell.

Pensacola Haunted Houses and Ghost Tours

8. Claims of moving objects, human breathing, and whispering have surrounded the Pensacola Lighthouse for decades. A mysterious blood stain that cannot be cleaned and locked doors suddenly being unlocked are just some of the tales. Was the first lighthouse keeper murdered and is it his ghost or the ghost of his wife, the accused murderer?

9. As the first and oldest European settlement in America, Pensacola is often visited by people in search of ghosts. There are many to be found downtown, but be sure and stop in at Fort Barrancas where it is said the spirits of Confederate soldiers killed in battle still roam the corridors.

10. Don’t leave Pensacola without a visit to the home of Clara Dorr. She will be happy to greet you and show you her home, even though she's been dead for many years. Visitors to the Door House, just off Seville Square, have reported strange happenings from tugging on their clothing to seeing objects move or hearing voices.

Northwest Florida Most Haunted Places

11. Want to take a real ghost tour? Then visit Monticello, a town that ghost hunters call the “South’s Most Haunted Small Town.” Dozens of ghosts have been identified in the town's historic buildings, including the 1890 Perkins Opera House. Monticello also offers regular ghost tours and ghost hunting with the Big Bend Ghost Hunters.

12. The historic Russ House in the town of Marianna gives new meaning to the term "haunted chamber." One of the town's most beautiful old homes, it is also believed to be one of the most haunted, with several ghosts inhabiting the structure. It is also inhabited by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

13. The Orman house in historic Apalachicola, Florida is believed to have some ghostly residents. There are many stories of footsteps on the stairs, door knobs rattling, and apparitions appearing. Reportedly one spirit is a butler who worked in the house and some say the original owner Thomas Orman still roams the lovely mansion.

For more information about the many places to see and things to do in the region, visit Exploring Northwest Florida.