Do you find yourself on November 1 already missing Halloween? Do you count down the days to the next spooky season? If this sounds familiar, you’ll be pleased to hear that Spring has its very own day of fright: National Paranormal Day on May 3. Now, there are no costumes or candy built-in - you’ll have to go without or supply your own - but this is the perfect occasion to break out the Ouija board, watch some scary movies, or even go visit some local haunts, two of the most famous of which are listed below. And if you’re more of the chicken-y sort, don’t worry; just remember that if ghosts could actually hurt people, there’d be a lot fewer billionaires in the world.
The Saint Augustine Lighthouse
Though it’s a standard maritime museum by day, when the sun sets, the Saint Augustine Lighthouse transforms into one of the most famous haunted locations in Florida. The lighthouse started as a simple wooden watchtower built by Spaniards sometime prior to 1589 and has since been rebuilt and modernized to improve structural stability and lighting mechanics. In 1873, during one of the periods of construction, three young girls tragically drowned on-site. Since then, lighthouse workers have reported hearing footsteps when no one was there, ghostly sightings, disembodied giggling, and strange electromagnetic frequencies. All this information, more details, and tour information can be found on the lighthouse website.
Robert the Haunted Doll
Fort East Martello Museum, a Civil War fort built in Key West in 1862, is home to a doll named Robert said to house the spirit of its owner, artist Gene Otto, who passed away in 1974. Before Robert was housed in the museum, visitors to the home said that after Gene’s death, Robert’s painted face would change expressions, he would move around seemingly on his own, and cameras and other technology would malfunction around him. He was purchased along with Gene’s home but was donated to the museum in 1944 because his new owner was too frightened of him. You can read his full history and check out the museum on the Key West Art and Historical Society website.
Scientifical Americans: The Culture of Amateur Paranormal Researchers by Sharon A. Hill
American culture's honorific regard for science, coupled with the public's unfamiliarity with scientific methods, created a niche for self-styled paranormal experts to achieve national renown without scientific training or credentials. The author provides a comprehensive examination of the ideas, missions and methods promoted by these passionate amateurs.
The Paranormal Ranger: a Navajo Investigator's Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford Jr.
As a Native American with parents of both Navajo and Cherokee descent, Stanley Milford Jr. grew up in a world where the supernatural was both expected and taboo, where shapeshifters roamed, witchcraft was a thing to be feared, and children were taught not to whistle at night.
In his youth, Milford never went looking for the paranormal, but it always seemed to find him. When he joined the fabled Navajo Rangers—a law enforcement branch of the Navajo Nation who are equal parts police officers, archeological conservationists, and historians—the paranormal became part of his job. Alongside addressing the mundane duties of overseeing the massive 27,000-square-mile reservation, Milford was assigned to utterly bizarre and shockingly frequent cases involving mysterious livestock mutilations, skinwalker and Bigfoot sightings, UFOs, and malicious hauntings.
In The Paranormal Ranger, Milford recounts the stories of these cases from the clinical and deductive perspective of a law enforcement officer. Milford's Native American worldview and investigative training collide to provide an eerie account of what logic dictates should not be possible.
A History of Ghosts, Spirits and Other Supernatural Phenomena by DK
Discover the spine-chilling history of ghosts and the supernatural across the world in this illustrated guide. A History of Ghosts, Spirits and the Supernatural charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most fascinating and controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from Neolithic ancestor worship and ancient necromancy to modern-day ghost-hunting and creepypasta tales and from the Japanese onryo to the La Llorona of Latin America. The perfect introduction to the subject, this spellbinding volume details the numerous ways in which spirits and the spirit world have been depicted in myth and religion, folklore, art, and literature. In this ghostly novel, you will find:
- Recounts of infamous tales of haunted houses and ghost ships, séances and mediumships, poltergeists, possessions, and demonic encounters.
- Feature profiles for other ghostly or undead beings, such as vampires and werewolves.
- The numerous reasons that ghost stories and tales of the uncanny are a common feature of cultures the world over.
A serious but reader-friendly overview of a fascinating and controversial subject that explores the supernatural across the world and throughout history. The most holistic history of the subject available, A History of Ghosts, Spirits, and the Supernatural will shock and delight you in equal measure - whether you are a believer or a skeptic.
Creepy Florida: Phantom Pirates, the Hog Island Witch, the Demented Doctor at the Don Vicente & More by Mark Muncy
The sweltering heat of the Florida sun breaks as a chill runs down your spine. A dark shadow looms from a nearby tourist trap--you didn't expect to find this kind of shade in Florida. Check in at The Biltmore in Coral Gables to spot the ghost of slain Fatty Walsh roaming the thirteenth floor. Sit down for a meal with the spirit of Ethel Allen at Ashley's Restaurant in Rockledge. Visit haunted graveyards, museums, parks and battlefields. Hear macabre stories of spectral pirates, gangsters, witches and madmen. From phantasmagoric packs of Madam McCoy's girls in Pensacola to the ghostly clacking of Hemingway's typewriter in the Keys, Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz lead brave readers along Florida's border with the great beyond.