The Great Fire
The first dreadful chapter in the St. Paul’s graveyard’s haunted history was the Great Fire of Key West in 1886. A hurricane had all but destroyed the graveyard in 1846, but misfortune came back to St. Paul’s just half a century later.
This fire started in a small coffee shop and soon raged out of control, burning for 12 continuous hours. It destroyed almost the entire commercial core of the city, killed seven people, and cost 1.5 million dollars in damages. That’s over 50 million dollars today.
It’s a terrible omen when dead bodies are disturbed or desecrated, and the Great Fire damaged the gravesites of many souls long laid to rest.
Gang of Ghouls
After these terrible tragedies, the ghosts of the graveyard began to become active.
The apparition most commonly spotted is that of a 19th-century gentleman. He appears when the fog rolls in off the marina, and himself looks like little more than a vapor. He has, on more than one occasion, directly confronted trespassers.
An even more aggressive ghost is a sea captain who was famous for fighting pirates. He mistakes tourists for his enemies today, so if you hear the sound of rattling sabers, don’t walk—run.
Haunted Key West, FL
Gale force hurricane winds aren’t nearly the scariest thing about Key West. When you take a tour with US Ghost Adventures, you sign up for a scary, spooktacular sojourn into the darker side of life. Be prepared to see things you might never understand, and you won’t soon forget.
About US Ghost Adventures
Since 2013, US Ghost Adventures has offered entertaining, historic, and authentic ghost tours of America’s most haunted cities. We deliver fun yet honest accounts of hauntings across the nation for curious people of all ages. Our ghost stories are based on historical research, but that doesn’t mean they won’t send a chill down your spine.
This video gives you a small taste of what you might experience on your ghost tour — subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more.
US Ghost Adventures also offers virtual tours, a self-guided mobile app, and an Alexa voice app.