HAUNTED SOUTH FLORIDA

HAUNTED SOUTH FLORIDA Ghosts, Giggles and a Doll in Key West

Palm Beach County is famous for beaches, golf and sunshine. But talk long enough with locals and you’ll hear about a second reputation: ghosts that refuse to give up their favorite hotels, theaters and cemeteries. Whether you believe or not, the stories make for good conversation and maybe a goosebump or two.

Boca Raton

• The Boca Raton (formerly Boca Raton Resort & Club): Guests describe chilly drafts and a faint scent of roses drifting through rooms. Overzealous housekeeping or something else?

• Boca Raton Municipal Cemetery: Late-night visitors tell of strange sounds among the tombstones. Acoustics or the ultimate night shift?

Delray Beach

• The Blue Anchor British Pub: Imported brick by brick from London. Candles flicker and the building seems to “settle” with a human sigh.

• Colony Hotel & Cabana Club: A Mediterranean Revival treasure where guests sometimes sense they aren’t alone. Maybe it’s the vintage décor playing tricks.

Lake Worth Beach

• Lake Worth Playhouse: Actors sometimes hear phantom footsteps or feel cold breezes during rehearsals. Is it stage fright, faulty air conditioning or a particularly dedicated season-ticket holder from another era?

• The Gulfstream Hotel: Long closed, this 1920s landmark still sparks tales of glowing windows and echoes of music. Perhaps it’s just the wind rattling through, but plenty of locals prefer a spookier explanation.

Palm Beach

• Henry Morrison Flagler Museum (Whitehall): The mansion sometimes rings with phantom music and self-opening doors. Or maybe that’s just how a century-old house breathes after hours.

• Palm Beach Shoreline Legends: Tales of phantom pirates and Seminole chants along the beach. Waves and wind can sound like anything if you’re listening for it.

Palm Beach Gardens

• Relatively quiet on the ghost front. With so many new developments, maybe any future spirits are still in escrow.

West Palm Beach

• The Riddle House: Originally located downtown, now at Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds, it is known for unexplained noises and sudden cold spots. Old houses are noisy by nature.

• Woodlawn Cemetery: Has a reputation for strange lights and whispering winds. Paranormal activity or suggestion under moonlight?

Robert the Doll (Key West)

• Florida’s most famous haunted object isn’t in Palm Beach County. It’s a doll in Key West’s East Martello Museum. Visitors often ask permission before photos. Those who don’t sometimes blame bad luck on Robert. Coincidence is likely; the story endures because it’s entertaining.