**Content Warning: This article contains sensitive and spooky content!**
Tallahassee, Florida, is a historic city full of folktales, legends, and most importantly, ghost stories. With the spooky season upon us, it’s the perfect time to explore some of the city’s spookiest and most famous paranormal sites and potentially catch a glimpse of a local spirit while you’re there! For an entry-level guide, I’ve created a mini ghost tour with four eerie locations for you and your friends to investigate, but keep the Ghostbusters on speed dial just in case!
- OLD CITY CEMETERY
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The first site is the Old City Cemetery in College Park, only a few steps away from FSU’s campus. This graveyard was created in 1829 and stopped being active in the early twentieth century. Of course, cemeteries can always give you a creepy feeling, especially at night, but the story I have is a bit more lighthearted. One of the most famous residents who is buried here is Elizabeth Budd-Graham, or Bessie for short. Bessie lived in the middle of the 1800s but passed away in her early twenties.
According to legend, she is known as The White Witch, as her tomb faces the west and was said to cast spells of love and protection. Some say she used a spell to marry the rich man who gave her such a large tombstone. Her grave is also notable for having the first few lines of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “Lenore” inscribed. Today, however, she’s seen as a benevolent ghost with many visitors leaving gifts at her grave. So, if you’re still waiting for that guy to call you back, pay a visit to Bessie, and perhaps she’ll help you out.
- THE LIVELY CORNER
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This spooky spot is only a short walk away from the cemetery. It was originally built in 1875 but housed many different businesses throughout the years, most notably Leon’s Bar in 1892. At the time, this saloon was known infamously for its frequent customers and their belligerent personalities. Eventually, it was abruptly closed due to the county’s new prohibition laws in 1904.
The rumor, however, is that the ghosts of these men never left. Each evening, they wait for its reopening to enjoy their drinks or possibly to pay off their overdue tab. People who walk past claim to see men dressed in nineteenth-century clothing and believe the building’s notorious history keeps the ghosts coming back every night.
If you happen to see them, maybe direct them to a newer establishment where they might have better success.
- KNOTT HOUSE MUSEUM
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Our next location is the Knott House Museum, which was built in 1843 and housed a state official, William Knott, and his family. There isn’t a central story revolving around the building, but many workers today claim to have experienced different ghost appearances. The family had one son, Charlie, and after he died, the house was given to the state. Although no one actually lives there, the ghosts of the family are said to still remain and sometimes play tricks on visitors.
Stories have been told of figures appearing in period clothing and then vanishing in front of them, or hearing singing or lights turning on when the house is empty. Whether that’s the wind or the Knott family sitting down for dinner is up to you to decide. The house, either way, is still a historic gem and is a perfect stop on your ghost hunt.
- CAWTHON HALL
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Saving the best for last is FSU’s very own Cawthon Hall. It may be a bit too close to home for some, but that just makes it more intriguing. This is one of the many residence halls on campus, but potentially the only haunted one. The building was named after Sarah Landrum Cawthon, who was the school’s first Dean of Home when FSU was Florida State College for Women.
Many reports describe her as a mother figure to the students, often being a stickler for the rules. She was said to make sure the girls stayed away from troublesome boys and didn’t always approve of their “modern” appearances. In the hall today, she still seems to muddle with female students by taking their favorite pants or messing with the lights in their rooms.
If you live in that hall, just be careful not to catch Cawthon’s attention, or you might be missing things all semester.
That’s all the time I have on this tour, but there’s always room to dive a bit deeper into these mysteries. Tallahassee has plenty more myths and tales that could be spookier than these, and the city hosts numerous guided tours to these creepy spots. If you’re brave enough, visit some of these local haunts, and possibly you will have a part to add to these legends. Happy haunting!
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