As the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine has a reputation for also being one of its most haunted. In this dive into the history of the city that has been alive for more than 500 years, Phantom History talks to a historian and tour guide who not only tells the fabled history of this town, but has her own experiences to share as well. From its impressive fort, Castillo de San Marcos, to its Old School House and City Gates, St. Augustine has a ghost story tied to almost every single structure standing throughout, even some of the newly constructed ones.

ST. AUGUSTINE

St. Augustine has a special place in my heart. I have camped on its Anastasia Island several times just a mile or so from the famed, haunted lighthouse, which I focused on in Season 2 of this podcast.

After completing that episode,  I knew I wanted to dive further into the history of the entire city. I finally got that chance when I met Sandra Barbour, a ghost tour guide who leads groups throughout the haunted history of Old St. Augustine.

I’ve taken a number of tours there myself and have caught some strange things on camera. But listening to the experiences of Sandra and her guests made me want to go back and do more investigating of my own.

The times I’ve visited the city, I’ve tried to imagine what life was like here before the modern era took over. Historic St. Augustine offers that glimpse into the past and the city has worked hard to preserve its original remaining structures, including the Old Schoolhouse. But these are more than just buildings, they are characters in an unfolding historical story that still, according to some, offer unique insight into the dead that still roam its streets.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed producing it. And Patreon supporters, I hope you get a chance to hear the entire interview and the extra stories that didn’t make it into the episode.