Orlando horror stories: 36 of the most haunted places in Central Florida

Enzian Theater, Maitland
This art house theater seems relatively normal, right? WRONG! At around 1 a.m. on some moonless nights, a screaming disembodied head appears in the north corner of the building and disappears into the kitchen.
Image via Enzian Theater

Super 8 International Drive, Orlando
Room 206 is the room of all your fears. If you make the bed, a human imprint might appear under the sheets. Guests have reported feeling a body next to them in the bed and that the bed has suddenly shaken violently. The room can be shivering cold even when the air conditioning unit is turned off. Yeah, go ahead, make a reservation.
Image via tripadvisor.com

Rogers Building, Orlando
This former gentlemen's club is named after one Gordon Rogers. He and his wife seem to have a soft spot for this building as their spirits have been haunting the second floor window and first floor art gallery.
Image via thecraftsmanblog.com

Wall Street and Court Ave, Orlando
Back when it was the Kit Kat Club, staffers claimed that bottles flew off the shelf and that some strange stuff was going down in the girl's bathroom. One night, a female apparition wearing a black dress was spotted on the rear staircase. It's speculated that some of this paranormal activity is due to the jail that used to be located here a long time ago.
Image via Google Maps

Cassadaga
Cast as Florida’s most spirited settlement, this quaint town is quite normal ... if you don't count all the mediums that live here, the haunted hotel and the creepy cemeteries. If you’re in the mood to talk to a dead relative, you might want to consider taking a trip to old spirit land. Get your future read and take a seat (if you dare!) in the Devil's Chair.
Related: Another world in our backyard: 18 spirited photos from Cassadaga
Image via Wikipedia

Wops Hops Brewing, Sanford
Mediums have reported five spirits in the vicinity of Wops Hops: Jennifer and Claudia haunt the connected buildings, Stephen stalks the bathroom, David lurks in the beer garden and the fifth spirit is a bit of a mystery, but it's been speculated that it could be a child.
Image via wopshopsbrewing.com

Ceviche, Orlando
Previously a church and a hotel, this now-popular restaurant has been spooking visitors for as long as it's been open. Visitors report seeing a 19th-century woman standing in front of an antique mirror at the bar and feeling hands tugging at their clothes. Additionally, a priest’s soul lingers outside the building.
Image via Why I Love Orlando

Ghost Dog of Lake Eola, Orlando
Visitors sometimes see a phantom dog roaming the park. The dog presents no harm to park-goers but is said to vanish into thin air right before your eyes! Next time you visit the park, keep an eye out for this ghostly brown terrier.
Image via the Park Press

Inside Outside House, Longwood
This home-turned-gift shop was built by Captain W. Pierce, who later became director of Orlando’s National Bank. Some believe that Captain Pierce’s spirit still lives there with his beloved cat, Brutus, as evidenced by strange cold spots and mysterious voices.
Image via Flickr user John Dalles

Kress Building, Downtown Orlando
The Kress building is one of Orlando’s greatest hotspots for paranormal activity. The building, which is now home to Kres Chophouse, has been host to just about every kind of haunting, from mysterious footsteps when no one is around to ghostly apparitions.
Image via Wikimedia

Floor and Décor Colonial Drive, Orlando
This particular building was part of a much larger shopping plaza that housed a mall back in the 1970s. After the mall’s decline, however, it was torn down in the 1990s, save for this building. Rumor has it that as one of the construction workers made his last rounds before demolition, he was halted by voices telling him not to tear down their “home.” Could this be why the building still stands today?
Image via Haunted Places

Highland Manor, Apopka
Located in Apopka, this house passed through several owners including the McBride family and the Townsend family before becoming a wedding event location. Strange noises are said to happen in the attic and ghost–like presences get a little bit too friendly with guests.
Image via Wikimedia

Lakeside Inn, Mt. Dora
This ancient bed and breakfast houses a total of four harmless ghosts: two small girls who roam the Inn looking for some fun, a small top-hat-wearing man and a specter of a gangster wearing a suit and fedora.
Image via Fused Dimensions

Ma Barker’s House, Ocala
This house once held Ma Barker and her four sons, all gangsters. As the story goes, the Feds used more than 2,000 bullets to take out the family, and the house still holds these hardened criminals’ ghosts. To this day, the shootout is re-enacted every January by locals.
Image via Wikimedia

Oviedo Lights
Drivers can be seen stopping alongside Snow Hill Road by the canoe launch for a bit of a spectacle. The greenish Oviedo Lights (also known as Chuluota Lights) sometimes appear out of thin air. Some claim to have been chased by them, too.
Image via Geocaching

Spook Hill, Lake Wales
Spook Hill is one of the most well-known supernatural spots in Central Florida. Park your car at the bottom of Spook Hill, put it in neutral, and watch it roll uphill all on its own.
Spook Hill

Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando
This is the place that held the 1980 trial of serial killer Ted Bundy for the murder of Kimberly Leach. People can trace their fingers over the spot where Bundy carved his name on the desk where he sat during the trial. Visitors have reported moving objects and apparitions of lawyers waiting for trials.
Image via Toyota of Orlando

Maitland Art Center
Look out! It’s Andre Smith, Maitland Art Center’s friendly ghost! As the building’s architect and resident artist, Smith was the guiding spirit of the studio, so it’s no wonder he still roams the place. Local artists who work here claim to see Smith standing or sitting in various areas.
Image via Wikipedia

New Smyrna Beach Sugar Mill Ruins
At the remains of this former sugar mill, people have witnessed Seminole Indians running through the woods in the wee hours (perhaps for a morning run?). Unexplainable shadows have also been spotted near sunset.
Image via Wikipedia