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The Spooktacular Side of the Sunshine State

NEWS RELEASE TOPIC:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 1, 2009

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Oct. 10, 2008) – As the Halloween season creeps up, prepare to be haunted as you discover the ghostly side of the Sunshine State. With its rich history and cultural diversity – beware! Florida might just take your breath away! For more information about the Sunshine State’s most chilling destinations, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.com.

(Listings are arranged by city from north to south)

AMELIA ISLAND – This October, join the Amelia Island Museum of History for a ghost tour every Friday night at 6 p.m. The guided walking tour explores the darkest shadows of the island’s centuries-old past and unmasks tales of paranormal activity. (904) 261-7378.

MILTON (Near Pensacola) – Learn about the eerie past of downtown Milton when the Santa Rosa Historical Society presents the Ghosts of Milton Walking Tour Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25. The tour, which consists of a one-mile walk through the historical district, leaves every 15 minutes starting at 6 p.m. Guides regale tour goers with bits of history while leading them to 13 locations that are haunted by ghosts who re-create scenes from their past. Reservations are required. (850) 626-9856. www.santarosahistoricalsociety.com/ghostwalk.htm.

PENSACOLA – Do you dare eat lunch in a haunted restaurant? At Haunted Seville Quarter, your costumed guide will weave tales of ghost and paranormal activities while sharing with you the history of antique furnishings and architecture. The tour begins at 10:30 a.m. with coffee in the Palace Café. After the tour, enjoy a lunch buffet at Apple Annie’s Courtyard, but beware; you might be joined by an uninvited guest. Reservations are required. (850) 221-1977. www.pensacolahistoryandhauntings.com.

Every Friday and Saturday night from Oct. 17 – Nov. 1, the Pensacola Historical Society will frighten you with horrifying tales of Pensacola’s darker history during the 18th Annual Haunted House Walking and Trolley Tours. One-hour walking tours leave every 30 minutes from 6 – 8:30 p.m. The one-hour trolley tours leave at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. Kids can get in the haunted spirit with face painting and tattoos, while adults can rent “Ghost Meters.” (850) 433-1559. www.pensacolahistory.org.

MONTICELLO (Near Tallahassee) – Join the Big Bend Ghost Trackers for a chilling, lantern-lit, 90-minute tour to some of the most terrifying buildings in what has been called the “most haunted small town in America.” All ghost tours begin at the Monticello Chamber of Commerce Office on Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31. While it is estimated that one in every three buildings in Monticello is haunted, the tour will include 14 sites that the Big Bend Ghost Trackers have investigated and encountered paranormal activity. Reservations are required. Private group tours, including cemetery tours can also be arranged. (850) 508-8109. www.bigbendghosttrackers.homestead.com.

TALLAHASSEE – For two consecutive weekends leading up to Halloween, Tallahassee embraces the eerie and otherworldly seeking out historic haunts and their spooky stories on the annual Ghost Tours of Historic Downtown, Oct. 17-19 and 24-26. Under the cover of twilight, patrons embark on a 40-minute walking tour of Downtown Tallahassee’s oak-draped avenues while costumed guides recount local ghostly lore and timeworn apparitions step out from the shadows to share their tales of woe. The tours, which depart from 6 – 9:30 p.m., are appropriate for all ages. Reservations are required. (850) 561-0317. www.visittallahassee.com.

JACKSONVILLE – Have a frightening good time at Adventure Landing Jacksonville Beach at the Hall of Terror, a haunted house attraction loaded with spooky fun and horrifying haunts. Enter at your own risk and encounter zombies, ghouls and other frightening creatures. The Hall of Terror is open on select dates Oct. 10 – Nov. 1. For those looking for something “not-so-scary”, try Adventure Landing’s HalloWEE Zone. Children will enjoy participating in arts, crafts, games, face painting and more October 28 - 31. (904) 246-4386. www.adventurelanding.com.

ST. AUGUSTINE – When the sun goes down in St. Augustine, the spirits come out to play. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine has its share of ghouls and ghosts. Climb aboard the black-as-death Ripley’s Ghost Train and travel through haunted St. Augustine as you clutch your very own electromagnetic detection device to warn you of approaching spirits. You even get your own camera to record the images you’ll need to convince skeptics that what you saw was real! (904) 824-1606. www.redtrains.com.

Would you like some spirits with your spirits? Then don’t miss the nightly Haunted Pub Tour by GhoSt Augustine. Visit St. Augustine’s most haunted bars, imbibe a little along the way, and if your legs are a bit shaky at the end, the hearse may be available to take you home. (904) 824-8840. www.ghostaugustine.com.

Have a ghostly experience with Ghost Tours of St. Augustine walking through the ancient streets of St. Augustine. The evening features a guide dressed in time period attire with a candle-lit lantern relating tales of legends, lore and ghostly experiences. The scary night includes stops at two local cemeteries, numerous haunted bed and breakfasts and other fascinating sites throughout the city. Then, go sailing in the moonlight aboard the 72-foot schooner Freedom. But beware! Each voyage is interrupted by the arrival of a ghostly pirate who commandeers the vessel and tries to enlist passengers for his pirate crew. Sing-alongs and a recitation of a sailing poem make for an unforgettable and eerie evening sailing across the Bay of Slaughters. (904) 461-1009. www.ghosttoursofstaugustine.com.

Take a ghost tour with SA GPS Adventure Tours where you set the pace while guided by the latest technology. If you think you can survive on your own, then “Shivers and Awe” is just the potion you need. Guided by GPS technology, this tour includes sound effects and narration of the highest cinematic quality. (904) 337-1447. www.sagpstours.com.

Listen to ghost tales accompanied by the clip-clop of horses’ hooves echoing down the narrow, ancient streets of the Oldest City with Ancient City Tours. The tour features horse-drawn carriages that transport passengers on an eerie and unforgettable journey. Then, enter the old Spanish Military Hospital – a structure that has seen more than its share of blood and gore over the centuries. (904) 827-0807. www.staugustineghosttours.net.

DAYTONA BEACH – Haunts of the World's Most Famous Beach offers The Original Daytona Ghost Walk. The Daytona Ghost walk is a journey down the moonlit streets of Daytona Beach. Guides combine history, scientific data and haunting tales on this fright-seeing adventure. (386) 253-6034. www.hauntsofdaytona.com.

Learn about the historic past of the 114-year-old Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp during the Nighttime Orb Photography and Encounter the Spirit tours. The tours offer a great way to gain insight into Spiritualism and to reveal energy orbs. Tours are reserved in the bookstore and are regularly held on Saturdays at 1:00pm and 3:00pm. (386) 228-2880. www.cassadaga.org.

ORLANDO – Discover the paranormal with investigative ghost tours by Orlando Ghost Tours. Take a two-hour walking tour of downtown Orlando and its haunted buildings. Then, using your own equipment and the knowledge you’ve gained from the tour, enter a haunted building and do some investigating of your own! Other tours offered include a cemetery tour and a tour of a haunted hotel. (407) 247-0452. www.hauntedorlando.com.

ST. PETERSBURG – Hear the seldom-told tales of mystery and intrigue that lurk in the shadows of St. Petersburg. Stories of ghostly loves, haunted mansions, age-old curses, wandering spirits and forgotten tales are brought back to life by Ghost Tour of St. Petersburg. Learn about the phantom in the city’s oldest hotel or the famous 1960s writer that keeps watch on the old book store. Each evening at 8 p.m., costumed guides reveal the mystery during a 90-minute tour. Reservations are required. (727) 894-4678. www.ghosttour.com.

Join Captain RedBeard, the resident pirate, on a ghost tour at the TradeWinds Island Grand on St. Pete Beach. On Wednesday and Saturday evenings, the Captain and his sidekick, Blaze, will guide you through the scariest places on the property. The ghoulish stories of the real pirates are not for the faint of heart! (800) 360-4016. www.tradewindsresort.com.

PINE ISLAND (Near Cape Coral) – Take part in an eerie ghost paddle with Calusa Ghost Tours. Paddle through the night in haunted waters as you hear about Native American history and ghost stories. Then, be sure to visit the ancient mounds of Calusa. (239) 938-5342. www.calusaghosttours.com.

FT. LAUDERDALE – Visit the dwellings of spirits lost in time with the Ghost Tours of Old Fort Lauderdale. The lantern-led ghost tour along the banks of the New River reveals the mysteries of the nether world. Tour guides carry several aides, including sachets of herbs, crystals, incense, divining rods and a laser thermometer to detect ghostly activity. Tours begin each night at 7:45 p.m. Reservations are required. (954) 931-5957. www.fortlauderdaleghosttours.com.

Learn about the ghosts of the Stranahan House Museum during the River Ghost Tour every Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. The tour, which lasts an hour, includes a ghostly visit inside the old Stranahan House and a boat ride on the river. Reservations are required. (954) 524-4736. www.stranahanhouse.org.

VISIT FLORIDA is the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,400 tourism industry Partners and four major strategic alliances with American Express Travel Related services, AirTran Airways, Dollar Rent A Car and The Hertz Corporation. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.org.