TAMPA, Fla. — The season of spook is here! Take a look at these haunted tours and experiences around Tampa Bay… if you dare.
When: Select Nights Now - Oct. 31
Where: Tampa Theatre, Downtown Tampa
Cost: $15 General Admission
Info: Built in 1926, the historic Tampa Theatre has earned quite the reputation as Tampa’s most haunted building. Learn the Theatre’s secrets and stories with a “balcony to backstage” tour that focuses on the historic movie palace’s ghostly guests, preternatural patrons and eternal employees. The 90-minute tour kicks off in the lobby and does include climbing stairs and extended periods of standing. Doors open 15 minutes before tour time. Ghost Tour tickets are $15 for general admission.
Haunted Tour on the Hillsborough River
When: Select Nights Now - Oct. 30
Where: Outside Tampa Convention Center
Cost: Starts at $30
Info: Haunted Tours on the Hillsborough River are back! Enjoy an all-new crew of haunted storytellers sharing well-known tales of terror and Tampa’s eerie past! The cruise will include spooky storytelling, ghostly horror, and haunted happenings on a 45-minute ride aboard one of Tampa’s most popular attractions.
When: Select Nights Now - Oct. 31
Where: Downtown Dunedin
Cost: $50 Bike Tour Rental | $35 With Your Own Bike
Info: An expert local guide will bring to life the past residents of Dunedin that still lurk in the area. Listen to the history of Dunedin and visit documented haunted locations over a 2-2.5-hour, 7.5-mile tour. This is a leisurely ride on flat terrain with multiple stops along the way, including Andrews Memorial Chapel and the Fenway Hotel. The tour is recommended for people 13 and older, and all guests will get a Dunedin treat bag with more than $25 worth of local coupons, discounts, and gifts. A portion of the proceeds from the tour will be donated to The Dunedin History Museum.
When: Available Most Nights
Where: Ybor City, Tampa
Cost: $25 Adults | $10 Children 6-12
Info: Along with the cigar workers who came from Cuba and Europe to make a new life in the New World, “Cigar City” hosted more than its share of villains, conspirators, Buccaneers, bandits, and gangsters. They arrived from all over the globe, and some have never left, despite slipping the bounds of their worldly forms. Tampa‘s famous “Latin District” has no lack of strange and creepy happenings. It is home to some of the most haunted buildings in America, and you can investigate them with award-winning guides.
When: Available Most Nights
Where: Downtown Tampa
Cost: $25 Adults | $10 Children 6-12
Info: From the bones of Native Americans below the buildings to the Mass Graves of the Yellow-Fever pandemic, the streets of Tampa are crawling with spirits. Stories of genocide, murder, mayhem, and mobsters in what was once called “The Wild West of The South.” Visit the famous and illustrious Tampa Theatre. Learn about the Mobsters and Movie Stars in The Sapphire Room at The Hotel Floridan. Finish with a close encounter of The Sacred Heart Church erected in 1860. Factual stories of history and horror await.
When: October 21-22, 28-30
Where: The Vault, 611 North Franklin Street, Tampa
Cost: $125
Info: Tampa’s premier evening of elegant fear, The Vault of Souls returns for five evenings on Oct. 21, 22, 28, 29, 30. The spirits invite brave guests to join them at The Vault, Downtown Tampa’s lux event venue inside the 100-year-old Exchange National Bank. As the foreboding catacombs open, guests will be immersed in an interactive, intimate, and ominous experience. New this year, “The Darkness,” a charming and saccharinely sweet spirit will enamor guests and lead them astray as they meet other ghosts in their quest to make their way out of the basement. At the helm of this incomparable experience is Scott Swenson, veteran haunt expert and creative mastermind to some of the country’s leading haunts. From inspiration to installation, Swenson continues to elevate the darkly unique experience with three chilling realms of performance art. The Vault of Souls is a reservations-only haunted performance that transcends three unique venues. Guests enter through The Vault’s opulent marble lobby where they encounter a richly appointed cocktail bar, dancers, magicians, and tarot readers to provide guidance.
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