Since so many paranormal events have occurred at the St. Augustine Lighthouse, I decided to pull together some key information from various sources into this one posting. Over the years, visitors and staff members alike have definitely experienced a lot of strange things. Many paranormal investigators have studied the lighthouse, including the popular TV team, Ghost Hunters. So if you haven’t visited the place, put it on your “to do at some point in my lifetime” list.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida
Historical Background
The present day lighthouse sits at the northern tip of Anastasia Island directly across Matanzas Bay from downtown St. Augustine. In the evening, from downtown, you can see its beam sweep across those waters and then shift out over the Atlantic. Erected in 1874, the building was preceded by a coquina stone structure originally built by the Spanish. In fact, the Spanish had maintained a watchtower near the present day site ever since their arrival during the late 1500s. Before the Europeans arrived, of course, Native Americans freely roamed the area.
What People Experience at the Lighthouse Itself
Historical photo from the lighkeeper's hom
- Each night, staff members lock the door at the top of the lighthouse that leads outside to the viewing balcony. Periodically, they find the door open in the morning. There is a security system but but no alarms sound.
- On occasion, people see the figure of man at the top of the lighthouse at night even though the place is closed and locked.
- At times, people smell cigar smoke at the base of the lighthouse. It is always cigar smoke and there are strict No Smoking signs everywhere on the lighthouse grounds.
