The St. Pete Ghost Tour is a walking tour of downtown St. Pete filled with storytelling of some of downtown's historic landmarks and "previous" residents." Ghost tours are a great way to learn more about a city's history - and not to be confused with "ghost hunting" tours where you actually look for these spirits - whew.
The St. Pete tour meets at 8pm at Hooker Tea on Beach Drive. With the hustle and bustle of Beach Drive, this can be a busy spot, but soon we went to a less crowded area for our first stop. Our guide, Geneva, told us tales featuring historical facts about the city, and how some of our famous landmarks, like The Vinoy, came to be.
I did this same tour many years ago and most of the stories were the same. This time we actually went inside the Vinoy. We learned about the mysterious spirits that are rumored to be in the hotel, specifically room 503, while enjoying their lobby and air conditioning. The TV show Ghost Hunters actually came to the Vinoy a few years ago to film an episode.
Since we did this tour in August, it was extremely hot outside, even at 8pm. I would recommend taking this tour in the cooler months because you do a lot of walking and standing. Wear comfy shoes and bring a bottle of water. I think each guide does a slightly different route, so there's no guarantee you'll make any of the air conditioned spots. We spent about two hours total on the tour.
It doesn't look like any of my pictures have orbs in them - so it looks like the ghostly spirits were at bay on the night we went exploring. This tour is family friendly, but may be a little too much storytelling and not enough action for children under age 12. Be sure to reserve online to save $2 per ticket, and make sure to book in advance, especially as we get closer to Halloween.
Have you ever done a ghost tour?
The St. Pete tour meets at 8pm at Hooker Tea on Beach Drive. With the hustle and bustle of Beach Drive, this can be a busy spot, but soon we went to a less crowded area for our first stop. Our guide, Geneva, told us tales featuring historical facts about the city, and how some of our famous landmarks, like The Vinoy, came to be.
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| Our tour guide |
I did this same tour many years ago and most of the stories were the same. This time we actually went inside the Vinoy. We learned about the mysterious spirits that are rumored to be in the hotel, specifically room 503, while enjoying their lobby and air conditioning. The TV show Ghost Hunters actually came to the Vinoy a few years ago to film an episode.
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| One of the Vinoy ballrooms |
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| Storytelling in the Vinoy lobby |
Since we did this tour in August, it was extremely hot outside, even at 8pm. I would recommend taking this tour in the cooler months because you do a lot of walking and standing. Wear comfy shoes and bring a bottle of water. I think each guide does a slightly different route, so there's no guarantee you'll make any of the air conditioned spots. We spent about two hours total on the tour.
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| Exploring near Beach Drive |
It doesn't look like any of my pictures have orbs in them - so it looks like the ghostly spirits were at bay on the night we went exploring. This tour is family friendly, but may be a little too much storytelling and not enough action for children under age 12. Be sure to reserve online to save $2 per ticket, and make sure to book in advance, especially as we get closer to Halloween.
Have you ever done a ghost tour?
