<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>Do you ever get tired of going out to eat and watching a movie on every date and just want something a bit more exciting? Then, going and scoping out the spookiest places in Tampa might be a fun date night idea for you and your significant other, no matter how long you have been together. Tampa is said to have plenty of different haunted spots around the city that are sure to make your bones shiver. Enjoy a haunting night out!
Cuban Club
Claimed to be one of the most haunted places in the country by Travel Magazine, The Cuban Club originally opened its doors in Ybor City in the year of 1902. However, the original structure burnt down in 1916 and they opened the new building in 1917. It was home to a cantina, a two-story theater, pharmacy, library, and ballroom that were said to be for the Cuban immigrants in the city. The theater is said to be the most haunted place in the building, as an actor committed suicide on stage and another man is said to have killed a fellow board member during an argument. The Cuban Club operates today as an event space and the website’s FAQ includes a question about if they are haunted and their response is simply, “We are reputed to be haunted, but we will let you make up your own mind on this subject…”
Plant Hall
Plant Hall has been a symbol of Tampa for over a century, with its towering minarets being seen for miles. It was built between 1888 and 1891 by Henry B. Plant as a hotel with over 511 rooms and five stories and has hosted many famous guests like Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, and more. Now, it serves a large academic building in the heart of Downtown on the University of Tampa campus. Some students will tell you that they have heard that Plant Hall is haunted and that it is not a place they would like to be at night, as they have recounted feelings or sights that they have encountered in the darkness of the night. Servants from the days of the hotel are said to haunt the building’s science wing, along with a mysterious brown man with red eyes, and a man supposedly in overalls pushing around a janitor’s cart that has displayed sketchy behaviors. Go and walk around the halls if you dare.
Don CeSar Hotel
The Don CeSar Hotel, located in St. Pete, was built by Thomas Rowe as a tribute to his long-lost love, Lucinda. The hotel opened up towards the end of the Roaring 20’s in 1928 and has even had the Gatsby author, F. Scott Fitzgerald stay in its doors. Thomas met Lucinda in England and quickly fell in love, but their relationship was forbidden and she was quickly yanked away back to Spain by her parents. He left to go to America and spent years trying to get back to her, but his letters went unopened and the only thing he ever gotten from her was a news clipping of her death. Employees and guests have reported to see a man that seems to be Thomas Rowe walking around the courtyard and only walks away when he is approached. Sometimes, he is said to be holding hands with a beautiful woman wearing a Spanish style dress. Come check out the setting with so much heartbreaking history.
Tampa Theatre
The Tampa Theatre was unveiled in 1926 by famous theatre architect, John Eberson, as one of America’s most beautiful and elaborate movie palaces. Generations of men, women, and children dawned their best going out clothes in the halls of that movie theatre. The auditorium still hosts over 600 events every year, which makes it one of the most heavily utilized structures of its kind today. However, some of the information about the theatre is not so sweet. One of the old projectionists is said to have died in the projection room of a heart attack and is said to still hang around in there. Things are also said to be moved around in the theatre if you leave something somewhere, but they eventually show up. Go on their ghost tour if you’re looking for a spooky night out!