The story
In 1873, during construction of the new lighthouse, the daughters of superintendent Hezekiah Pity were playing in a supply cart on rails used to transport materials from ships. The cart rolled down the rails and plunged into the water. Both girls, ages 13 and 15, drowned along with an African American girl who worked at the site.
Since then, keepers and visitors have reported children's laughter, footsteps running up the 219 stairs, and a young girl in period dress looking out from the tower. The Ghost Hunters television show captured unexplained voices and declared it one of the most haunted locations they'd investigated.
The lighthouse keeper's house is equally active. The ghost of a former keeper named Joseph Andreu, who fell to his death from the original lighthouse in 1859, reportedly still makes rounds.
What's There Now
A maritime museum offering regular tours and popular Dark of the Moon ghost tours. The 219-step climb to the top offers panoramic views of St. Augustine, America's oldest city.
Everything that was here
- 1874–present · still open
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime MuseumHaunted Lighthouse
Two girls drowned when the supply cart they were playing in rolled into the ocean. Visitors still hear them laughing in the tower.
See the map in 1875 →
Know something about St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum? An old photo, a date, a memory of what stood here before?
Add it on the map