Northeast Florida is a popular destination for ghost hunters.
With St. Augustine being the oldest city in America, rumors of hauntings and apparitions run rampant throughout the area.
Jacksonville, being less than an hour from historic St. Augustine, is not immune from these legends either.
Let’s take a look at five places in Jacksonville that are rumored to be haunted – and the reasoning behind their hauntings.
The stories about the long-abandoned Anne Lytle Elementary School – dubbed “The Devil’s School” – are pretty terrifying.
The building, located near Riverside Park, is in terrible shape these days. It was abandoned in the ‘60s after the nearby construction of Interstate 10 made the property unsuitable to house a school. Several fires have severely damaged the building’s integrity over the years. The property can’t be demolished, as it’s a national historic landmark, but it also appears unlikely to be redeveloped.
It probably doesn’t help that there have long been rumors that the building has been home to some truly heinous acts. One legend tells of a disgruntled janitor who burned children alive in the school’s boiler room. Another features a principal who, rather than burning the kids, chose to eat them instead.
Throw in some rumors of devil worshippers sneaking into the property to, presumably, do some devil worshipping, and you’ve got what’s considered the most haunted building in Jacksonville.
It’s worth noting that none of the stories have any evidence to support them, and none of the alleged crimes appear to have actually occurred.
Whether you believe the hype or not, good luck checking it out for yourself. Metal fences surround the property to prevent squatters and graffiti artists, as well as curious tourists, from getting in.
And it probably helps them keep the devil worshippers out, too.
