Downtown Tampa Ghost Tour: Haunted Buildings & Crime History

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Free cancellation

1/5

Duration1h 30m–2h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

The spirits at the Tampa Theatre still greet visitors at the door.

A walking tour of Downtown Tampa's most haunted buildings, led by a guide who shares stories of murder, tragedy and organized crime history. The tour includes ghost hunting equipment at no extra cost and visits five sites, some from the outside and one interior stop at a historic hotel where you meet the spirits who extended their stay. The walk takes around two hours and covers streets with ballast bricks over a century old, a 1926 theatre, an 1860 church, and a former luxury hotel that once hosted celebrities and mobsters alike.

1h 30m–2h

Step-by-step itinerary

Haunted Downtown Tampa walking tour

Receive ghost hunting equipment
Visit historic haunted theatre exterior
See one of Florida's oldest churches outside
Enter historic hotel with guide
Explore classic park near University of Tampa
Walk streets with century-old bricks and legends

The Experience

What buildings in Downtown Tampa are actually haunted? The tour answers that by taking you to five specific sites: the Tampa Theatre, built in 1926 and one of the most elegant—and most haunted—buildings in the city; an active church from 1860 where past priests and guests are said to linger; a former luxury hotel that was once the tallest building downtown and hosted Clark Gable, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, politicians and mobsters; a historic park across from the University of Tampa; and the brick streets themselves, laid over ballast from ships over a hundred years ago. Your guide walks you through each location and tells the stories attached to them—the hauntings, the history, the legends of Native Tribes beneath the downtown streets.

Ghost hunting equipment comes with you at no extra charge, so you're not just listening to stories; you have the tools to look for evidence yourself. Some stops are exterior visits where you photograph the famous TAMPA marquee or take in the view of the university's minarets. One stop takes you inside: the historic hotel, where the guide leads you through the building to meet the spirits who, according to the tour, decided to stay. The whole walk covers about two hours and is wheelchair accessible, with all surfaces and areas navigable.

The tour operates with a live English-speaking guide and is suitable for all fitness levels. If you don't have a car or are staying elsewhere downtown, public transportation options are nearby, and the accessible routes mean you can join regardless of mobility needs. Infants and small children can come along in a pram or stroller, and service animals are welcome.

What’s included

Ghost hunting equipment at no extra cost.
entertaining stories of murder, tragedy and organized crime history.
entrance into the historic hotel.
access to five haunted sites including the 1926 Tampa Theatre and an 1860 church.
a live English-speaking guide for the full two-hour walk.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by The Official Downtown Tampa Ghost Tour

Is this one for you?If you're staying downtown or relying on public transit, the tour starts in an accessible area with transportation options nearby, so you don't need a car to reach the first stop. The interior access to the historic hotel and the ghost hunting equipment mean you're not just walking past buildings—you're stepping inside and actively searching for the hauntings the guide describes.