Historic Ghost Tours of Punta Gorda, Florida
Learn Downtown’s Haunted History during Year-round Walking Tours
Oct 31, 2009
Ghostly tales are shared year-round by Danse Macabre Productions with their weekly Historic Ghost Tours. The group has been researching Charlotte County’s paranormal activity for more than 25 years and shares stories of hauntings and history with Punta Gorda vacationers.
Historic Ghost Tours of Punta Gorda Offered Year-round Every Saturday at 8 p.m.
Ms. Erin Broemel, a paranormal researcher and former paranormal investigator, leads tours usually in nineteenth century costume. She has studied paranormal activity for more than 15 years.
Most ghost stories are about those who lived in Punta Gorda during the turn of the twentieth century such as the prominent Sandlin, Gilchrist, and Trabue families. Stories of playful spirits haunting Punta Gorda houses and businesses are told. These tales are historically based, eerie and some will probably send shivers down spines but they are not bloody, gory stories. Many tales are the results of paranormal activity and research.
Offered year-round, the tour is led every Saturday night at 8 p.m. from downtown’s Gilchrist Park. Historic Ghost Tours of Punta Gorda costs $10 for adults, $7 for Seniors and $5 for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years-old.
Additional Historic Walking Tours
During Halloween a ghost walking tour is offered through Indian Springs Cemetery which many paranormal investigators claim has strong paranormal activity. With more than 2,000 burials, it is believed to be the second oldest cemetery in Charlotte County and is the final resting place of Albert Gilchrist, 20th Governor of Florida and one of Punta Gorda’s founders. Headstones date to the 1800s through the twenty-first century. Tour participants stand near headstones to hear stories of ghost sightings and tales about some of the cemetery’s residents.
A Christmas walking tour of Punta Gorda is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights during the holidays. The lantern guided tour includes local history, Christmas tales and reading from the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. For the 2009 season, the tour begins November 27 and is available through January 3. With $5 adult tickets and $3 for children, this is an affordable, family-fun activity. Friday and Sunday nights the tour starts at 7 p.m., Saturdays it departs at 5 p.m.
Throughout the year visitors to Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte can learn about Charlotte County’s history through a 90-minute walking tour through downtown called "You've Come a Long Way Charlotte County!" The excursion covers the area's history dating back to the Calusa Indians all the way through the recent renaissance ignited by 2004’s Hurricane Charley. The tour departs every Sunday at 2 p.m. Adult tickets are $5 and $3 for children.
Things to Know When Joining a Punta Gorda Walking Tour
Those participating on a walking tour with Danse Macabre Productions are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes, dress for the weather (which depending on season may include wearing insect repellent), and bring along a camera. It is common for orbs, shadow people, and other energies associated with the paranormal, to appear in images.
Advance reservations are required for all tours (Tel: 941/421.5265) and they are between 60 and 90 minutes long. Those who participate in a Danse Macabre Production tour receive a discount on a future excursion offered by the group and guaranteed a ghostly good time.
Where is Punta Gorda, Florida?
Located on Florida's Southwest Gulf coast, Punta Gorda is about a two-hour drive south of Tampa, 45-minute drive north of Fort Myers and easily accessible from I-75 and U.S. 41, Tamiami Trail.
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