Safety Harbor Ghost Tour — Haunted History and True Crime

Safety Harbor is one of those Florida towns that looks perfectly quiet from the outside. It isn't.

Led by Cynthia Dominick, certified tour guide, professional paranormal investigator, and founder of Silent Slayer Ghost Tours, this 90-minute walking tour through historic downtown Safety Harbor covers the stories most locals have never heard. A hanging tree. A devastating fire. A murder connected to a possible brothel. A daring bank robbery. And the city's funeral home past — saved for last, because some stories deserve a grand finale.

The Tocobaga people considered the natural healing springs beneath what is now the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa to be sacred ground. For centuries they are believed to have protected this land from hurricanes. That protection held — until Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. Local theory holds that the developers who cleared so many of Safety Harbor's ancient live oak trees may have finally pushed their luck. The Tocobaga, the thinking goes, were not pleased.

The route includes a stop inside the historic Safety Harbor Resort and Spa lobby, home to History Hall — a remarkable collection of historic photographs documenting the town's past. Guests also visit Rocking Delicious, a candy store operating out of a building that has stood since 1925 and is reportedly home to the ghost of Tarzan. That is not a typo.

Near the end of the route guests participate in a ghost hunting sampler at the Elf Tree using dowsing rods, a spirit box, cat balls, and the flashlight experiment. Since 2021 Silent Slayer has documented a consistent phenomenon at this location — firetruck activity that begins before guests arrive, continues throughout the tour, and persists after it ends. It has been documented on evenings when Cynthia is not even in Safety Harbor. A psychic medium who has investigated the phenomenon believes it is not a coincidence. We present it as documented and let guests draw their own conclusions.

From the Elf Tree, the tour continues to the Baranoff Oak — a 300 to 500 year old live oak named after Dr. Baranoff, who once owned the spa. It predates European settlement of Safety Harbor. It survived the developers. It is still standing and still protected, which given everything else on this tour feels like exactly the right note before the grand finale.

There are no costumes, no theatrical performances, and no actors jumping from behind trees — though on one memorable evening a raccoon launched itself from behind the Elf Tree and scared the founder of Silent Slayer Ghost Tours so badly she swore in front of the entire group. Ghosts have never once frightened Cynthia Dominick. Raccoons, apparently, are another matter.

Cynthia also shares her personal recommendations for the best restaurants in Safety Harbor — the best ice cream, the best Cuban sandwich, the best brunch spot. You have to show up to find out which ones make the list.

Safety Harbor's only ghost tour. Running since 2021. Still the only one.

Thursday through Sunday at 8:00 PM / Select nights based on availability

Ages 13+ / Limited to 15 guests / 90 minutes

From $35 per person