Tarpon Springs Ghost Tour — Haunted History and True Crime

The original Tarpon Springs ghost tour. So good it was copied. Led by Ace Chapman, and long story short, it never is.

Tarpon Springs may be known for its sponge docks and rich Greek heritage. But after dark, downtown tells a different story entirely.

This is the original Tarpon Springs ghost tour, led by Ace Chapman: screenwriter, longtime local guide, and a man who has been trying to move into one of the haunted buildings downtown for years. Ace has led this tour for over three years, and what he's documented in that time belongs to him and to these streets. The history is real, researched, and specific. Not borrowed from a national chain, not embellished for effect, and never sold as a paid upgrade.

The tour covers downtown Tarpon Springs, not the sponge docks. Guests hear the story of Marshal Ruben Jones, a lawman known for warning people once before he'd shoot them the second time. When Barney Anderson ran against him for marshal, Jones killed him near Spring Bayou with a shotgun, then convinced a judge it was self-defense. He was acquitted, won the election, and served as marshal for years, retiring around 1920. In 1921, he was ambushed and killed, found with roughly fifty buckshot wounds. His killers were never traced. He's buried in Cycadia Cemetery.

The route passes the Cheney House, the Old Dry Goods Store turned funeral home, and the Old Saloon Building, where a 1953 film shot its famous fight scene using the original back bar, which still stands.

Guests use dowsing rods on the platform of the historic Train Depot, and many have heard their own names called back on the spirit box. There's also Mary, a regular spirit presence downtown, documented on video interacting with Ace on demand. Her full story is shared on the tour, not before. Some things are better heard in the dark.

No fake equipment. No scripted theatrics. No paid upgrades. Just Ace, the streets of downtown Tarpon Springs, and whatever decides to show up.

The original Tarpon Springs ghost tour. Still the best one.

Select nights at 8:00 PM / Ages 13+ / Limited to 15 guests / 90 minutes / From 35 per person