Celebrating Halloween: Here are 5 of Volusia County's most reportedly haunted sites
Every place has a story.
Some of those stories are spookier than others.
As the leaves and evening temperatures begin to fall and Halloween draws near, stories of haunted places begin making their rounds.
Here are five sites in Volusia County that visitors say are haunted, according to hauntedplaces.org.
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Hotel Cassadaga
Staff at this historic 14-room hotel at 355 Cassadaga Road don't shy away from the property's haunted heritage — it's promoted on the website.
"If you are interested in the paranormal, love the timeless grace of yearly 20th century buildings, believe in ghosts, and want to enjoy a truly unique experience — You've definitely found a place for your next mini getaway!" the website states.
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Visitors to the town known as the "psychic capital of the world" are encouraged to bring a camera.
"Many of our guests have gotten unbelievable pictures of sprit energies in and around the hotel," the website states.
Trip Advisor reviews report visitors have seen orbs; heard voices whispering in their ears; heard noises like little girls giggling and playing in the hallways; smelled strong whiffs of perfume, cologne and whiskey without a source; and felt icy cold on certain parts of their bodies.
"Witnessed a floating orb upstairs in the hall — it was observed briefly through my LCD screen and with my own eyes. Later, while laying down in bed, I heard a low ghostly whisper in my left ear that said, "Are you ... ?" — unfortunately, it did not finish the question. Not too long after that I felt something icy cold encompass my left hand," reviewer KLGourley wrote.
Lilian Place
The oldest beachside house in Daytona Beach was named after Lilian Thompson who lived at the property, which was built in 1884 by her father, until her death in 1934.
But it's not the ghost of Thompson, nor her father Laurence Thompson, one of the city's first settlers, whom visitors have reported seeing at 111 Silver Beach Ave.
The majority of the reported sightings are of a woman in a white dress; she has been named Lucille by area residents, according to the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Visitors also have reported seeing a man resembling Stephen Crane who wrote "The Red Badge of Courage." In 1897 the author spent time recovering at the home after nearly drowning when his boat capsized en route to Cuba.
Visitors also have reported hearing children laughing.
Even when it's not spooky season, the Heritage Preservation Trust of Volusia County puts on myriad events. For information, visit lilianplacehc.org/events.
Tomoka/Ormond lights
Reports of moving balls of light or orbs have been circulating for decades.
Visitors have claimed to see the Tomoka lights, sometimes referred to as the Ormond lights, while traveling north on Beach Street toward Tomoka State Park.
More than a dozen people have commented on the manifestation on hauntedplaces.org.
In January 2020, one individual shared an experience from more than 50 years earlier.
"In 1965 the company my dad worked for had their company picnic at the park. We were having so much fun we didn’t realize it was getting dark. By the time we got all of our stuff packed up and in the car it was totally dark. My mother was worried because she knew of the stories," Tim G wrote. "As we started out the park the lights started chasing us. I still remember my mother screaming and my father driving our new ’65 Mustang faster than I had ever been. I was terrified and I still remember it."
Last Resort Bar
The famous biker bar in Port Orange is where the late Aileen Wuornos, the infamous serial killer, had her last drink.
Wuornos was arrested at the bar at 5812 S. Ridgewood Ave. in 1991. She was eventually convicted of robbing and killing six men throughout the state of Florida.
Wuornos was executed by lethal injection on Oct. 9, 2002. About 30 minutes later, she was back at the bar, or at least her spirit was, according to longtime bar owner Al Bulling.
He said Wuornos never caused him any trouble because she felt safe at his bar.
Once she was deceased, her spirit began knocking things off shelves, moving bar stools and turning the TVs on and off, Bulling said around the 10th anniversary of Wuornos' execution.
Hotel Putnam
The historic property at 225 W. New York Ave. in DeLand was first built in 1880 as a hotel by Henry DeLand, the city's founder.
The site has been through a lot structurally, in ownership and in usage over the past century.
The Hotel Putnam is reportedly haunted by a husband and wife who died in a murder-suicide.
Researchers have struggled to find information confirming the aforementioned legend, but multiple people who have visited or lived in the building have reported seeing shadowy figures, hearing noises or feeling strange sensations.
A young man named Stephen Paul Hughes in February 1984 was charged with pushing his pregnant girlfriend to her death from the third-story fire escape. Hughes wanted the case to go to trial, but the outcome is unclear.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Halloween is near: Here are 5 reportedly haunted sites in Volusia County
