Ghost Tours of Key West, Key West

Every night, a few men and women stroll the streets of Key West, calling attention to themselves with their all-black dress and handheld lanterns. Some carry themselves with a sinister or stoic air, and others are more animated—using theatrical flair to engage those in their tour group. These are the costumed guides of The Original Ghost Tours Key West, which was founded by David Sloan, one of the foremost historians of the city's paranormal past. Guides frequently lose themselves in their roles, which makes their 90-minute walking tours through the city's haunted locales even more compelling.

After departing from a kiosk on Greene Street, these tours reveal the chilling and grisly tales behind landmarks of this tropical resort town—from a hotel frequented by spirits to the spot where Ernest Hemingway hogtied his first poltergeist. The tours conclude with a spine-tingling stop at the Hard Rock Cafe, a paranormal hot spot built on the site where a wealthy homeowner died.