OVER THE LAST several years, I’ve been to well over a hundred cemeteries in Florida. A lot of people think visiting a cemetery is just weird & assumptions are made that every location must have been a creepy experience. I can honestly say that this is NOT the case. The vast majority have been peaceful & informative, with nothing but the history to mention. With that being said, there have been several that created just enough of a creep factor that the chance of returning are slim to none.
THOSE LOCATIONS RANGE from slightly scary to outright disturbing. These are the top 5 freakiest cemeteries that I have EVER visited…
5) INDIAN POND CEMETERY (June 2015) ~ Dade City, FL:
TUCKED BETWEEN A large pond & several cow pastures, Indian Pond Cemetery looks peaceful…At least upon first look.
IT’S ONE PARTICULAR grave that sits at the back of the site that freaked me out.
NOW I DON’T really care if it’s there as a tribute, for ritualistic purposes OR if some smart-ass thought it would be funny to scare the crap out of visitors, it ultimately did its job, earning Indian Pond Cemetery the number 5 spot on this list.
4) SAMFORD CEMETERY (June 2015) ~ Riverview, FL:
THOUGH NOTHING SPECIFIC happened at Samford Cemetery, the location itself was unnerving. It sits in a wooded area with nothing but a rusted gate to announce that it’s there. Once inside, it’s obvious that this site is no longer in use….Officially. In addition to falling into disrepair, you can clearly see that some of the graves were makeshift. Apparently, there had been an issue with people performing their own burials.
THIS BECAME SUCH a problem that at some point a sign was posted letting people know to contact a phone number to inquire about a burial.
THERE WAS ALSO a weird looking group of cows & donkeys, behind a small fence, watching my every move but they didn’t have much to say about my being there.
3) ADAMS AND ROGERS CEMETERIES …aka FOGARTYVILLE COLORED CEMETERY (July 2015) ~ Bradenton, FL:Â
WITH THE EARLIEST listed burial being 1837, Adams and Rogers (aka Fogartyville…Which I will now refer to it.) Cemetery is several sites crammed together.
THE ENTIRE LOCATION has seen better days. Crumbling headstones, cracked tombs & open vaults are a common sight for visitors, however, that’s not why Fogartyville made the list.
IT’S WHAT HAPPENED when I went to leave that caused panic. As I started driving the small partially paved road that loops around the middle of the cemetery, my car just stopped running. It didn’t just come to a stop, EVERY light & warning signal lit up on the dashboard! After 10 minutes of freaking out, it all just went back normal & I was able to get out without further incident.
THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE brings an entirely new meaning to the line “You Can Check Out Anytime You’d Like, BUT You Can NEVER Leave!”
2) MARTI-COLON CEMETERY (January 2016) ~ Tampa, FL:
MARTI-COLON IS two cemeteries in one.
IT SITS ON a busy road in a heavily populated area in Tampa. Doesn’t sound all that scary compared to a lot of others. It was absolutely terrifying. I made it a whopping 4 minutes before I fled. As I stood between my car & the entrance to one of the crypts, I swear that something inside of the tomb rushed me. I’m pretty sure my feet barely hit the ground as I ran & jumped back in my car.
THE PHOTOS SHOWN are the ONLY ones that I took of Marti-Colon before I made a quick exit. I’ve not been back since.
1) SPRINGHILL CEMETERY (June 2015/January 2017) ~ Brooksville, FL:
SPRINGHILL CEMETERY IS a place that I’ve already written about. Out of all of the locations I’ve visited, it has never disappointed. The very 1st trip, I made it about 10 minutes before I called my Bestie, who lives 2 hours away, freaking out…And I ran!
AFTER DRIVING A narrow, unpaved road through a literal forest, you come upon a black iron gate. This is truly the entrance to Hell! Once on the other side you’ll be met with cold breezes (even in the middle of summer!), noises all around you & the uneasy feeling of being watched.
IF YOU ARE lucky (or unlucky depending on how you view it) enough you may even capture a full-bodied apparition returning to his grave.
ALL OF THE above is only made worse by the many urban legends surrounding Springhill. Talk of satanic rituals, witches & even an old slaughter house hidden in the woods are common. So Beware!
BESTIE’S PICKS….
BP #1) TRILBY CEMETERY (May/June 2015) ~ Pasco County, FL:
WITH THE EXCEPTION of a fairly large gopher tortoise that startled me, I found Trilby Cemetery to be a peaceful place. Maybe I’m just biased because Trilby was the very 1st cemetery that I found that was considered “Lost OR Abandoned.”
UNFORTUNATELY THE BESTIE did not feel the same. As soon as we got out of the car, she started saying the place creeped her out. Back then, we were both newbies so I didn’t know enough to not ask questions & just go with her gut!
WHILE WE DIDN’T have anything weird OR terrifying happen during our visit, it obviously made enough of an impression on her that she still looks back on it fondly.
BP #2) RUTLAND CEMETERY (January 2016) ~ Sumter County, FL:
RUTLAND IS A small cemetery that sits in the middle of a heavily wooded area. It has rusted gates & overgrown grass & it definitely doesn’t appear to be cared for.
I COULD DEFINITELY see why this particular location could cause the Spidey Senses to tingle. The fact that your pretty isolated is enough to be unnerving. The one good thing that came from this visit was that I happened to take one of my favorite photos of the Bestie.
WELL FOLKS THOSE are the top 5 (plus 2 bonus!) creepiest cemeteries. I’m sure there will be more to add to the list later.
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