HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
Greek Revival B&B in Florida's Oldest Inland Town
402 NE Cholokka Boulevard, Micanopy, FL 32667
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Bed-and-breakfast room rates; check venue website for current pricing.
Access
Limited Access
Ground-floor Azalea Suite is wheelchair accessible. Historic three-story mansion has stairs only for the remainder.
Equipment
Photos OK
National Register of Historic Places · Greek Revival Architecture · Florida Pioneer History
Micanopy claims status as Florida's oldest inland town and sits in the live-oak country south of Gainesville. The Herlong Mansion stands at 402 NE Cholokka Boulevard, in the heart of the Micanopy Historic District.
The house began as a modest farmhouse built by the Simonton family during the mid-19th century. The Simontons were among the earliest American settlers in Micanopy. With its enclosure dated to 1910 by the operator and 1915 by the National Park Service, after Natalie Simonton married the entrepreneur Zetty Herlong, the building had undergone substantial remodeling: the original farmhouse core was wrapped in Greek Revival detailing, with four full-height Corinthian columns at the front and an expanded second story.
The Herlongs raised six children in the house. After their parents' deaths, the siblings spent nearly two decades in disagreement over ownership. Inez Herlong, the eldest, eventually took possession. According to published accounts of the house, Inez suffered a diabetic episode the same day she took possession and collapsed in what had been her childhood bedroom on the upper floor; she died not long afterward.
The mansion was purchased in 1990 by a new owner, who ran it as a bed-and-breakfast. The Herlong Mansion Bed & Breakfast is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to operate as an overnight inn under current ownership. The grounds include camellia and rose gardens that are open to guests.
Sources
The Herlong Mansion is one of the better-known haunted bed-and-breakfasts in Florida.
Reports concentrate on Inez's bedroom on the upper floor. A repeatedly described phenomenon involves a particular upstairs bedroom door: when locked, it rattles loudly through the night; when closed but unlocked, it stays silent. Construction workers and caretakers have reported phantom footsteps overhead and the sound of doors opening and closing on the upper floor when the building was empty.
Guests have described a calmer, less startling encounter. A couple reported seeing a female figure pass across the surface of a dressing-table mirror, draped in what appeared to be a red shawl, moving without urgency. A housekeeper working downstairs reported hearing footsteps overhead and called out Inez's name; a door slammed in response.
The house's caretakers describe Inez as a settled, non-aggressive presence. There is no folklore of harm to guests — only a sense of continued occupancy by the woman who waited nearly two decades to inherit the home and collapsed on the day it became hers.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Stay in one of thirteen guest rooms of the mansion with a mid-19th-century core and enclosure dated to 1910 by the operator or 1915 by the National Park Service. Inez's childhood bedroom is among the rooms guests can request; the property is open about its haunted reputation and the story of Inez Herlong's collapse there.
Some links on this page may earn HauntBound a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial picks are independent. Full disclosure
See current room rates and availability at The Herlong Mansion.
Check rates and bookRates come from booking partners, so a small property may not be listed. Book direct with The Herlong Mansion
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Free Guide
11 verified stops, rated for families, mapped in order. Free.
One email to confirm, then the guide link. Unsubscribe anytime.
Apalachicola, FL
The Gibson Inn was built in 1907 as the Franklin Hotel at the height of Apalachicola's lumber and shipping trade. Sisters Annie Gibson Hayes and Mary Ellen Gibson purchased and renamed it in 1923. During World War II, the U.S. Army requisitioned it as officers' quarters near Camp Gordon Johnston. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Austin, TX
Colonel Jesse Lincoln Driskill, a Tennessee-born cattle baron who supplied beef to the Confederate Army and later the Texas Rangers, opened The Driskill Hotel on December 20, 1886. Its first event, two weeks after opening, was the inaugural ball for Texas Governor Sul Ross. Driskill sold the hotel in 1888 after severe drought devastated his cattle herds and died in 1890. The hotel has hosted every Texas governor's inaugural ball since 1887.
Galveston, TX
Grand Galvez, originally Hotel Galvez, opened in 1911 as part of Galveston's recovery from the catastrophic 1900 hurricane. The Spanish Colonial Revival landmark on Seawall Boulevard is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast and now operates as part of Marriott's Autograph Collection.