Sacred Springs, 1920s Sanatorium, Pinellas County
105 North Bayshore Drive, Safety Harbor, FL 34695
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$$
Resort rates vary seasonally; spa services and dining priced separately. Check official site for current rates.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1920 · Historic Hotels of America · Espiritu Santo Springs · Tocobaga Heritage Site
The Safety Harbor Resort & Spa occupies a cluster of natural mineral springs on the western shore of Old Tampa Bay, in Pinellas County, Florida. The springs — known as Espiritu Santo Springs, or the Springs of the Holy Spirit — have a long pre-Columbian history. The Tocobaga people, whose principal town stood at what is now Philippe Park just north of the property, used the springs for fresh water and likely as a cultural site.
In 1920, Captain James F. Tucker built the Safety Harbor Sanatorium on the site, capitalizing on early-twentieth-century interest in mineral-water health treatments. In 1936, Dr. Alben Jansik restored the resort and constructed a 45-by-95 foot pool fed by 8,000 gallons of spring water daily. The property became most strongly associated with Dr. Salem H. Baranoff, who operated it as a destination spa through the mid-twentieth century and helped establish its reputation for therapeutic waters.
The resort joined Historic Hotels of America in 2012, recognizing its continuous operation and architectural integrity. The current property includes guestrooms, multiple dining outlets, a full-service spa, pools fed in part by the mineral springs, and conference space. The town of Safety Harbor itself, which incorporated in 1917, takes its name from a colonial-era designation given to the deep, sheltered cove.
The property remains in active commercial operation as a destination resort and spa.
Sources
The paranormal accounts at the Safety Harbor Resort cluster around three quiet, almost domestic phenomena. None of them are aggressive. None of them are theatrical. They are the kind of stories that collect over decades in a property that has stayed open continuously since the 1920s.
Housekeepers have reported hearing their names called from the women's bath area of the spa. When they go to investigate, the room is empty. The accounts are not isolated to a single shift or a single staff generation; they recur in regional reporting on the property.
During a mid-1990s renovation, the front desk reportedly began receiving phone calls placed from guestrooms that were unoccupied and locked. Security personnel sent to investigate said they could hear voices in the otherwise empty wing. Renovations are a frequent context for this kind of report — building modifications are commonly cited in folklore as triggers for residual activity — and the timing was noted in subsequent accounts.
A recurring character in the resort's lore is Dr. Salem H. Baranoff, the physician who managed the spa for much of the mid-twentieth century. Staff have associated him with a small, repeating prank: salt shakers vanishing from set tables and turning up in unexpected places. Whether the attribution is grounded in documented incidents or in the kind of personality-driven storytelling that surrounds long-tenured owners is genuinely difficult to assess.
The town of Safety Harbor offers a separate ghost-tour itinerary that includes the resort's exterior alongside other historic downtown sites. The resort itself does not market the paranormal lore.
Notable Entities
Stay at the Historic Hotels of America-recognized resort built around the natural Espiritu Santo mineral springs. Housekeeping staff have reported being called by name in the women's bath area; the spa wing and older guestroom corridors are most often cited in paranormal accounts.
On-site restaurants serve guests and walk-in diners in the historic resort building. Waterfront and poolside venues complement the spa setting.
An off-property guided walking tour by Silent Slayer Tours covers Safety Harbor's haunted sites, including the resort's exterior, the St. James Hotel area, and the Hotel Frances. The resort itself is not entered on the standard public tour.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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