Two Key West landmarks rank among Florida's ten most haunted places

With Halloween approaching, two Key West landmarks, the Artist House (visits by guided tour only) and Captain Tony's Saloon, rank among Florida's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index. The index ranks 282 Florida sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

The Artist House, the 1890s Eaton Street house built by Thomas Otto, ranks #6. Painter Gene Otto lived there with his wife, Anne Parker Otto, from 1930 until his death in 1974, and his childhood doll, Robert, kept a room in the turret. Three separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1980. Guests describe a woman in a wedding dress on the staircase, attributed to Anne, and shadowy figures at the foot of beds.

Captain Tony's Saloon ranks #10. The building went up in 1851 as Key West's ice house and city morgue, around a tree that still grows through the bar, and in 1933 Joe Russell opened it as the original Sloppy Joe's, where Ernest Hemingway spent his afternoons. One firsthand published account, retold in one later publication, describes activity there. Patrons describe cold spots around the trunk and cue balls said to move on empty pool tables.

Statewide, Keating Hall at Ringling College in Sarasota (exterior viewing only) ranks #1. Fort East Martello Museum, home of Robert the Doll and the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Artist House, 534 Eaton St., is a guest house for overnight guests; other visits by guided tour only. Please do not trespass.Captain Tony's Saloon, 428 Greene St., is an operating bar with live music most nights.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/florida/The fact sheet, with Key West numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/florida/Venue contact: artisthousekeywest.com and capttonyssaloon.comA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

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