OCALA, FL (352today.com) – With a voice full of history and mystery, Kathleen “Kat” Ramirez led visitors through downtown Ocala on the Historic Ocala Preservation Society’s annual Ghost Tour on Oct. 18 and 25–two nights where local legends and historical fact intertwined.
Ramirez, vice president of HOPS, guided participants through some of Ocala’s most storied and allegedly haunted landmarks.
The tour began at the Bryant House, HOPS headquarters and one of Ocala’s oldest preserved homes. Built in 1892 by William Robert Bryant, the Victorian vernacular-style home has deep family ties to Florida’s history. Bryant’s grandson, Cecil Farris Bryant, went on to serve as the state’s 34th governor. The home remains under the care of HOPS, which is currently accepting donations for restoration work on the aging wooden beams.
From here, guests walked through downtown Ocala’s historic neighborhoods, where Ramirez shared eerie stories connected to nearby homes and landmarks. Along the way, participants also admired houses competing in a Halloween decorating contest, blending spooky storytelling with community spirit.
The first tale of the evening occurred at Greenwood Cemetery in Ocala, where guests encountered one of the night’s chilling mysteries–a large headstone featuring a portrait of a woman whose image only appears half-visible when approached under a full moon. “No one’s ever been able to explain why,” Ramirez said.
The tour also passed the Brown House, once owned by a cigar factory owner during a time when Ocala boasted nearly 20 cigar factories. “Cigars built this city before citrus did,” Ramirez said, noting the industry’s decline after the Great Freeze and the shift to citrus–a move that mirrored developments in Ybor City, the historic district to the southwest in Tampa.
The history deepened at Fort King, a site of violent conflict during the Second Seminole War where Osceola led a deadly attack that killed five soldiers. Visitors were told that both the reconstructed fort and its offices are said to be haunted, possibly by the soldiers who never left.
Other stops added layers of intrigue–including La Vittoriana, once a fine-dining restaurant. Legend has it that anyone who tries to move the old painting still hanging inside ends up mysteriously injured.
The Oak Hurst Plantation story drew quiet gasps from the group: After a woman vanished while horseback riding, her grief-stricken husband took his own life. Since then, locals claim a “ghost horse” appears before major tragedies–its last sighting was before the 1883 Brick City Fire on Thanksgiving.
The tour also highlighted the Seven Sisters Inn, widely considered one of Florida’s most haunted places, and The Ritz Inn, now a veterans’ homeless shelter. Once a lively hotspot during the Prohibition Era, a devastating fire there killed multiple guests. “People say you can still hear the screams,” Ramirez said.
HOPS, a nonprofit organization run entirely through volunteers, board members and community donations, continues to preserve Ocala’s past through events like this.
The society’s next event, the Holiday Tour, will be held on Dec. 6. Those interested in joining as volunteers or board members are encouraged to reach out through the Historic Ocala Preservation Society’s website.
