Spanish Military Hospital – Haunted Medical Facility in St. Augustine, Florida
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Full Address: 3 Aviles St, St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States
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The Spanish Military Hospital in St. Augustine isn’t your typical tourist stop—it’s one of Florida’s most genuinely unsettling historic sites. Built during the Second Spanish Period, this former medical facility treated soldiers and civilians alike, and let’s just say some patients never quite checked out.
Historical Background
Year Built: 1791 (reconstruction of original site)
Original Purpose: The building served as a military hospital during Spanish colonial rule, treating wounded soldiers, sailors, and civilians suffering from yellow fever and other deadly diseases. It’s actually a faithful recreation on the original hospital grounds, built to show visitors what 18th-century medicine looked like (spoiler: it was terrifying).
Significant Events: Countless patients died within these walls from yellow fever epidemics, infections from crude surgical procedures, and battle wounds that went septic. The hospital operated during a time when amputations were done without anesthesia and “treatments” often killed patients faster than their actual illnesses.
Paranormal Activity Summary
Visitors consistently report feeling sudden drops in temperature, especially in the surgical room where amputations were performed. Shadow figures have been spotted moving through hallways, and disembodied moans and cries echo through empty rooms when no one else is around.
People often feel invisible hands touching them or tugging at their clothing, particularly near the patient ward area. The smell of sulfur and medicinal herbs appears out of nowhere, even though no such substances are present in the building.
By the way, have you visited this haunted place in Florida State? Casa de la Paz – Haunted Former Bed and Breakfast in St. Augustine, Florida
Ghost Stories & Reports
The spirits here seem to be former patients who suffered and died during treatment, many of them young soldiers far from home. Visitors report seeing a nurse in period clothing tending to invisible patients, going through the motions of her duties as if still working her shift.
One of the most frequently reported ghosts is that of a Spanish soldier who appears in the surgical room, looking confused and distressed. Tour guides and visitors have also encountered the spirit of a young boy, believed to be a child who died from yellow fever while under the hospital’s care.
Speaking of haunted places, don’t forget to also check this place in Florida State? The Devil’s Chair – Haunted Cemetery Bench in Cassadaga, Florida
Most Haunted Spot Inside
The surgical room is hands-down the most active area, where visitors report feeling overwhelming dread and nausea. This is where amputations happened without anesthesia—just a leather strap to bite down on and a shot of rum if you were lucky.
The paranormal doesn’t stop here—this haunted place might also interest you in Florida State? Key West Cemetery – Haunted Historic Burial Ground in Key West, Florida
Can You Visit?
Open to the Public? Yes
Entry Fee: Around $8-12 for general admission; ghost tours are priced separately
Tour Availability: Daily guided tours available, with special ghost tours offered in the evenings. The building is also part of St. Augustine’s famous ghost tour circuit, with multiple tour companies including it as a stop.
Photography Allowed? Yes
Visiting Hours: Generally open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, with extended hours for ghost tours
Best Time to Visit
Evening ghost tours offer the creepiest atmosphere, especially during the fall and winter months when activity seems to spike. October is particularly popular for obvious reasons, but locals say paranormal activity is consistent year-round.
First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports
Paranormal investigation teams have recorded unexplained EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) throughout the building, including Spanish phrases and what sounds like groaning. One visitor on TripAdvisor reported feeling a strong push in the surgical room when no one was behind them, while others have captured strange orbs and mists in photographs.
Tour guides have their own collection of unsettling experiences, including tools moving on their own and the distinct feeling of being watched. Several visitors have had to leave mid-tour due to overwhelming feelings of illness or panic, particularly in the patient ward area.
Paranormal Investigations & Findings
The hospital has been featured on several paranormal investigation shows and is a regular stop for ghost hunting groups visiting St. Augustine. Investigators have documented temperature drops of up to 20 degrees in specific spots, with no logical explanation for the sudden changes.
EMF detectors frequently spike in the surgical room and patient areas, and spirit boxes have allegedly picked up responses to direct questions. One investigation team claimed to capture video footage of a shadowy figure walking through a wall where a door used to exist in the original structure.