21 Ghost Towns In Florida [MAP]

Last Updated on August 26, 2022 by Urbex Underground

If you’re searching for ghost towns in Florida we’ve got you covered! Below are 21 different ghost towns you can explore across the great state of Florida along with their status and exact GPS coordinates.

We rate ghost towns in Florida based on their status. Here’s how our system works:

• Abandoned: Is abandoned with ruins and structures in a decayed state. Great for urban explorers.
• Historic: Preservation efforts have been made and sometimes plaques installed. Great for everyone.
• Barren: Almost nothing remains of the town. Ideal for metal detectorists.
• Commercial: Is commercially owned with amenities, restaurants, and stores. Great for families.
• Semi-Abandoned: Abandoned areas with a small population in the area.
• Privately Owned: Tours might be available but not open to the general public.

History:

Located east of Tallahassee is the town of Capps, one of the state’s most popular ghost towns. Once the home of Tungston Plantation, it became one of the world’s largest manufacturers of tung oil, a type of natural oil used in varnish and paint.

During the early 1800s, Florida was home to hundreds of tiny communities. These towns began as logging camps, military posts, and agricultural communities. Land was plentiful, but some of these towns didn’t last.

What’s Left?

Today, the town is a popular tourist destination with the Asa May House, a former cotton planter’s home. Built around 1836, the home is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Capps has a great mix of historic and modern buildings, making it one of the more casual ghost towns in Florida.

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History:

 This small community, founded in the 1880s, had a population of about 1,000 and was located across the Ortega River from Jacksonville Naval Air Station. But in 1963, the Navy ordered the town to close because of its proximity to the airport. The remaining residents moved away and the town’s abandoned houses were demolished to make way for a flight path.

The town’s origins are largely unknown, but historians believe it was founded in the late 1800s as Blackpoint Settlement. In 1850, Timothy Hollingsworth, a man who had migrated to the area, established a mulberry plantation there. For most of the town’s history, this was a popular fruit-growing location. In the 1880s, this community was connected to Jacksonville by a streetcar line that passed through Ortega, Avondale, Riverside, and Avondale.

What’s Left?

Today urban explorers can walk the crumbling paved streets that are being taken back by nature. There are driveways, foundations, and paved paths that disappear in the thick Florida foliage.

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History:

Once a bustling town with a population of over 300, Fort Dade is now a completely deserted ghost town. It’s best to take a ferry ride over to see what remains of this town and its military past. The fort was occupied by the Seminole Indians during the Third Seminole War and later by the Union Army. Then, in 1898, the Spanish-American War threatened the fort, so the fort was built on Egmont Key for added protection.

What’s Left?

Fort Dade is located right on the water, making it one of the most scenic ghost towns in Flordia. Explorers can visit the key by ferry, or take a private boat to the island.

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History:

 Located at the confluence of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers, Ellaville was a small town that was long abandoned and now sits as a ghost town. Ellaville was founded by George Franklin Drew in the 1860s along the Suwannee River, taking full advantage of the river’s resources.

It was named after Drew’s long-time servant Ella. Drew opened a steam-operated sawmill in Ellaville, making it the largest in Florida at the time. By 1898, Ellaville had a population of over 1,000 people. The railroad built through the town soon followed, and a steamboat dock was built.

By the early 20th century, there were two churches, schools, and commissaries in Ellaville. But in the late 1940s, it was no longer a thriving community and the post office closed. In 1942, the town had no more residents.

What’s Left?

Although this area is mostly untouched, you will find several abandoned buildings and a few shacks and cabins.  You can see the town’s old bridge as you drive along Highway 90. As you go over the river, you’ll see the sign for Ellaville. The old cemetery and masonry are also a must-see. 

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History:

This small town was founded by 7th Day Adventists, but the community was abandoned due to the Great Freeze in 1895. The history of the area can be traced to the 1880s.

Early towns were established in Florida near natural resources and then grew up to house companies and people who turned those resources into products. Initially, the economy was built on fishing, phosphate, citrus, and cattle. But in the 1920s, Florida saw a land-sale boom and bust, and many towns fell into ruin.

What’s Left?

Today, this area is mostly a ghost town. The ruins of the town are located right off Route 15. There isn’t much left, but you can still easily see where the streets would cut through the forest.

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History:

 This small farming town once boasted a post office, which opened in 1888 but closed in the late eighties. Later, it was replaced by a store, which remains in ruins today.

Along with the town, the Marion County Jail was located in Romeo, and a charcoal enterprise was once located in the area providing jobs for many residents. When the natural resources were exhausted, economic depression and hurricanes, and freezes caused the town to close its doors. 

What’s Left?

Today, only a caretaker lives in the area, and this is his family’s last connection to the past. While the town is sadly closed to the public, it still has some interesting stories to tell. 

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History:

A century ago, it was home to many shipwrecks, including the famous Florida East Coast Railroad. These products were used to build many original bridges. Eventually, the mill burned down, but Houseman rebuilt it and created a new community on the island. Today, Indian Key is one of the most remote ghost towns in Flordia. The community is an unincorporated area in Monroe County.

What’s Left?

If you’re looking for a unique adventure, a trip to the eerie Indian Key ghost town in Florida is the perfect destination. You can hike through the preserved buildings and explore the ruins of a historic shipyard in this island park. Near the town’s observation tower, you can get sweeping views of the village ruins and surrounding wild vegetation. 

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History

This historic site is actually a relic of the Second Seminole War. The fort was constructed in 1818 on the site of an earlier fort and was abandoned after the War was over. It was later occupied by Confederate troops in the years 1862 and 1863, but was abandoned due to malaria. Today, Fort Gadsden is a ghost town, but you can still visit it and take some fascinating photos.

What’s Left?

The fort is an awesome place to visit with many ruins left scattered across the park to admire. Of all the ghost towns in Florida, Gadsden is my favorite fort community.

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History:

In 1862, a blockade runner named Curlew was captured by the USS Somerset off Atsena Otie Key. In October 1862, this US Navy vessel sunk a salt works on James Island near the nearby town of Depot Key. It destroyed two thousand bushels of salt and seized civilian workers, slaves, and horses. This ruined the town, and the settlement was abandoned in the 1840s, and it is now a National Wildlife Refuge. 

What’s Left?

If you’re interested in exploring genuine ghost towns in Florida, you’ll definitely want to check out Atsena Otie in the Florida Keys. This small island is surrounded by salt marshes, and the remnants of the town are half-buried in mud. You can hike down a pathway to the tidal pond to see blue crabs and other wildlife.

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History:

 Brewster is a small, rural town in Polk County, Florida. The town was built in the early 1900s and prospered from phosphate mining. It had everything a real town would have. Even though it was far from a big city, Brewster provided a place for everyone.

It had a movie theater, schools, medical clinics, and a public swimming pool. But in 1962, American Cyanamid decided to shut down the mines and leave the town behind. After a decade of deteriorating property values, the company sold Brewster to the state of Florida.

What’s Left?

The only remaining structure in Brewster is a power plant, which sits near the railroad tracks. Another abandoned bar and filler station are nearby. A part of the land deed was turned over to the state of Florida for partial payment of environmental damages.

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History:

A trip to the old fort at Pensacola Bay can be a trip back in time. The former military outpost was decommissioned in 1947. This historical site was the site of the first land battle in the Florida panhandle. The battle lasted for only a few hours, but the aftermath is still a shambles. The Union’s all-day bombardment began at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 22, 1861. The Confederates responded immediately. Big guns fired 5,000 Union projectiles and 1,000 Confederate projectiles.

What’s Left?

Today, the fort is a state park. Visitors can still visit the former fort and see osprey feeding on fish. It is fascinating to know about the town’s history. It can also give you some background on the nearby Ft. Sumter. The town is surrounded by scenic picnic areas and has a small gift shop. It is accessible by car from Pensacola and the 180 interstate. It is also accessible via the Florida Trail.

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History:

Developed by a dissident Disciples of Christ minister from Chicago, Hall’s dream was to have a temperance community with merchants and farmers. He also planned to build a school in the town and fund student tuition through the sale of orange and grapefruit groves. Although the town eventually went downhill, Hall City still remains an interesting piece of Florida history.

What’s Left?

Today not much is left behind, however keen explorers can still uncover ruins and old roads when Hall City once thrived.

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History:

The town’s founder, Denys Roll, brought more than 200 enslaved Africans to the region in 1765 with the hope of creating a vast plantation. The town was founded on a square in the ten-acre town square, and Rolle used many of these people to build the mansion house.

What’s Left?

Rollestown is nothing but a story from the past. With such dark history, that’s probably for the best.

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History:

This small town in Marion County, Florida, is a ghost town that stretches along CR 316 and SR 19 on the north shore of Lake Kerr. Founded in 1884, Kerr City was a prosperous citrus farming community with a population of 100. After the famous freezes of 1894 and 1895, the town was practically wiped out.

What’s Left?

Today, the ghost town is home to only one resident, the caretaker. The town is surrounded by trees and a lake. Visitors can explore the remaining buildings and learn about the history of this small town in person.

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History:

Acron was a small lake community settled during the late 1800s. While not much is documented about its history, it is known that Walt Disney’s parents lived in Acron after getting married in 1888. Its unclear why the town was abandoned, but you can still travel the overgrown trails in search of relics.

What’s Left?

No structures remain of the Acron to this day. However, modern-day archaeologists have been able to find trinkets and other relics buried beneath the sandy shores where the town once stood. While this isn’t the most exciting of ghost towns in Flordia, I’d still recommend checking it out if you’re nearby.

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History:

Once known as Callsville, Hopewell was established around 1870. It was home to a plantation that emancipated slaves, who were eventually separated from their owners. The plantation’s land was divided up into small homesteads, and the Hopewell town was established as a result.

The original population of Hopewell was about 100 people. There was a sawmill, general store, pharmacy, school, and post office. During the civil war, the town had a cotton plantation. The Freeze of 1894-1895 made life miserable for the town’s inhabitants. 

What’s Left?

Today, the town is mostly overgrown with citrus groves and is an uninhabitable ghost town. There are numerous abandoned houses in the area making it well worth the trip, and one of the most underrated ghost towns in Florida.

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History:

The town was founded in 1911 by Sloviansk immigrants who relocated to Florida from Ohio. By 1920, the Slavia Colony Company had disbanded, and the remaining acres were distributed among its stockholders. 

What’s Left?

Today, it stands vacant and is home to no residents. However, you can still explore the ghost town’s graveyard.

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History:

For those looking for a historical site that will make your vacation to the Keys more interesting, you should visit Fort Jefferson. The Fort was constructed during the Civil War, and prisoners from the Union army were sent to this island to await trial.

During the Civil War, Fort Jefferson was considered the worst punishment, and inmates faced mosquitoes, bedbugs, hazardous weather conditions, and even bouts of yellow fever and malaria. In its heyday, it housed lighthouse keepers and their families, cooks, and a civilian doctor. During its height, it housed almost 2,000 people.

What’s Left?

The town has abandoned buildings, company offices, large barns, storage places, stores, and restaurants. It is visited by tourists and ghost town enthusiasts. 

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History:

Founded in 1910 by Rev. George F. Hall and run by his son, it was intended to be an alcohol-free, temperance town and home to Hall University. However, the town never saw much of a revival. In the 1920s, the town remodeled itself into a golf resort, hunting lodge, and wilderness retreat. In addition, it even sold sulfurous water by mail.

The town was once a thriving health resort, with a beautiful pool fed by the springs. The hotel also included a casino and a grand ballroom. It also had a railroad depot and power plant, and was the destination of many a well-known visitor. 

What’s Left?

Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the Hampton Springs hotel in 1954, but the town stayed open as a military barracks. Preservation efforts have kept several buildings intact, making it one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Florida.

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History:

The town was founded in the mid-1870s and was once cattle country. After the Civil War, the town expanded as the Florida East Coast Railroad built the Kissimmee Valley Extension. A small depot was built in Fort Drum along with a few other communities, including Osawaw, Hilolo, and Osowaw. Because of its proximity to the railroad, however, Fort Drum’s population declined. The community became a ghost town in the 1960s.

What’s Left?

Today not much is left behind of the original Fort Drum, however, the Fort Drum cemetery is a spooky place to visit, with many claiming Fort Drum is one of the most haunted of all the ghost towns in Florida.

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History:

The town, which is located at the intersection of US-441 and US-192, was once a bustling lumber town with many company-owned homes and stores. Sadly, the sawmill and turpentine industry that supported the town’s growth soon went under and the town became a ghost town.

What’s Left?

Not much is left of Holopaw, but if you do find yourself in the area there are plenty of ruins and natural features to photograph.

Go out and explore!

That concludes our list of ghost towns in Florida, but that doesn’t mean that’s all there is to find. Take the back roads, follow train tracks, and find some places for yourself. There are plenty of places I kept off this list so get out there and explore.

If you’re having trouble finding ghost towns be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Finding Abandoned Places, or explore other ghost towns across the country.