Castle Warden Photo by Christa Thompson
“And the sound of a woman sobbing started again, just like moments before, and again, I went to the 2nd floor and found no one – and we’d been closed for almost 20 minutes”
— Robert Drent, staffer at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum quoted in December 2008 via Ripleys.com
Erector Set Ferris Wheel Photo by Christa Thompson
St. Augustine has a lot of firsts, but what I didn’t know was that it has the first Ripley’s Believe it or Not…until my recent visit. Naturally, I was drawn to this attraction, since I am wired for the strange, weird and creepy. This, however, is not the first Ripley’s I have been to (and not the last), but this particular Ripley’s has a special story.\
Miniature carousel Photo by Christa Thompson
Robert Ripley had a hankering for the weird, so it was a natural progression for one of St. Augustine’s most notorious buildings to house his collection of “weird things”. The former Castle Warden Inn, an 1880 poured concrete castle, was originally built and owned by William G. Warden. It was later sold to “The Yearling” author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and her husband who turned it into a swank hotel.
Wax Lizard Man Photo by Christa Thompson
On April 23 1944, two young women died in a fire in this very hotel. Legend has it that these women were actually murdered, and the fire was set to cover the evidence. There was an unnamed man that is now called “Mr. X”, who is suspected in these murders. These two women, along with Mr. X, are said to haunt this castle today. Numerous documented accounts of the paranormal have been captured and the stories just keep coming.
Double-headed sheep Photo by Christa Thompson
What makes this Ripley’s cooler than the rest? Well, it’s said to be haunted which is always up my alley, but even better than that, this is the ONLY Ripley’s with a full on a paranormal investigation that YOU can be a part of! Take a tour on Ripley’s Ghost Train Adventure and experience the paranormal with your very own investigative equipment furnished by Ripley’s. This Ripley’s also has unique pieces in Ripley’s collection of weird including the Pirates, Predators of the Sea Exhibit.
Other haunts in St. Augustine – St. Francis Inn
For more information on St. Augustine, please click here.
We keep meaning to go, either to the one in St. Aug or in Orlando. I think after this read it will definitely be in the one in St Aug.
Oh hands down this has a much cooler legend, and the whole ghost thing is pretty sweet.
Always
I am a St. Augustine native, born and raised. Ripley’s is my all time favorite tourist attraction that our town has to offer. It is in fact haunted (along with the rest of the city) & this Ripley’s is also the original. I urge you to check it out in America’s oldest city. <3 enjoy
[…] history there’s creepy. One of my favorite “Ghostly” attractions was Ripley’s Believe it or Not at the historic (and haunted) Castle Warden. Not only is Mr. Ripley’s collection of weird […]
[…] the Colonial Quarter, the Pirate and Treasure Museum, the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum and Ghost Tour; there is fun for the whole […]
I went to st Augustine .and walked through the town’s are awsome .drank at a bar actually big tree house..the light house and stayed at motel about 15 miles away was nice place and resonable.
When I was upstairs in the Ripleys museum in St Augustine, everyone left me and I heard very AUDIBLE foot steps. Some things I had dreams of from a deceased relative and some of the artifacts of this museum. One thing that really got me was the prisoner with the serenity prayer, the mummy, and the very audible footsteps that I KNOW were the women, because I was in their exhibit by myself. I wonder if they were urging me along, but I was not afraid of them. I don’t know who was walking either, whether it was one of the women or Mr X. Anyway, super cool. Check it out, and I’m gonna revisit and see if I encounter something similar since I’m sensitive to the paranormal. Maybe they’ll be there before I knew it,