The Spanish Military Hospital

The Spanish Military Hospital in St. Augustine, Florida, operated during the Second Spanish Period (1784-1821). Today, it is a museum and one of the most haunted locations in America’s oldest city.

The History

The hospital served Spanish soldiers and their families during a time of primitive medicine. Surgery was performed without anesthesia. Many died of disease, infection, and injury. Their suffering soaked into the walls.

The Ghosts

Visitors report full-body apparitions of patients and nurses. The ghost of a surgeon is seen in the operating theater. A spectral woman in period dress walks the wards. Screams echo from the amputation room.

The Investigation

Ghost hunters have documented extensive activity. Electronic voice phenomena are captured regularly. Thermal cameras show cold spots moving through rooms. Physical contact—touches and pushes—is reported.

The Tours

The museum offers ghost tours after dark. Participants regularly experience activity: cold spots, disembodied voices, and apparitions. The hospital is considered one of the most reliably active haunts in America.

Assessment

The Spanish Military Hospital combines historical tragedy with contemporary paranormal documentation. The concentrated suffering of its past seems to persist in its present. St. Augustine’s ghosts have many homes, but the hospital may be the most active.