Robert the Doll
Robert the Doll has terrorized Key West for over a century. Given to a boy in 1904 by a Bahamian servant, the sailor-suited doll was blamed for overturned furniture, mysterious sounds, and childhood nightmares. Now in a museum, visitors who disrespect Robert report terrible luck until they apologize.
In a glass case at the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, sits what may be the world’s most haunted doll - a worn, straw-stuffed figure in a sailor suit whose button eyes seem to follow visitors. His name is Robert, and for over a century, he has accumulated a reputation that makes strong men uneasy.
Robert Gene Otto
Robert the Doll was given to Robert Eugene Otto in 1904, when the boy was four years old. According to family legend, the doll was a gift from a Bahamian servant who practiced voodoo and may have cursed the doll after being mistreated by the Otto family. Young Robert immediately bonded with the doll, insisting it be called by his name while he went by “Gene.”
From the beginning, strange things happened around Robert. Servants heard Gene talking to the doll in his room - and heard the doll answering in a different voice. Furniture was found overturned. Other toys were mutilated. When confronted about mischief, Gene would always say, “Robert did it.”
A Lifetime Companion
Gene kept Robert throughout his life, even as an adult. When he married, his wife Anne demanded the doll be locked in the attic, but Gene eventually returned Robert to a room of his own. Anne reportedly hated the doll, claiming it moved on its own and that its expression would change. Neighbors reported seeing Robert move from window to window when the family was away.
Gene Otto died in 1974, but his attachment to Robert may have continued. The doll remained in the house, now owned by a new family, and continued his disturbing behavior. Their daughter claimed Robert attacked her at night. The family eventually donated him to the Fort East Martello Museum.
The Museum Years
At the museum, Robert’s reputation has only grown. Staff report lights flickering around his case, cameras malfunctioning, and the doll shifting position when not observed. Most tellingly, the museum receives a constant stream of letters - apologies from visitors who disrespected Robert and subsequently suffered misfortune.
The walls near his display are covered with these letters:
- People who lost jobs after mocking the doll
- Couples who divorced after visiting
- Travelers who suffered accidents
- Students who failed exams
All beg Robert’s forgiveness, and many report their luck improving after sending their apologies.
Visiting Robert
Museum protocol recommends asking Robert’s permission before taking photographs. Those who have mocked or photographed him without asking frequently report subsequent bad luck - broken cameras, accidents, illness, financial troubles. The museum staff takes these reports seriously enough that they’ve institutionalized the permission ritual.
Whether Robert is genuinely haunted or simply the beneficiary of a century of accumulated belief, his power over visitors is undeniable. In Key West, you don’t disrespect Robert the Doll.