Step into one of America’s oldest inns, where every floorboard creaks with centuries of history — and maybe something more. At the St. Francis Inn, candlelight dinners, flower-filled courtyards, and cozy bedrooms sit beside whispered legends of forbidden love, ghostly footsteps, and the lingering presence of a heartbroken servant named “Lily.” If you’re chasing a stay with real-world charm and a brush with the supernatural, this historic B&B offers a hauntingly unique escape.
Brief Hotel History
The St. Francis Inn dates to 1791, built during Florida’s Second Spanish Colonial Period under the orders of the Spanish crown — at that time, new houses were often constructed to double as defensive “fortress-style” dwellings.
In 1802 a sea captain purchased the house; later in 1838 the property was owned by a British-born colonel who fled a slave-uprising in Barbados.
Beginning in 1845, the house was converted into a boarding house by the colonel’s daughter to care for ten orphaned nieces and nephews. Over the decades it endured many transformations — apartments, lodging house, and assorted names — reflecting St. Augustine’s shifting fortunes.
Finally, in 1948, the property was officially reopened as St. Francis Inn, the name it retains today.
Today it operates as a historic B&B offering vintage charm, modern comforts, and a reputation as one of St. Augustine’s most “spirited” stays..
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👻 Haunted Hot Spots & Paranormal Activity Reported
The inn’s ghost lore centers on a tragic mid-19th-century love story — and the restless spirits said to still roam its halls.
“Lily’s Room” (Top Floor)
The ghost most associated with St. Francis Inn is Lily, once a young house servant (some accounts say originally enslaved) who is said to have fallen in love with the inn owner’s nephew. When their relationship was discovered, the nephew reportedly committed suicide — either by hanging in the attic or by jumping from a third-floor window.
Guests in the room now dubbed “Lily’s Room” frequently describe:
Apparitions or shadowy figures dressed in white passing through hallways or near beds.
Mischievous but benign activity: purses thrown to the floor, makeup or personal items moved, a TV or radio switching off mid-use.
At least one guest claimed to wake up with the sensation of being gently kissed — though their partner remained asleep beside them.
Hallways, Stairwells & Other Rooms
Guests have reported cold spots, whispers or soft sighs, footsteps late at night, and even the eerie sense of being watched when alone.
Some describe furniture or bed coverings shifting on their own, and others say they’ve woken disoriented or found their belongings scattered — but intact.
General Atmosphere
Although many experiences are subtle or playful in tone, several sources note that for some guests the energy can feel heavy or emotionally intense — especially at night in the older parts of the inn.
The inn itself recognizes the legend of Lily, and their “ghost stories” page recounts multiple guest-submitted tales of strange phenomena.
💬 Recent Guest & Public Haunted-Stay Reports
A 2024 travel-blog feature described St. Francis Inn as “St. Augustine’s most haunted B&B,” noting that guests still report moving furniture, unexplained footsteps, and whispers after check-out — though many say the spirits are more curious than threatening. St Augustine Ghost Tours+1
On the inn’s own website, a guest review from 2023 remarked that during their stay in “Lily’s Room,” they awoke to find their purse thrown onto the floor — nothing stolen, but “definitely out-of-place.” They described the experience as “unsettling but kind of fascinating.” St. Francis Inn+1
Another recent reviewer on a public travel site noted hearing “soft footsteps and the sense of someone standing near the foot of the bed” — though they admitted they “didn’t dare look.” Ghost City Tours+1
As with many haunted-hotel stories, the experiences vary — but their recurrence over decades gives the tales around St. Francis Inn a persistent, eerie life of their own.
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