Bones Under Us, Ghost Tour with Archeology

St. Augustine’s ghosts are not confined to famous buildings. They may lie beneath forgotten churches, old streets, the waterfront, and cemeteries where hundreds of graves have lost their markers. This 90-minute evening walk connects those buried places with stories of murder, lost love, soldiers, and restless spirits.

I like the way the tour pairs archaeological evidence with ghost lore, rather than telling spooky tales without context. I also like that guide Nicholas uses images and videos to help explain the stories. The main drawback is simple: this is a lengthy walking tour, so you need a moderate fitness level and comfortable shoes.

Key points to know before you go

• Lost burials are the focus: You visit former cemeteries, forgotten burial grounds, and places where archaeology helps explain the city’s darker stories.
• Nicholas leads the walk: He is praised for clear explanations, lively storytelling, careful answers, and using images and videos during the tour.
• The route covers a lot of ground: It begins on Aviles Street, reaches the Bayfront and fort, passes through the city gates, and ends near the visitor center.
• The tour starts at 8 p.m.: Night adds atmosphere, but bring what you need for a long outdoor walk.
• The group is limited to 22 people: That keeps the walk smaller than a large coach-style tour, though it is not a private experience.
• The price is $29.99 per person: That is fair if you want both local history and ghost stories, especially with a guide who brings visual evidence.

Why the buried past makes this St. Augustine ghost tour different

Many old-city ghost walks stay close to familiar legends. This one takes a more specific route: it asks where the dead were buried, what happened to the burial grounds, and how later building and street changes affected those resting places.

That gives the experience a useful backbone. You are not only hearing that a spirit appears at a certain spot. You are also hearing why that spot mattered, who may have been connected to it, and what physical evidence remains.

The tour begins at 3 Aviles Street outside the old Spanish Hospital. From there, it works through several parts of central St. Augustine before reaching the Bayfront, the fort, the city gates, and Huguenot Cemetery. The route ends at the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Visitor Information Center, at 10 S Castillo Drive, just a short walk from a parking garage.

I would think of this as a walking history program with a supernatural edge, not a theatrical haunted-house show. The emphasis is on stories, archaeology, old burial sites, and reported paranormal evidence. That distinction matters if you want local context along with the chills.

Starting at the old Spanish Hospital on Aviles Street

At 8 p.m., you meet outside the old Spanish Hospital, one of the city’s strongest settings for an opening story. The first stop deals with hauntings from the past and raises an intriguing question: if spirits were once associated with this place, where are they now?

The exact value of this stop is less about a single dramatic sight and more about setting the tone. St. Augustine’s oldest streets have seen repeated changes in buildings, roads, cemeteries, and property lines. A ghost story here becomes a way to think about what was removed, covered, or forgotten.

You then visit the location of old burials beneath a former church. That is one of the most interesting elements of the tour because it links the supernatural claim to a physical question. What lies under the present city? How many people were buried in places that no longer look like cemeteries?

Behind the Milltop, the guide shares evidence connected to another haunting. The death stories here are not presented as isolated folklore. Historical finds are used as clues, giving you something concrete to consider even if you remain skeptical about the paranormal side.

The old jail and the evidence shown on screen

Another stop brings you to the site of the true old jail and an antique shop. Here, the focus shifts toward material collected by ghost investigators.

Nicholas uses images and videos during the walk, a feature that adds value to the $29.99 price. A spoken account can be hard to picture when you are standing on a modern street. Seeing a photograph, video, or other visual reference helps connect the current setting with the story being told.

You should still approach this material with a clear head. The tour presents paranormal findings, but you are free to decide what they mean. That is part of the fun. The experience works best when you enjoy the story while keeping your own judgment.

Nicholas is also praised for answering questions and adapting his explanations to the group. That is useful here, since ghost tours can attract people with very different interests. Some want the supernatural claims. Others care more about old buildings, archaeological discoveries, and the city’s past. A guide who can handle both makes the stop more rewarding.

Walking toward the Bayfront and the water

After Aviles Street, the route heads toward the Bayfront. The change of setting helps the tour feel like a broader portrait of St. Augustine rather than a series of unrelated haunted addresses.

Near the bridge, you stop on the pier and hear about the men who were murdered so the city could exist. The story is tied to the dark water beneath you, so this section should feel different from the inland burial sites. Instead of standing beside a cemetery or old building, you are looking outward and imagining events connected with the waterfront.

This is also a point where footwear and stamina matter. The walk lasts about an hour and a half, and the route includes several stops spread across central St. Augustine. The tour is not described as difficult, but it does require moderate physical fitness. I would avoid treating it as a quick stroll between two nearby streets.

The route continues along the Bayfront, passing the area across from the Casablanca Inn. Here, the stories turn toward love, wrongdoing, and the legends that grow around both. The setting gives those tales an atmospheric backdrop, but the real strength is the connection between personal drama and the city’s older public spaces.

Soldiers, lost jewelry, and the fort

Near the city’s great fort, the guide tells stories of long-dead soldiers. Some are said to have lost jewelry, lost their loves, or even lost their heads. The details have a gothic quality, but they also point to the dangers faced by people who lived and served in an earlier St. Augustine.

You may also hear about a great Native leader who was deeply wronged, with a reported apparition connected to the fort area. This part broadens the tour beyond generic soldier ghosts. It brings in conflict, injustice, and the people whose stories can be simplified or forgotten when a city is presented only as a pretty old town.

The fort stop is likely to appeal to you if you want atmosphere and local context in equal measure. It is also a good example of why the tour is more than a list of haunted places. The guide connects reported sightings with lost relationships, missing possessions, violence, and the people affected by the city’s past.

After the fort, the group returns toward town. The route then passes through the city gates, where you hear the truth and false claims surrounding a young girl whose spirit is said to protect the city. This is a useful moment for anyone interested in how legends change over time. The tour does not simply repeat one version. It looks at what may be supported and what may have been added later.

Huguenot Cemetery and the city’s forgotten dead

The Huguenot Cemetery is one of the most important stops. It is estimated that more than 800 people are buried there, while markers for more than 600 have been lost. Those numbers give the cemetery a weight that goes beyond its visible stones.

A cemetery with missing markers changes how you think about a city. The people buried there did not vanish simply because their names disappeared from the surface. Their graves remain part of the ground, even when modern visitors can no longer identify them.

The guide shares tragic stories connected with the forgotten dead and introduces the cemetery’s guardian, a spirit said to take violations of his rest personally. That gives the stop a clear warning: be respectful, stay attentive, and treat the cemetery as a burial place first and a ghost-tour setting second.

I especially like the way this stop gives the tour an emotional center. A ghost story can be entertaining, but the lost markers make the subject real. You are asked to think about how much of a city’s past can disappear without anyone noticing.

Because the cemetery is part of a longer walking route, do not expect to arrive fresh from a vehicle and leave a few minutes later. You will already have visited several sites by this point. If you prefer short, stationary ghost talks, this may feel too long. If you like a connected route with a clear theme, it is one of the strongest sections.

The final story near the visitor center

The walk finishes with an unknown tale of lost love and a spirit that may be dangerous to the unwary. The ending takes place a short distance from the parking garage, near the visitor information center at 10 S Castillo Drive.

That final location is practical. You do not finish deep inside the historic core with a long search for your car. You can regroup near a known public landmark after the story ends.

The closing tale also returns to one of the tour’s recurring subjects: the way personal loss becomes attached to a place. The route has already covered murder, forgotten graves, soldiers, injustice, and old hauntings. Ending with lost love gives the final section a more personal tone.

You should not expect a grand staged finale or a special effect. The appeal is in the guide’s telling and in the accumulated mood of the walk. Nicholas’s use of visual material earlier in the tour helps keep the presentation varied, while his question-and-answer style gives the group room to follow its own interests.

What Nicholas brings to the experience

Nicholas is the guide named in the available tour information, and his strongest qualities are clear communication, enthusiasm for the subject, and flexibility. He explains the history behind the stories, answers questions, and uses images and videos to make the evidence easier to understand.

The guide matters a great deal on a tour like this. A weak presentation can turn old graves and ghost claims into a string of disconnected anecdotes. A good one gives you a sense of place and helps you understand why each stop belongs on the route.

I would book this with the expectation of an informed guide who enjoys both local history and paranormal material. You should not expect every claim to be proven. Instead, you get the chance to hear the account, see the supporting material that is offered, and decide how much weight to give it.

The tour has a maximum of 22 people. That is small enough to feel more personal than a very large group, though the experience can still include a mix of ages and interests. Since the guide is willing to answer questions, the group limit is useful.

Is $29.99 a fair price?

At $29.99 per person, the cost is reasonable for a 90-minute guided walk covering this many locations. You are paying for more than a single ghost story at one building. The route includes Aviles Street, old burial sites, the old jail area, the pier, the Bayfront, the fort, the city gates, Huguenot Cemetery, and the visitor center area.

The price looks strongest if you value three things:

• A guide-led walk instead of reading plaques on your own
• Local archaeology and burial history alongside ghost stories
• Images and videos that help explain reported evidence

The value is weaker if you want a short, highly theatrical activity with little walking. There is no mention of actors, costumes, transportation, or staged effects. This is an outdoor walking tour built around stories and interpretation.

I also like that the route gives you a different view of places you may already plan to visit. The Bayfront and fort are familiar parts of St. Augustine, but the tour asks you to consider them through death, memory, and lost burials. That added layer can make an evening walk feel worthwhile.

Who should book this walking tour?

I would recommend it to you if you enjoy old cities, cemeteries, archaeology, and ghost stories in equal measure. It suits couples, families with older children, and curious visitors who want more substance than a simple list of haunted locations.

It is also a good fit for people who prefer a guide who can explain evidence and historical context. The repeated praise for Nicholas’s explanations and question handling suggests that the guide is a major part of the experience.

You may want to skip it if you dislike walking after dark, have difficulty remaining on your feet for about 90 minutes, or want a tour focused only on verified history. You should also consider the weather. The experience requires good weather, and poor conditions can lead to a different date or a full refund.

Bring comfortable shoes and plan for an outdoor evening. Service animals are allowed. Your mobile ticket and booking confirmation are handled at the time of reservation, so the main preparation is knowing the starting point and arriving ready to walk.

Should you book Bones Under Us?

Book it if you want St. Augustine’s darker side explained through lost graves, archaeology, and local legends, rather than a purely theatrical ghost show. The route is long enough to feel substantial, and Nicholas’s images, videos, answers, and local knowledge add value.

Skip it if you want minimal walking or a fast, scare-heavy attraction. For everyone else, $29.99 is a fair price for a small-group evening tour that shows how much of St. Augustine’s past may still lie beneath the streets.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at 3 Aviles Street in St. Augustine, Florida, outside the old Spanish Hospital.

What time does the tour begin?

The scheduled start time is 8 p.m.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Where does the tour finish?

It finishes at the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Visitor Information Center at 10 S Castillo Drive, a short distance from the parking garage.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $29.99 per person.

How many people can join the tour?

The tour has a maximum group size of 22 people.

Is this a walking tour?

Yes. The route covers several locations around central St. Augustine, including Aviles Street, the Bayfront, the fort, the city gates, and Huguenot Cemetery. A moderate level of physical fitness is recommended.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The experience requires good weather. If it is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time.