Audubon House and Gardens

Posted: 11.11.2019 | Updated: 03.25.2025

There’s a darker side to Key West, where even the Florida sun doesn’t penetrate. It’s where spirits linger, and tragic stories connected to their past leave an unseen stain that cannot be removed. One such example is the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens.

Located at 205 Whitehead St., the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens has stood as an eye-catching historic treasure in Key West for over 200 years. However, within its walls are the cries of countless restless spirits. Those who met their untimely end in this seemingly peaceful home.  It’s why the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens remains one of Key West’s most haunted places.

Ghosts, legends, and creatures of the night roam freely in the shadows of Florida.  Ready to see for yourself? Visit our website and book a spine-tingling ghost tour with Southernmost Ghosts!  You can also read our blog for more spooky stories from its most haunted locations.

Is the Audubon House & Gardens Haunted?

The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens has been certified as “haunted” by several paranormal societies who have dared to investigate its spiritual activity. Many believe it has to do with the house’s troubled past.

History of the Audubon House & Gardens

The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens is named after naturalist, ornithologist, and painter James. J. Audubon. He was a guest on the property in 1832 when it was owned by John H. Geiger, a successful U.S. Navy Captain turned wrecker (salvaging what’s left of shipwrecks). Though the house that stands today wasn’t built yet, Audubon’s experience was nothing short of magical. 

He was traveling through St. Augustine to gather research for his multi-volume series, “Birds of America.” Harsh conditions severely hindered his efforts as he faced harsh rowing through salt marshes, sand flies, and mosquitoes. His second attempt led him slightly west of the southern tip of Florida, where he found himself staying in a cottage at Geiger’s home. 

It was a complete 180 for Audubon as he discovered 52 bird species he had never seen before. When he wasn’t bird watching, he spent time in Geiger’s pride and joy: his showcase garden, a natural wonder where he could paint the birds he discovered. One of which is the White-crowned pigeon sitting in a Geiger Tree, named after his host. 

The Audubon House was built in 1846, where it stands today after narrowly missing demolition in 1958. It was saved by the Mitchell Wolfson Family Foundation, a non-profit educational organization. Much of Audubon’s work remains displayed throughout the house, including 28 first editions.

It also remains an eye-catcher for its overall aesthetics. The exterior of the house, a mix of Caribbean, Victorian, and Spanish Colonial styles, exemplifies the paradisal highlights of Key West. Meanwhile, Geiger’s garden remains as beautiful as when Audubon sat in it over 200 years ago, putting brush to canvas. 

Hauntings Overview

The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens is filled with as much loss and macabre legends as it is tropical beauty. Geiger supposedly lost several children to yellow fever, and another died after falling from a tropical almond tree that grows beside the house. It’s also been said that an infant child was buried in front of the home. 

Innocent voices and the playful laughter of young children have been captured by electronic voice phenomena (EVP). Some have also seen a young girl on the 3rd floor and felt the occasional tap or tug by Charles, the Geiger’s youngest child. 

The only thing more unsettling than child-like ghosts are haunted dolls, and the Audubon House & Gardens even had that at one point, too. Legend has it that the house was home to a Bye-lo baby, otherwise known as a Mrs. Peck doll. It used to be displayed on the third floor but disappeared in 1997 under mysterious circumstances and was never seen again. Perhaps it’s hiding somewhere in the house, and even if it is, what fate would it bring once found? 

Captain Geiger, along with his wife, Lucretia, are also said to roam the house’s halls, keeping a watchful eye on the children. Photos taken by passersby at night also reportedly show many of the house’s former inhabitants still enjoying a peaceful, balmy Florida night on the front porch.

The Last Descendant

William Bradford Smith was the last descendant of the Geiger family to live in the Audubon House.  He lived here for over 25 years as a recluse with no plumbing or electricity, even having supplies hoisted up to his 2nd story bedroom. The house was reported to be filled with the gag-inducing stench of urine as Smith spent his final days alone and bitter. 

Smith’s spirit is still felt in the home, especially in the 2nd-floor bedroom, where an EVP recording of his voice was caught during a paranormal investigation. Passersby have also seen a man on the same floor, opening the curtains. The staff has also reportedly smelled the foul stench of urine from time to time. 

Haunted Key West

There’s a darker history that hides beneath the Floribbean landscape of Key West: shipwrecks, death, and suffering. Their voices carry on the tropical breeze, sending an unnatural chill up your back. Your heart races as you see something out of the corner of your eye. You turn, and yet, nothing is there. 

At 205 Whitehead St., the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens blend the past and present. It was once a family home filled with the laughter and playfulness of children. But where there is life, there is also death. A hundred years worth of it filling its halls with the restless spirits of those who once called this place “home.” 

Feel daring enough to venture out and see what else lurks in the darkness of Florida’s twilight hours? Visit our website today, and join us for an unforgettable ghost tour with Southernmost Ghosts! Be sure to also check our blog for more chilling stories surrounding America’s most haunted locations, and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sources:

• https://www.messengersparanormal.com/case-files–evidence.html
• https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/73
• https://audubonhouse.org/about/ghosts/
• https://audubonhouse.org/#:~:text=The%20grand%20home%20that%20is,Foundation%2C%20a%20nonprofit%20educational%20organization.
• https://www.hauntedkeywest.com/museums