Haunted Panama City

Book excerpt: Discover the haunted history of this Florida Gulf Coast city with tales of battles, murders, natural disasters and the restless spirits they left behind. Located on the coast of Florida’s panhandle, Panama City offers plenty of charm, fun and sun. But it also has a dramatic past that still lingers among its old buildings and historic landmarks. Staff at the City Center for the Arts can still hear the footsteps of inmates pacing the cells of the Old County Jail that once occupied the grounds, and a phantom known as Virginia still frequents the elevators of the historic Bay County Courthouse. Not all spirits bring doom and gloom, however—one local family learned how to befriend the resident ghost of their new home that was fond of whistling at night. Using extensive research and interviews, author Beverly Nield details the ghastly history of haunted Panama City.