The company was founded seven years ago as a nighttime tour alternative for fourth-grade students studying the history of Florida, says general manager Cindy Stavely. Stavely attributes the success of the tours, which has grown from roughly 50 guests per night just a year ago to the 300-plus they serve nightly now, to the recent growth in paranormal interest stirred by movies like The Sixth Sense. The tours, which begin at 8 p.m. nightly and last about an hour and a half, take guests on a walk through the rich history of St. Augustine with the aid of guides like Les Clements. Among his favorites are the tales of Miss Faye, whom he says many St. Augustine residents still remember. Narratives range from the first Spanish Movement to the days of Henry Flagler to a more recent St. Augustine.
Stories are gathered from many sources and all are documented in the public library, says Stavely.
While many people taking the tour claim to have had experiences with the supernatural, Clements says that the children make it interesting.