Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours

Key West’s longest-running ghost tours and most immersive paranormal experiences – founded in 1996.

Created by author and historian David L. Sloan, these Key West experiences combine exclusive after-hours access, original research, and nearly 30 years of refinement – offering depth and authenticity you won’t find on a trolley ghost tour or a standard walking ghost tour.

Choose Your Paranormal Adventure

🔥America's Most Haunted Firehouse: $65 +
🧟‍♂️ Robert the Doll After Dark: $39 +
👽 Key West UFO Tour: $65 +
🤩 Private with David Sloan: $500+

A glimpse inside our most immersive Key West experiences.

A historic stone building with two large arch doors at night. The building has four windows on the upper floor. A street sign marks Grinnell Street, and an orange sign indicates it is the Key West Firehouse Museum.

America’s Most Haunted Firehouse

    • The Full Experience: A 2-hour event combining haunted history with the freedom to conduct your own paranormal cold case investigation.

    • For the Active Hunter: This isn't just a walk-through; you get a 45-minute audiophonic tour of the haunted history and mysteries, and 75 minutes of hands-on investigation time.

    • Intimate Atmosphere: With only 13 tickets available, you’ll never fight for space or quiet.

    • True Crime Meets Paranormal: Dive deep into the cold case of Fire Chief Bum Farto’s 1976 disappearance, the murder of Charlotte Knowles, and more.

    • The Historic Firehouse is now a museum with thousands of unusual artifacts. Exploring with Josh and Kilani Ghost Hunter say it is the most active place they’ve investigated.

    • Tickets help preserve the historic firehouse.

Book Now!
A woman in a pink tank top reads from a paper while holding a phone, standing next to an illuminated display case containing a skeleton dressed in clothing and accessories. The display case is behind a transparent barrier with a sign warning not to touch or disturb items.

Robert the Doll After Dark

    • The Complete Experience: Combines a 30-minute ghost tour through the historic Fort East Martello Museum with a 30-minute seated encounter with Robert the Doll.

    • VIP Backstage Pass: Upgrade to stay for an extra hour of self-guided investigation to solve the mystery of Robert’s possession. We provide equipment.

    • Bonus Perks: Includes Free Parking and a Free Day Pass to return and explore the museum’s history by day.

    • USA Today named Fort East Martello one of America’s 10 Most Haunted Destinations. Sam & Colby have joined our experience twice.

Book Now!
Woman looking through binoculars at the night sky with a full moon visible.

KEY WEST UFO TOUR

    • See the Unseen: Use military-grade night vision technology to reveal what is invisible to the naked eye.

    • Declassified History: Go beyond the ghost stories to explore Key West’s secret history of UAP sightings and military encounters.

    • Active Sky Watch: Join a guided investigation of the night sky to track satellites, aircraft, and the unexplained.

    • Immersive Atmosphere: An intimate, small-group (6) experience ensures each person has time with the scope.

    • Conducted on an oceanfront pier.

Book Now!
A man with sunglasses holding a vintage stuffed doll in front of a large house with balconies at night.

SLOAN’S TRIFECTA OF TERROR

  • Experience the dark side of Key West with the man who literally wrote the books on it.

    This is a private, 2-hour legend-tripping expedition designed for those who want the true stories behind the strangest hauntings.

    We’ll go beyond the velvet ropes and standard scripts to visit the island’s sites Sloan calls the “Trifecta of Terror.”

    Your Itinerary:

    • The Old Hanging Grounds: Stand on the site of Key West’s darkest judicial history and hear the stories of those who never left. I’ll introduce you to the Saints who protect the island and the sacred tree where they reside.

    • America’s Most Haunted Firehouse: We will go inside Fire Station No. 3, where the spirit of Bum Farto is said to linger. You’ll learn why this station is ground zero for Key West paranormal activity, and we’ll sit at the missing Fire Chief’s desk and attempt to make contact.

    • Robert the Doll: A personal introduction to the world’s most haunted doll. I’ll share the research from my book, Robert the Doll, including the stories and origins that most visitors never hear.

    The Details:

    • Price: includes up to five people.

    • Transportation: The Tour portion is on foot or seated. Complimentary private transport provided between locations.

    • The Vibe: Authentic, Exclusive, and Unusual.

    • Guide: David L. Sloan, Author & Researcher.

Book Now!
Logos of various media outlets and personalities on a black background, including The Joe Rogan Experience, History Channel, USA Today 10Best, and XPLR Calby.

World Famous, Community Driven & Locally Owned

Logos of Ozzy & Jack's World Detour, Trvl Channel, Atlas Obscura, and Discovery.

Key West’s Top Rated #1

Ghost Tours

  • Stylized TripAdvisor black owl face icon on a teal circular background.

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    "Definitely do the VIP. They gave us equipment to use and let people go off on their own to get spooked!"

    👻

  • Google logo with a white background and the letter G in blue, red, yellow, and green colors.

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    "Would recommend VIP Adventure to anyone remotely interested in the paranormal."

    👻

  • Google logo with red, blue, yellow, and green colors on a white background.

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    "Fascinating!”

    “None of it felt corny or staged.”

    👻

  • Instagram logo with a gradient background from purple to pink to orange.

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    “Like stepping into a Steven King novel. Can’t wait to go back!”

    👻

  • Viator logo in a green circle.

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    “History meets horror in this tantelizing tour.”

    👻

Meet Our Family

  • A man with long brown hair and a slight smile in a close-up portrait.

    Dan

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    “Loved this ghost tour and VIP investigation! Dan was our guide and was GREAT! So knowledgeable about Robert and the history of fort. An experience we will forever remember.”

    - B.R. Wilson

  • A man with dark hair and a slight smile in a dark setting with purple lighting.

    Matt

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    “Absolutely AMAZING ghost hunting experience! Matt was our tour guide and was so knowledgeable and made the tour interactive. Will be visiting every time I come to Key West!”

    - Bethany Hubbard

  • Close-up of a man with a beard, smiling slightly, with sunlight and blurred greenery in the background.

    Jeff

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    “Jeff was incredible. We go on ghost tours everywhere and he is one of the best guides we’ve ever had. Can’t wait to come back for VIP!”

    - Carissa Vasquez

  • A woman smiling with blonde and a cowboy hat against a pink background.

    Captain Heather

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    “We had so much fun with Captain Heather. And we saw at least three UFOs! Definitely recommend her. We can’t wait to come back next year.”

    - Katy Houston

Experience Key West’s Hauntings—Curated by the Island’s Leading Authority, David L. Sloan

Don’t just take a tour. Join an investigation designed by the man who wrote the books.

  • In 1996, David L. Sloan founded Key West’s first ghost tour, pioneering the paranormal industry in the United States.

  • As a historian and the author of over 25 books, including the definitive guides Ghosts of Key West , Haunted Key West, and Robert the Doll, David has spent nearly 30 years uncovering the island’s darkest secrets.

  • He was the first to introduce professional ghost-hunting equipment to the public, and every tour we offer is built on his decades of research and authentic methodology.

  • Today, David’s exclusive partnerships with Key West’s local non-profits provide our guests with interior access you won’t find on a trolley or a sidewalk tour.

  • Under David’s direction, our team takes you inside the Fort East Martello Museum to visit Robert the Doll or into the Alex Vega Key West Firehouse Museum, home to America’s Most Haunted Firehouse.

  • We are a locally owned, family-run business offering the real history and mystery of our island.

  • From legendary ghost hunts to the island’s first UFO Tour, you are experiencing Key West through the eyes of its original ghost historian.

MORE ABOUT DAVID L. SLOAN

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours makes it easy to purchase tickets online with your cell phone or laptop.

    • Purchase your Key West ghost tour tickets online from ghostkeywest.com.

    • Booking is easy. Our reservation system shows real-time availability.

    • Thank you for your service! Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours offers $5 off each ghost tour ticket for active and retired military and the people traveling with them.

    • Use promo code MIL5 and save $5 off each ticket.

    • This offer is valid for active and retired military.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours offers the best local discounts.

    • Select the Discount Ticket option when booking your ghost tour for savings of $10 or more off the regular price.

    • Use promo code: LOCAL5 for $5 off each regular price ticket.

    • Follow us on Instagram for seasonal specials and BOGOs.

    • The address of your Key West ghost tour or UFO tour is listed on your confirmation email.

    • We only provide pick-up and drop-off for private tours with David Sloan.

    • We have free parking and a bike rack at Fort East Martello.

    • There is usually street parking available nearby for our UFO Tour and America’s Most Haunted Firehouse.

    • All of our ghost tour locations are in Key West and easy to get to by taxi, rideshare, or bicycle.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours provides free parking on location for the Robert the Doll After Dark ghost tour.

    • Easy, free, on-street parking is available near Sloan’s Key West UFO Tour and America’s Most Haunted Firehouse.

    • If you are taking a ghost tour on the trolley or one of the many walking ghost tours in Old Town Key West, be aware that parking in Old Town is expensive and often difficult to find.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours offers the only ghost tours in Key West that are not affected by rain.

    • Robert the Doll After Dark and America’s Most Haunted Firehouse take place inside, so rain enhances the atmosphere, and you stay dry.

    • Sloan’s may cancel our Key West tours if severe storms cause flooding or unsafe conditions. This is rare. Your safety is our priority.

    • If Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours cancel a tour for safety reasons, you will be notified in advance and automatically issued a refund.

    • The Key West UFO Tour is weather-dependent. Your guide will contact you if we cancel the tour.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours are sometimes scary, always fun.

    • Strange and creepy encounters do happen often on Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours.

    • No one will jump out to scare you on Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours. We like to share unusual history in unique environments and let the ghosts of Key West take care of the rest.

    • Most Key West ghost tours require walking a mile or more in the Key West heat or sitting on a hardwood bench in a trolley with no air-conditioning. Sloan’s offers ghost tours with minimal walking, usually inside climate-controlled buildings.

    • On Key West’s Robert the Doll After Dark ghost tour, you’ll be on your feet for the first 30 minutes as we tour the fort. For the next 30 minutes, you will be seated in Robert the Doll’s room. Parts of the fort are air-conditioned. Fans are running everywhere.

    • At America’s Most Haunted Firehouse, the audio haunted history tour is 45 minutes on your feet with one flight of stairs up and one flight down. During the cold-case investigations, you are welcome to sit. The Firehouse Museum is air-conditioned.

    • On the Key West UFO Tour, after a short walk of about 100 yards, you are on your feet on a pier. You may sit on the pier if you wish.

    • If you have bad knees or can’t stand for 30 minutes at Robert the Doll After Dark, please request a folding chair in the reservation comments.

    • Your guide will be happy to assist you.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours’ Robert the Doll After Dark is ADA-compliant and equipped with a lift and ramps. There are steps on our regular route, so please let Sloan’s know in advance if you need wheelchair access.

    • America’s Most Haunted Firehouse is ADA Compliant. The Wheelchair lift for second-floor access is currently being repaired, so access is limited.

    • The Key West UFO Tour takes place on ADA-compliant city and county property.

    • Private Tours with David Sloan are not wheelchair accessible, but they can be if David rides in your wheelchair accessible vehicle.

    • Please let us know if you need assistance in the comment section of your reservation.

  • Most Key West ghost tours only permit service animals.

    Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours welcomes well-behaved dogs.

    Please let Sloan’s know if you are bringing a dog when you make your reservation by leaving a note in the booking comments.

  • Yes and No.

    For Robert the Doll After Dark, you can film during the VIP Backstage Pass solo investigation hour, which follows the guided tour. Filming is not permitted during the guided portion of the tour. For extensive filming of Robert the Doll, book a private tour or rent Fort East Martello Museum for the night. Contact Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours for pricing and availability.

    You may film everything at America’s Most Haunted Firehouse.

    You may film everything on the pier on the Key West UFO Tour.

    • Robert the Doll lives in Key West, Florida. You can cut through the Internet legends and take a deep dive into the true story of Robert the Doll on Sloan’s Robert the Doll After Dark Ghost Tour.

    • Robert the doll lives at the Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd. Key West, Florida 33040.

    • You can send him letters at this address, too.

    • Robert the Doll is very safe to visit.

    • Internet legends and exaggerated YouTube videos have demonized Robert the Doll, giving him a bad reputation, but millions of people have visited Robert and left with nothing more than memories of a cool encounter and an iconic photo with the world’s most haunted doll.

    • David Sloan, Robert the Doll’s dolltender, recommends approaching Robert the Doll with respect. If you are respectful, you have nothing to worry about.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tour guides provide all the information you need to enjoy your encounter with Robert the Doll without worry.

    • Yes. Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours is happy to modify your reservation when there is availability on your new date.

  • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours makes cancelling quick and easy. Cancel 24 hours before your tour for a full refund.

    Sloan offers only one tour per night at each haunted location. This makes space very limited, so no refunds are issued for cancellations made within 24 hours of your tour time, but Sloan’s can often offer gift cards when life happens.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours is not the trolley, Ghosts & Gravestones, that you see driving all over Key West.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours and the Key West ghost trolley are very different. T

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours has smaller groups and offers a more authentic experience. Sloan’s offers the only Key West ghost tour where you meet Robert the Doll inside his haunted fort.

    • Ghosts & Gravestones Key West trolley ghost tour is theatrical, operates at high volumes, and does not visit Robert the Doll.

    • Please don’t.

    • Sometimes the Key West ghost tours can be intense and are not suitable for children.

    • Parents should decide responsibly if they want to introduce their older children to a paranormal encounter that may affect them for life.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours are not like watching Ghost Adventures on TV. An adult must accompany anyone under 18.

    • Infants are not permitted on Sloan’s Key West Tours.

    • Online reservations: 24 hours a day

    • Slona’s Key West Ghost Tours and UFO Tours usually start shortly after dark.

    • Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours can arrange private tours that fit your schedule.

    • The museum’s Sloan’s Key West Ghost Tours operate from have daytime hours, but Sloan’s only partners with them to offer nighttime tours.

    • Fort East Martello Museum is open most days from 10 am - 4:30 pm.

    • The Alex Vega Key West Firehouse Museum is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10 am - 2 pm.

Frequently Asked Questions