You chase the dead through St. Augustine at night. Bones Under Us pairs spirit storytelling with archeological evidence in a walk past haunting sites tied to the city’s oldest places. It’s spooky, but it’s also built around history you can actually picture on the ground.

I especially love how the tour is led by Nicholas, with lots of Q&A and clear explanations that connect paranormal claims to physical locations. I also like the use of spirit audio and video, plus visuals shown along the way to tie the stories together.

One consideration: this is a 1 hour 30 minutes walking tour, and it asks for a moderate level of physical fitness. If you don’t enjoy nighttime walking, plan for a slower pace.

Key highlights to know before you go

• A ghost tour with archeology evidence instead of pure campfire stories
• Nicholas-led Q&A with explanations and visuals during the walk
• Spirit audio and video as part of the experience
• Multiple St. Augustine icons: Spanish Hospital area, old jail site, Bayfront, fort, and Huguenot Cemetery
• Small group size (maximum 22) for a more personal vibe

Bones Under Us: Ghost Stories With Archeology Evidence, Not Just Spooky Vibes

If you like your haunted attractions with a side of facts, this tour fits the bill. Bones Under Us is built around the idea that St. Augustine’s unquiet dead are tied to real places—lost burials, forgotten spaces, and sites where evidence has been collected or investigated.

What I like most is that the tone stays fun and creepy without pretending everything is proven beyond doubt. You get to hear the history and then meet the locations where that history sits. It’s the difference between hearing about a cemetery and standing close to one at night.

And yes, the names and landmarks hit hard: Spanish Hospital area, an old jail and antique shop spot, the Bayfront, a fort, and then the Huguenot Cemetery. You don’t just hear about “old town”—you walk through it.

Price and Timing: Is 29.99 Worth It in St. Augustine?

At $29.99 per person for about 1 hour 30 minutes, this is priced like a mid-range guided attraction. The value comes from what’s included in the experience, not just the guide’s voice.

You’re paying for a structured night walk with spirit audio and video plus archeological evidence and visuals that help connect stories to specific sites. Add in the fact that groups are capped at 22, and it starts to feel like you’re getting a real guided experience instead of a moving crowd.

Timing-wise, it’s listed as starting at 8:00 pm from 3 Aviles St. Also, it’s often booked about 11 days in advance on average, which is a gentle hint to reserve ahead if you want a spot on a specific night.

Where You Meet and How the Tour Ends (So You Don’t Wander Around Lost)

You’ll meet at 3 Aviles St, St. Augustine. The tour ends just a short walk near the parking area, with the listed end point connected to the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Visitor Information Center on 10 S Castillo Dr.

This matters because the route is not a simple out-and-back. You’ll move from Aviles Street toward the waterfront, then up toward the fort area, and finally end near the area of the cemetery experience. If you plan dinner afterward, give yourself a buffer for parking and post-tour walking.

Good news: your ticket is mobile, so you won’t be hunting for paper. Service animals are allowed, which is helpful if you need that support on long nighttime walks.

What the 1.5-Hour Night Walk Feels Like

This is an active tour. It’s not a sit-and-listen-and-smoke-a-little-cocoa situation. You should assume dark streets, uneven sidewalks, and a steady pace through key historic areas.

The tour is designed around standing near sites and hearing how evidence and legend connect. That takes time, and it’s why the duration lands around 90 minutes. A moderate fitness level is recommended—especially for the stretch from the city core toward the cemetery.

A smart move: wear closed-toe shoes with decent grip, and keep your phone brightness low. You’ll want it for the visuals or audio moments, but you don’t want to blind yourself on the walk.

Stop 1: Outside the Old Spanish Hospital Area

The tour begins outside the old Spanish Hospital area. This is where you set the stage: hauntings long past, and the big question of where those spirits are now.

I like opening here because it frames the theme immediately. You’re not starting with a random creepy alley—you’re starting with one of the most storied historic anchors in the city. It also gives you a mental map early, so the later stops make more sense as the tour builds.

Expect this early part to be heavy on context—who lived here, what changed, and why burial and death stories are so tied to St. Augustine’s layout.

Stop 2: Burials Under a Forgotten Church

Next you move to the location of old burials under a forgotten church. This is where the tour leans harder into the archeology angle.

You’re hearing about how places can disappear or be forgotten while the remains beneath them still matter. It’s a reminder that the city you walk today is layered over earlier life—and earlier death.

If you’re the type who likes reasoning, this stop is a good one to pay attention to. The tour doesn’t ask you to simply accept the supernatural; it asks you to notice how the stories tie to physical places where burial activity occurred.

Stop 3: The True Old Jail and Antique Shop Evidence

After that, you visit a site described as the true old jail and antique shop area. This stop is where the tour brings in “compelling evidence found by ghost investigators.”

What this means in practice is that you’ll get a mix of legend plus investigation-style storytelling. You’re told what investigators supposedly found, and you’re also given the context of the place itself—jail sites are naturally charged with fear, power, and unresolved stories.

This is also the kind of stop where a good guide earns their pay. Nicholas is praised for being responsive and for answering questions, which matters here because people usually want to know what’s claimed and how it connects to the location you’re standing on.

Pier Stop Near the Bridge: Calls From Dark Water

On the way, the tour pauses near the pier by the bridge for a story about men murdered so that the city could exist. The mood shifts here because the setting is water-adjacent, and the tone leans into the idea of voices carried under dark water.

Even if you’re skeptical of the paranormal aspect, this stop works as atmosphere. It’s a night tour; the water sound and the silhouette of the pier help you feel why these stories stick around.

Also, it’s a good break in the walking rhythm. You get to stand still and listen while the guide frames what you’re seeing and where the story fits in the wider pattern of the city’s past.

Bayfront Across From the Casablanca Inn: Love, Misdeeds, and Waterline Legends

Then you head to the Bayfront, across from the Casablanca Inn. Here the stories turn toward romance and wrongdoing—legends of love and misdeeds shaped by the waterfront setting.

This stop is valuable because it shows a different flavor of the “bones beneath us” theme. It’s not just burial sites. It’s also about what people did, what they covered up, and what the city’s geography allowed.

From there, the tour continues up the Bayfront toward the city’s great fort. Walking along water at night also changes your sense of direction. You stop thinking in terms of blocks and start thinking in terms of the coastline shaping the story.

The Fort: Soldiers Without Jewelry, Lovers Without Good Endings, and Heads That Haunt

At the fort, the tour focuses on sightings of long-dead soldiers. The theme here includes soldiers who lost jewelry, soldiers and lovers whose stories didn’t end the way they should have, and even the frightening detail about heads.

This is also where you may hear about the face of a great Native leader who was deeply wronged. That part matters because it keeps the tour from being only about generic ghost thrills. It anchors the haunting claims to people who had real lives and losses.

If you’re going to ask questions, this is a great place to do it. You’ll have enough context by now that Nicholas can connect the dots between what you’ve heard earlier and what you’re seeing nearby.

Practical note: forts can be uneven underfoot and windy at night, so if you get cold fast, bring a layer.

Milltop to the City Gates: Unfamiliar Clues and a Girl’s Protective Spirit

As you work back toward the city core, there’s a stop behind the Milltop where haunting evidence is described, but the full story isn’t spelled out right away. You’re given historical finds that offer clues about deaths tied to that area.

Then you move through the city gates, where the tour shares the truth and the lies told about a young girl’s spirit, described as committed to keeping people safe. The language here is more protective than violent, which gives your night a better emotional shape.

I like this section because it shifts the tour from pure fear mode into “what stories get altered over time” mode. Legends evolve. Details get swapped. And once you know where to look, you can often see how a town keeps retelling the same event in different ways.

Huguenot Cemetery: Lost Markers, the Guardian, and a Weighty Finish

The tour ends at the Huguenot Cemetery. This part carries the heaviest tone.

It’s estimated that over 800 people are buried there, but markers for over 600 have been lost. That ratio hits hard. It’s a strong reminder that death records can vanish even when the remains remain.

You’ll also hear that this cemetery has a guardian who takes it personally if you violate his rest. Whether you interpret that literally or as part of the storytelling tradition, it encourages respect. And in a cemetery, respect is the point.

The final moments bring an unknown tale of lost love and a spirit that can be dangerous to the unwary. Then you wrap up a short distance from the parking garage.

The Role of Nicholas: Why the Guide Makes This Tour Work

The standout theme in the tour’s praise is the guide. Nicholas is described as wonderful and super knowledgeable, but what’s more useful than the label is what he does: he gives lots of information, shows images and videos to connect stories, and answers questions.

There’s also mention that Nicholas adapts the tour to meet the needs of the group. That can matter if you have teens who want more action, adults who want more context, or a mixed group where some people are into archeology and some are into chills.

If you’re the kind of person who needs the story to make sense—at least on its own terms—this tour’s format is set up for that. The visuals and the Q&A help you keep up instead of getting lost in a blur of ghost talk.

Who This Tour Is Best For (and Who Might Want to Skip It)

This is a great match if you:

• Love history that you can see, not just read
• Want ghost stories tied to specific locations
• Like guides who answer questions and use visuals
• Don’t mind a steady nighttime walk

It might be less ideal if you:

• Don’t enjoy walking for about 90 minutes
• Have limited tolerance for night settings or uneven sidewalks
• Want a completely non-paranormal tone (this is still a ghost tour)

Service animals are allowed, which helps with inclusivity for many visitors. Just be realistic about walking distance and nighttime conditions.

Should You Book Bones Under Us With Archeology Evidence?

Yes, I’d book it if you want St. Augustine after dark but still care about substance. At $29.99, you’re not paying for a generic haunted house. You’re paying for a structured route that connects ghost lore to archeological evidence and specific sites tied to burial, death, and local legend.

Book ahead if you can, since it’s commonly reserved about 11 days in advance. And if the weather looks iffy, note that this experience depends on good weather—so have a Plan B date in mind.

If you’re deciding between this and a standard ghost tour with no evidence angle, Bones Under Us gives you more to hold onto. It turns the city into a set of clues you walk through, one stop at a time.

FAQ

What’s the duration of Bones Under Us: Ghost Tour with Archeology?

The tour runs for about 1 hour 30 minutes.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $29.99 per person.

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is 3 Aviles St, St. Augustine, FL 32084.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends near St. Augustine and St. Johns County Visitor Information Center, 10 S Castillo Dr, and it’s just a few steps from the parking garage.

What time does the tour begin?

The start time is 8:00 pm.

Do I need a printed ticket?

No. The tour uses a mobile ticket.

Does the tour use audio or video?

Yes. The experience includes spirit audio and video, and the guide also uses images and videos during the tour.

How big are the groups?

There is a maximum of 22 travelers.

Is the tour okay if I have limited mobility?

It’s recommended for guests with a moderate physical fitness level, since it’s a walking tour.

What happens if the weather is bad?

This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Is there a cancellation option if I need to change plans?

Yes. Free cancellation is available if you cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.