Fort Zachary Taylor

Perched on over 50 acres of prime shoreline in Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor is now a scenic state park, but its foundations are soaked in history and haunted by the past. Built between 1845 and 1866, the fort was a cutting-edge military marvel for its time, complete with tide-flushed toilets, a desalination plant, and 140 cannons. But it came at a cost. Much of the labor came from enslaved people leased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Yellow fever, hurricanes, and brutal heat made construction a living nightmare.

Fort Zach’s strategic location made it a key stronghold during the Civil War. In 1861, just before war officially broke out, Captain John Milton Brannan took the bold step of securing the fort for the Union…without orders. It later served as headquarters for the Navy’s East Gulf Coast Blockade Squadron, playing a critical role in cutting off Confederate supply lines.

Though it never saw battle, Fort Zach isn’t quiet. Visitors have reported eerie sightings over the years, especially during storms and after hours. Apparitions of soldiers appear on the grounds, silently drilling in uniforms that range from Union blues to World War I attire. They vanish if approached.

Then there’s noon. In the fort’s darker days, that was execution hour for deserters and captured enemies. Today, visitors near the old gallows site report sudden chills, feelings of dread, and, on rare occasions, the sound of creaking rope or distant screams.

One chilling account comes from a woman named Abigail, who was touring the fort when she heard a desperate voice say, “Give me some water.” She found a sunburned soldier behind cell bars, but when she turned back, he was gone. A ranger later identified the spirit as Lieutenant McClure, imprisoned for treason, who once vowed, “I will avenge my imprisonment.” Before leaving, Abigail left her water bottle by the cell. As she walked away, she heard a final whisper: “Thanks, lady.”

History lives on at Fort Zach, and some say, so do its soldiers.