The 'Psychic Capital Of The World' Is A Small Florida Community Between Orlando And Daytona Beach

The sleepy town of Cassadaga is a beacon for mediums and paranormal enthusiasts looking to make contact with entities from the other side and explore the metaphysical. Sandwiched 22 miles from Daytona and 25 miles from Orlando International Airport, this 'Psychic Capital of the World' is a spiritual mecca with serene parks and Victorian homes. It is a gathering place for practicing Spiritualists to showcase their mediumship and parapsychic abilities to those seeking to communicate with loved ones who have passed on. Spiritual tourists visit each year for the town's psychic fairs, mediumship retreats, and spiritualist camps, in hopes of learning the latest tricks of the trade for communicating with spirits.

Cassadaga was established in 1894, by the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, a community known for conducting seances and communicating with the dead. Founder George P. Colby first encountered this town in 1875 through channeled messages from Seneca, a Native American spirit, who guided Colby to Florida to establish this spiritual hub. Since then, the town has become a haven for mediums and seekers who wish to commune with unseen forces and get a glimpse of the unknown. 

If you aren't interested in a psychic reading, you can still enjoy the town's whimsical ambiance as you peruse the crystals and fortune-telling tools at the quaint shops. Local establishments are filled with tarot cards, divining rods, and pendulums for all your divination needs, as well as spiritual cleansing tools like incense and sage. Places like the Cassadaga Psychic Shop offer Aura Chakra Reports, along with a variety of other readings, to quench your curiosity. The town has auspicious sites for ghost hunting and a spooky cemetery to visit at midnight where you can supposedly communicate with the devil.

Hotel Cassadaga is a lovely option for overnight visitors, right in the heart of town at 355 Cassadaga Road. The rustic rooms are uniquely decorated with beautiful antique-style furniture and provide a charming atmosphere for your stay. At the time of this publication, standard room prices range from $130 to $150, and $210 to $220 for a larger deluxe room. The hotel has a lovely gift shop where you can pick up gemstones, angel statues, jewelry, and books to increase your spiritual knowledge and protection before heading back out into the world. Guests can attend a seance with talented mediums at the Psychic Center any day of the week. Past life regressions and crystal healing sessions are also available.

With all the spiritual action in this town, it's no surprise that Hotel Cassadaga is haunted. Several ghosts have been spotted here, and ghostly children have been heard throughout. If you are on a mission to visit the best haunted hotels across America, this is the spot to stay during your visit. Guests have captured orbs and other strange energies on film that give credence to the supernatural activity within its walls. 

While not among the most haunted scary destinations in the world, the hotel is still a favorite among ghost hunters who come to connect with the spirit realm. The hallways are covered with mirrors (potential ghost portals), adding an air of spooky emptiness and otherworldliness to its haunted vibe. Ghost hunters who walk these halls have captured disembodied sounds on their EVP recorders (equipment used to capture electronic voice phenomena not detectable by human ears) and visual indications of spirits on night vision cameras. 

A must-see spot around town is the Lake Helen-Cassadaga Cemetery, located on Kicklighter Road. Come find George Colby's grave and visit the founder's final resting site while venturing through dilapidated headstones around the grounds. This hauntingly quiet cemetery houses an infamous red brick bench known as The Devil's Chair. It is rumored that those who sit in the chair at midnight are able to speak to the devil himself. Local legend involves people finding empty, unopened cans of beer left on the chair overnight, suggesting these ghosts have a penchant for partying after-hours. In all seriousness, some cemetery visitors have found bottles of beer sitting in the chair when they visited, with no indication of tampering except for its empty remains. 

Venture to the local museum for odd curiosities, haunted history, and exhibits on palmistry and tea readings, which were common divination practices among its Spiritualist community. The C. Greene Haunted History House and Museum, located at 1079 Stevens Street, is the perfect spot for visitors to view creepy relics while learning about Voodoo, aliens, and other fringe topics. The museum is open Friday through Sunday, and admission is $10 for adults. 

If you are coming to Cassadaga for the ghosts, there is a year-round Encounter the Spirits Orb Tour that takes you through historic buildings around town in search for orbs and other supernatural phenomena. The tour meets in the Andrew Jackson Davis Building and Bookstore, located at 1112 Stevens Street, before taking eager ghost hunters on an educational walking adventure through Cassadaga's most haunted spaces. This is the perfect tour to go on if you want to explore the town, learn about mediumship, and discover more of the area's fascinating Spiritualist history.