I Visited The Psychic Capital of the World

Back in April, I decided to take one of my Disney Park days and go somewhere else with my friends.
They had already planned on going somewhere and I tagged along. Safe to say, it was an interesting experience for me. We were taking a drive to Cassadaga, Florida.

Visiting the Mysterious Town of Cassadaga

Personally, I had never heard of this town before but it was about a 45 min drive from Orlando. It is known as the "Psychic Capital of the World." Admittedly, after this visit is when  I began my spiritualism journey. It is home to many psychics and mediums due to its history. The Cassadaga Spiritualist camp was founded there in 1875 by George Colby and it still exists today.

Upon arrival, I was EXTREMELY suspicious of my surroundings. We were essentially in the middle of nowhere on one dirt road. I didn't see too many people around besides us and it was eerily quiet. It was like we had just walked into a horror film. Not only that but the vibe was somehow electric. I felt like it was very much alive in the town if it makes sense. The feeling I got as I walked around was interesting. I stayed open minded nonetheless. We parked at a quaint little hotel, which I would soon find out had an past.

Cassadaga Hotel was haunted.

Now this wasn't my first time dealing with a haunted place. In 2016, I went ghost hunting with some family members in Gettysburg, PA. But I had no idea it was haunted. Apparently, an Irishman named Arthur stayed here during the 1930s. He had a special room, Number 22 , and even had a special chair at the end of the second floor to look outside and enjoy nature while he smoked his cigars or drank his signature drink, Gin. He did pass in the building but he certainly didn't leave according to some. It has been reported that people have been touched and people have photographed orbs within the hotel.

Hotel Cassadaga in Cassadaga, Florida

I LOVED that look of the hotel. It was so pretty and even though it wasn't the original structure, it was extremely charming. We weren't allowed to explore the whole building and was not allowed to go to the upper floors since we weren't hotel guests. We did get to enjoy lunch in the hotel's restaurant, "Sinatra's Ristorante."

Dueling Pianos Nightly at Sinatra's

Bar at Sinatra's

Seating at Sinatra's

We were seated in the center of the room and there were a few people with us. We decided to have a little fun and downloaded a ghost hunting app to use during our intimate lunch. The app had a scanner that showed us if any spirits were in the room with us and how close they were. It also had a communicator where we would get certain words when we asked questions outwardly. At first, it was pretty silly honestly. Then as lunch went on and we stopped asking questions, it got odd. At one point, when I mentioned something in regards of being skeptical, the communicator said "Elephant." Now this was creepy for two reasons. One, the topic at the time wasn't about animals. Two, I happened to be wearing an elephant bracelet that belonged to my mother and I never take off. No one else at the table happened to know this information. I also smelled smoke at one point and kept on feeling like someone was near me on my right side every now and again. I simply shrugged it off and just said it was nerves. But my gut was clenched and on guard regardless.

The food at Sinatra's was quite delicious! We all tried a little of one another's food and there wasn't anything I hated. The prices weren't bad at all either! After paying, we ventured to the gift shop and explored the main floor a bit. I will say I got weird vibes walking through the hallway but the gift shop was lovely. They sold books, crystals, artifacts, jewelry and more. There was many interesting pieces there. Overall, it's a beautiful building and piece of history. Just from the feelings I got there, I personally feel like there are spirits there.

We ventured the small town further exploring a bookshop across from the Cassadaga hotel. Beside it was a small garden with a beautiful fountain. Across the way was one of many shops where my friends knew some of the employees. This shop specialized in a lot of spiritualist areas. They had crystals laid out and psychic and Reiki services available. One of my friends actually splurged on these two services and was very satisfied with her results.

Garden near Bookshop across from Cassadaga Hotel

Overall, we spent about 5 hours here just exploring, trying new things like dowsing rods and just talking to the people and their experiences. We ended our journey at a sort of hidden fairy garden. I have never seen one before until now but it was so adorable. People had left things for the fairies and I left beads. There were dollhouses, tables, little chairs, etc. It had a vibe of peace and tranquil.

 It's been 6 months since my trip and on and off I think about Cassadaga. It was part of the reason I began to explore spiritualism and it's been one of the best experiences I have had to date. If you ever have the chance to visit, I would recommend you do it whether you are a skeptic or not!