OCALA, FL (352today.com) – For a brief moment in the late 1960s and early ’70s, a roadside attraction known as Black’s House of Phantoms drew thrill-seekers to the outskirts of Ocala. Marketed simply as the “House of Phantoms,” the site operated from roughly 1969 to 1972, offering a spooky experience before disappearing from Florida’s roadside scene.
Details about the attraction are scarce. According to one online directory of defunct Florida attractions, the House of Phantoms was a typical mid-century haunted house experience: Visitors paid a small fee to walk through darkened corridors filled with costumed “phantoms” and jump scares. It was the Ocala area’s own twist on the roadside horror genre, similar to attractions in nearby towns.
Though the owners likely chose the name “Black” for branding, it remains unclear whether that was a family name or simply a theme. Some suggest it may have been tied to local entrepreneur Black, who briefly capitalized on the late-night thrill-seeking trend of the era.
Black’s House of Phantoms shared its era and pedigree with other roadside attractions in Marion County–places, like Florida Adventureland, that leaned into novelty and kitsch. But unlike those more extensively documented destinations, the haunted house left minimal evidence of its existence; no photos or press notices have surfaced, and only one promotional flyer has been recovered.
The attraction appears to have closed quietly around 1972, likely due to competition from larger theme parks, changing audience tastes and the economics of maintaining a seasonal haunted attraction. In the decades that followed, the rise of major theme park events–such as Halloween Horror Nights and Howl-O-Scream–may have contributed to the overshadowing of smaller, independent attractions. Today, the site has been redeveloped, and few public records or visual traces of the attraction remain.
Despite its short lifespan, Black’s House of Phantoms resonates with local nostalgia. It’s a footnote in the history of Ocala-area attractions, from a time when the open road invited curious visitors to stop at carnival-style horrors and novelty rides.
As Ocala’s tourism landscape evolved, many similar roadside attractions vanished or were absorbed by larger entertainment venues. Black’s House of Phantoms stands as a reminder of those fleeting roadside wonders–brief spectacles that thrilled, spooked and then quietly slipped away.