The Ghosts of Ybor City

From cigar magnates to con men, Cuban revolutionaries to lovers – journey back in time past social clubs, cigar factories and casitas and into the evocative world of Tampa’s historic district – Ybor City.  Enjoy the music and listen to the true stories that make Ybor City such a fascinating place.

Who’s Behind Ybor City Ghost Walk?

This audio tour is the result of Ybor City’s charm seducing three women into telling her story. Guided by a shared passion for historic preservation and a desire to capture the intriguing and true tales of Ybor City’s past, Linda Saul-Sena and Marilyn Mars created Ybor City Ghost Walk as an actor guided tour in 1996. After several years of running tours, the friends moved on with their professional lives until Julia Gorzka Freeman entered with the idea of using new technology to bring the ghosts back to life.  Julia took the original script and updated it to be recorded as a self-guided audio tour. Linda called upon the actors that had formerly led the tours. They convened at the recording studio at our community radio station, WMNF, to bring Ybor City Ghost Walk back to life.

The Voices

We are grateful to the talented actors who brought our ghosts to life – Elio Lopez, Bonita Agan, and John Huls.  Our narrator is the magnificent James Tokley, Poet Laureate of the City of Tampa, who’s baritone narration has us melt each time we hear him speak.

The Music

In search of music represented the spicy flavors of our beloved Ybor City, our friends from WMNF referred us to Havana NRG! and Orquesta Infidad who graciously allowed us to use their music to set the tone of the tour.

When you hear the violin play, you are listening to Adela’s love, Cesar Gonzmart. We are thankful to his son Richard for allowing us to use his music. His Hava Negila plays as you meet Louis Shine and sets the mood for romance as Adela tells their love story.