Haunted history: St. Petersburg house turns into museum of local lore

A local professor transformed a 1939 house into the Museum of Haunted History on First Avenue North to showcase regional ghost stories and preserve historic Tampa Bay lore.Historic St. Petersburg home transformedA parked hearse outside provides the only exterior hint of the unusual collection inside the First Avenue North property. Founder Brandy Stark opened the location to teach visitors about regional urban legends and supernatural folklore.Stark, a local paranormal investigator and professor, filled the rooms with historic artifacts, including an antique wedding dress named Irene and a painting by late local artist Thomas "Thom" Street. His wife donated a nude art piece from Street to the collection following rumors that Street's spirit haunted his local murals.Haunted doll room and spiritsThe historic building itself houses two reported spirit presences named William and Edna. Stark reported that the scent of 1950s floral-scented talcum powder frequently lingers in a specific clos