TAMPA, Fla. — The rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock is just one sound that brings out the charm and ambiance inside a Tampa bed-and-breakfast.

Aptly named the Phantom History House, it is a home that partners Steve Blanchard and Tim Hinton have turned into a one-of-a-kind bed-and-breakfast experience.

“When I was old enough to travel on my own, I would always go on a ghost tour to learn the history of wherever I was, because I absolutely love history,” Blanchard said. 

That love of history and the paranormal has sent him on more than a dozen ghosts tours around the United States, and even two in Ireland.

He later hosted several tours in the Tampa Bay area and even started his very own podcast in 2018, dedicated to all things mysterious and paranormal.

Blanchard says that’s what led to his and his partner’s newest venture: Opening the Phantom History House Bed and Breakfast experience. 

“I told my partner Tim that I always wanted to do a bed-and-breakfast with this paranormal theme, so then we started looking for the right location and we found it and here we are,” Blanchard said.

The two transformed the house into what it is today, with no detail ignored. Most of the pieces in the house are items Steve and Tim found at antique stores.

They dedicated each room to something unique or paranormal. 

The library room contains classic horror novels and ghost tales, while the sunroom offers guests a chance to try out a ouija board coffee table. Upstairs, they’ve carefully crafted the rooms around spooky themes. 

“We want people to come here, and if they enjoy Halloween, if they enjoy the creepy factor, we want them to enjoy that,” Blanchard said. “But we also want folks who may not be into that stuff to know we are a very comfortable stay. We like to say it’s as creepy as you want it to be and we like everyone to be in on the fun.”

The Phantom History House Bed and Breakfast experience is currently open and taking bookings. They’re also working on setting up special events that will take place throughout the year. For more information, head to the Phantom History House website.