MAY-STRINGER HERITAGE MUSEUM

By  Mike Miller May 18, 2025

The May-Stringer Heritage Museum is a historic house in Brooksville, Florida. It’s a four-story, 14-room Victorian home built in 1855.

The Hernando Historical Museum Association runs it. The museum displays over 10,000 artifacts.

It preserves Brooksville’s history and is known for paranormal activity. Visitors explore themed rooms and local heritage. 

May-Stringer House

In 1842, the Armed Occupation Act offered 160 acres to settlers who farmed for five years. Richard Wiggins claimed the land where the house stands.

John May bought it in 1855 and built a four-room home. May died in 1858 from tuberculosis. His wife, Marena, ran the plantation. She married Frank Saxon in 1866.

Marena died in 1869 during childbirth. Their daughter, Jessie Mae, died at age three. Dr. Sheldon Stringer bought the house later. He added 10 rooms and used it for his medical practice.

The Hernando Historical Museum Association acquired it in 1980. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. 

The museum is at 601 Museum Court, Brooksville, Florida. Take U.S. Highway 41 to Fort Dade Avenue, then turn onto Museum Court.

It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm. Tours start hourly, with the last at 2 pm. Check their website for updates.

Ghost tours are available by reservation. Wear comfortable shoes for stairs. Photography is allowed. The museum is not fully accessible for those with mobility issues, but a virtual tour covers upper floors. Parking is free. 

• The house is called one of Florida’s most haunted.  

• Jessie Mae’s spirit reportedly lingers, with visitors hearing a child’s laughter.  

• A cistern outside served enslaved people during the plantation era.  

• Stolen gravestones from Bayport Cemetery are displayed in the backyard.  

• The original city switchboard, used until 1978, is in the communication room.  

• The attic, once a patient ward, feels eerie to some.  

• The museum hosts the Brooksville Raid reenactment yearly.  

• Volunteers restored the house over 17 years.  

• Paranormal teams often investigate, and some claim to see Marena on the second floor. 

MAY-STRINGER HERITAGE MUSEUM WEBSITE