The Tea Room at Cauley Square, a brunch spot in the Goulds area of southern Miami-Dade County, has built a reputation for more than its china and lace. Staff members and nearby business owners say the historic village has a paranormal side, and a local couple now leads ghost tours that take guests past its buildings and gardens.
Jimmy and Jaz Cordovez run Jimmy’s Bright Ideas, an antique and vintage shop in the village. They said they began hearing stories from other tenants, including unexplained footsteps and strange shadows in photographs, before starting the tours. This year marks their third season. The tours ran on Saturdays through October, and the group used electromagnetic field meters and other ghost-hunting devices.
The village dates to 1903, when farmer and businessman William H. Cauley began developing land along Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway. It later became a rowdy community of railroad workers, with stories of saloons, brawls and a speakeasy during Prohibition. After the 1926 hurricane, the Depression and years of decline, the site faced demolition until preservationist Mary Anne Ballard and her husband bought and restored the buildings. Miami-Dade County granted it historic designation in 1994.
The Tea Room opened in the 1970s. Employees on the tours described hearing voices, footsteps and cups falling for no clear reason. One server said someone shouted “Hey!” after hours when no one was there. The Tea Room’s owner did not discuss any paranormal experiences.
The Tea Room is at 12310 SW 224 St. The ghost tours have ended for the season, but the Cauley Square Historic Village can be contacted through its website for future dates.
