Cabbage Key is a roughly 100-acre island in Pine Island Sound, west of Fort Myers and accessible only by boat. The main house was built in 1937 as a private seasonal residence associated with the family of mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart (her son Alan and daughter-in-law Gratia Houghton). It was converted to an inn and restaurant in the 1940s and has been owned and operated by the Wells family since 1976. The property sits on a Calusa shell midden, has no cars or paved roads, and is known for its Dollar Bill Bar (walls and ceiling covered with signed currency) and the long-standing claim that its cheeseburger inspired Jimmy Buffett’s song “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” No major documented mass-casualty event is uniquely tied to the island or inn in contemporary records.
Reported Hauntings and Folklore
Published ghost accounts for the inn are limited and sparsely documented. The most repeated claim is the apparition of a woman with long brown hair who appears in guest rooms, sometimes described as wearing a formal dress and standing at the foot of a bed. Local speculation links her to a New York visitor who came to the island to recover from tuberculosis and died there. Additional isolated reports include a busboy’s tub flying across the kitchen and occasional object movement. These stories appear in regional haunted-place directories and a handful of guest comments; they are not corroborated by contemporary news accounts or extensive oral histories. The island’s better-documented reputation centers on its Old Florida atmosphere, celebrity visitors, and the Dollar Bill Bar rather than residual activity.
Relevant links
Lee County / Pine Island Sound visitor information
Haunted Places: Cabbage Key Inn