
The Ma Barker House | The Home Of Undead Fugitives
Posted: 12.13.2024 | Updated: 12.18.2024
In the quaint unincorporated community of Ocklawaha, a simple white wood house rests plainly within a grassy stretch of land. Those who approach it by chance might never know it was once the site of the longest FBI gunfight in history.
It was a quiet morning in 1935 when this barrage of bullets ensued. The coveted occupants inside refused to surrender — and the infamous Ma Barker would be found hours later, deceased but with a Tommy Gun still in her hands.
Those who tour inside will see remnants of this violent past, with bullet holes still permeating the furniture and walls. Read on to immerse yourself in the bloody tale surrounding this Florida property and uncover the fascinating story of gangster Ma Barker and her attempted evasion from authorities. Eager to see some haunted sites in person? Join Orlando Haunts for a haunted history walk on one of our ghost tours.
Is the Ma Barker House Haunted?

Some claim the Ma Barker House to be one of the most haunted places in Florida, and many who’ve visited this unassuming home agree — this is one very haunted house. Florida volunteers moved this home from its original site less than ten years ago before opening it to the public as a museum. The ghostly Ma Barker, it seems, is not at all pleased about the move.
A Bloody History on the Waterfront
Although the land on which the Ma Barker House sits has not held this house for long, the home itself is quite old. The picturesque house was built in 1930 by the son of Carson Bradford. It is situated on land tucked away from the street, with a scenic vista of Lake Weir.
Bradford designed the two-story home as a retreat from Miami. Built in Florida cracker style, the architecture features a low-slung house with a large porch. It spans 2,100 square feet, holding three bedrooms and two baths.
Carson Bradford was not in the habit of renting out his lakeside home, but in late 1934, he received an offer he was unable to refuse. The offer from a sweet-looking old lady called Mrs. Blackburn only increased when Bradford told her it wasn’t for rent.
Eventually, he relinquished, taking the money from the woman who told him she was only looking for a cottage to escape the chilly winter up North with her sons. However, this story was far from the truth.
In two months’ time, the house would become the location of the longest FBI shootout history has seen. When the protracted scuffle ended, Bradford discovered who his tenants actually were: prominent gangster Ma Barker and her son Fred Barker.
The home remained in the Bradford family, passing down to subsequent generations. Eventually, someone offered $750,000 for the lot on which the waterfront house stood.
Given the opportunity, the family decided to move the house to a site supplied by Marion County. In 2016, the home was moved across Lake Weir by barge, resituating the property on the Carney Island Recreation & Conservation Area as a museum.
The Bradfords donated the home’s furnishing as well, and the museum opened to the public in the fall of 2018.
Voices, Footsteps, and Ghostly Parties

The house has long been rumored to contain the spirits of Ma Barker and her son. The Bradford descendants themselves told tales of how they would hear footsteps trailing up and down the stairs in the depths of the night.
They also experienced the sounds of people carousing. Noises of people clinking glasses, playing poker, yelling, and laughing were also recorded. It seems these ghosts are having quite a good time in the afterlife.
Carson Good, the great-grandson of Carson Bradford, also experienced strange things while living in the home. He recounted hearing the sounds of wood scraping wood, like a chair sliding across wooden floors. In the first few decades after the shooting, his family described hearing voices speaking loudly, although they were unable to perceive what was said.
Since then, the site has been visited by paranormal researchers. An Ocala-based group conducted an investigation in 2019, finding several unusual occurrences. On the 84th anniversary of the infamous fray, they set up their equipment inside the house.
In the upstairs bedroom where Ma Barker and Fred died, a spirit box verbalized the word “Blackburn”—the alias Ma gave to Carson Bradford. A Rempod also alerted to energy in the home. The investigators then concluded that these fugitive spirits likely remained in the house.
The Deadly Tale of Ma Barker
In the early morning of January 16th, 1935, the FBI would descend upon this quaint Florida home harboring the criminal matriarch and 33-year-old Fred Barker inside. How did the feds locate Ma and Fred?
Authorities pursued Ma Barker and her youngest son for a slew of crimes, including murder and bank robbery. The FBI narrowed the search for their location after arresting Fred’s elder brother, Arthur Barker. Inside his apartment, they discovered a map with the city of Ocklawaha encircled.
A short eight days after this event, more than a dozen FBI agents would surround the quaint waterside Bradford house, calling for the surrender of Ma Baker and her son. Not ones to go quietly, Ma and Fred responded with fire.
Around 2,000 shots would be traded back and forth during the next four hours, riddling the house with bullets that can still be seen today. Ma and Fred never surrendered, instead electing to die in the fray. As such, their energies remain bound to their final location — and they’re not always friendly.
Before the house was relocated, a man named Donald J. Weiss toured the property, wishing to see the site of the notorious shootout. The retired policeman, who was in his sixties at the time, heard a voice growl, “Get outta here, lawman.”
He also captured a strange figure when photographing the front porch: a shadowy apparition. Weiss was so disturbed that he attempted to enter the photo into evidence, giving it to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Soon after, he experienced a heart attack, an event he does not believe to be a coincidence. Instead, he reckons Ma Barker’s spirit remains in the house, maintaining a powerful influence over those who enter.
Haunted Orlando
The spectral Ma Barker continues to make her presence known, moving furniture about the home to demonstrate her presence. Many claim to have seen Ma’s spirit, with another photographer capturing the image of a woman stout in stature, her hair styled in a bun, holding a machine gun. Even after a seance encouraged Ma to leave her final hideout, the aggressive spirit refused. Just as in life, it looks as if Ma Barker won’t be “giving up the ghost” anytime soon.
Tours of the historic home can be scheduled on the home’s website. To continue reading more stories from the safety of your screen, check out our blog and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. Whenever you’re ready to journey into the world of the beyond, come and book a ghost tour with Orlando Haunts for a chilling time.
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