Robert the Doll - Fort East Martello

"Robert the Doll is where the inspiration for the Chucky doll came from. It once belonged to Robert Eugene Otto, an author and painter from Key West, Florida. The doll is known to be haunted, cursed or possessed by evil spirits and it is on display at the Fort East Martello Museum. It can also be viewed on many ghost tours, even though the location of the doll on display rotates each year. The doll was given to Otto when he was child in 1906 by a Bahamian servant who was skilled in black magic and voodoo. Robert the Doll looks like an early 20th-Century Naval officer and it was said to talk back to Robert when it was spoken to. The doll had also been caught giggling while running from room to room and the neighbors had seen it move from window to window while the Otto family was not home. The doll has also been blamed for knocking furniture over in the middle of the night.

Otto passed away in 1974 and the doll was left in his home's attic. A new family moved in, who had a 10-year-old daughter. The doll seemed to scream in the middle of the night and the girl claimed it tried to attack her. Fast forward 30 years later, the girl still says the doll was alive.

Legend has it that if you try and take a picture of Robert the Doll, you must ask nicely. If he agrees, he will tip his head to one side. If he doesn't agree for you to take the photo, it has been said that he may follow you or curse you."