The SoFlo Weird team looks into shock entertainment, those live circus side show attractions that featured human oddities and bizarre performances, Freak Shows as they were once called. This live entertainment drew crowds like a moth to a flame... But what happened after the curtain fell was most shocking of all. We will also dive into the amazing act of Harry Wise the Ghost Master of Horror Shows, who took his secrets to his grave.

Tourism and agriculture have always been the backbone of Florida's economy. Primarily people flocked to our shores to escape cold northern winters, but weather was not the only reason. It seems there is something in our natural spring water and there's plenty to go around as Florida has more springs than any other place on earth. In the Gilded Age, it was promoted heavily like some kind of magical elixir to heal almost any disease, from Typhoid to TB. We discuss this little known time in history with Rick Kilby author of Florida's Healing Waters. Then we look into the whereabouts of Florida's true Fountain of Youth.

If you've ever thought of just getting away from it all, there is a secluded island located off of Florida's Forgotten Coast. Dog Island is part nature preserve and part home for very resourceful residents. It is amenity deprived, hurricane prone and only accessible by plane or boat. This ancient paradise has a history dating back 8,000 years. We meet up with author Laura Valeri who talks about the island's wild beauty as well as its extremely fragile state. Then we go through Florida's back roads to the small town of Two Egg, to find out the origins of how it got its name.

On the menu...creamed rattlesnake meat, possum stew and anti-aging pancakes.  SoFlo Weird Contributor Michelle McArdle and I are dishing up the dirt on these Florida-centric foods and some weird dining experiences.  Should you wish to feast with magical creatures or spirits of a different kind, we've got the goods on where to go that are out of this world.

Imagine walking through the entire state of Florida for four months. That's just what author Kent Russell did and documented in his book "In The Land of Good Living: A Journey To The Heart of Florida". Intent on making a film, he and two of his friends embarked on a thousand mile pedestrian journey pushing a shopping cart full of gear and camping along the roadside reducing themselves to filthy drifters. The mayhem that ensues had them loving and loathing Florida, but what they discovered was the true story of our state. Then we offer up places you can visit in 5 regions of Florida should you be searching for your own weird journey.

Get to know the SoFlo Weird Show backstory. Find out the inspiration and reason why we are so compelled to bring you these unique Florida stories, how we became self-proclaimed weirdoes and what spiritually guided force is behind this podcast. You may be surprised to know it’s very personal.

Stories of history have a way of just getting repeated unless a person goes digging for a deeper truth. To get to the bottom of Miami's true history we speak with historian Cesar Becerra about the untold story of Miami's other Mother, Mary Brickell. Then we go on to feature a Cracker Cowboy who gives us a glimpse into what early life was like in Florida.

Well-known pioneers like Henry Flagler and Carl Fisher get plenty of credit for their contributions to Florida’s history, but there are those who are not given the same admiration for their accomplishments. In this episode, we shine a light William Calhoun “Bill” Baggs a very influential editor of the Miami News from 1957 to 1969. We speak with author Amy Paige Condon who's written the first ever biography on "The Life of Bill Baggs". From a World War II Bombardier to civil rights activist and a US Diplomat, Bill Baggs bore witness and reported on some of the twentieth century's most earth-shifting events.

It's not the Great Estates of Scotland or the stately homes of the British Monarchy, but it is Florida in all it's weird glory. Yes, the Sunshine State does indeed have castles and just as you may suspect they do not classify as your typical palace. Instead they range from a fortress, to a grand parking garage, a metal mansion and even a limestone lodging. The SoFlo team once again joins Zach Zacharias, Senior Curator of Education and History at the Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences to get the story behind these magnificent structures.

Move over Hollywood California, the historical roots of filmmaking in America run deep in the Sunshine State. At the end of the 19th Century when the film industry was looking to expand from New York and Chicago, production companies headed south to Florida. We discuss this history which includes the creation of gory slasher flicks with Caroline Breder-Watts whose work spans radio, theater and film. Then we talk with Academy Award winning filmmaker Andrew Hevia whose humble beginnings in the biz started in the Magic City that is Miami.