About Us

What is a secret city walk?

An hour-long self-guided audio walking tour for adventurers to experience Ybor City.

From cigar magnates to con men, Cuban revolutionaries to lovers – the ghosts of Ybor City will guide you past social clubs, cigar factories and casitas into their evocative world.

Who’s Behind Secret City Walks?

This audio tour is the result of Ybor City’s charm seducing three women into telling her story.  Guided by a shared passion for historic preservation and a desire to capture the intriguing and true tales of Ybor City’s past, Linda Saul-Sena and Marilyn Mars created “Ybor City Ghost Walk” in 1996.  After several years of running actor-guided tours, the friends moved on with their professional lives until Juila Gorzka entered with the idea of using new technology to bring the ghosts back to life.  Linda and Julia took the original script, called upon local actors and musicians, and went to the recording studio at our community radio station, WMNF, to bring Secret City Walks to life.

The Voices

We are grateful to the talented actors who brought our ghosts to life – Elio Lopez, Bonita Agan, John Huls – and to the magnificent James Tokley, Poet Laureate of the City of Tampa, who’s baritone narration has us melt each time we hear him speak.

The Music

In search of music represented the spicy flavors of our beloved Ybor City, our friends from WMNF referred us to Havana NRG! and Orquesta Infidad who graciously allowed us to use their music to set the tone of the tour.

When you hear the violin play, you are listening to Adela’s love, Cesar Gonzmart.  We are thankful to his son Richard for allowing us to use his music.  His Hava Negila plays as you meet Louis Shine and sets the mood for romance as Adela tells their love story.

More Cities Coming Soon…

We had so much fun producing Secret City Walks: Ybor City that we are planning on adding 3 more Secret City Walks in 2010.