May-Stringer House lands horror film role in Brooksville shoot

The May-Stringer House has stepped into the movie world, and for Brooksville that means more than a quirky one-off shoot. The Hernando Historical Museum Association’s flagship site, a four-story, seven-gable, gingerbread-trim, 14-room Victorian-era “Painted Lady” at 601 Museum Court, was used for the short horror film Boogeyman, a production that puts one of Hernando County’s most recognizable historic properties in front of a different audience.

Director and writer Joshua Shultz approached the museum board with the idea after searching for a Victorian-style home that fit the story. The May-Stringer’s look, along with its long-running haunted reputation, made the house an easy match for a horror project. Ryan Dean was on site with his camera, underscoring that the property was being used as an active filming location, not simply as a backdrop.

That kind of visibility matters in a city where the May-Stringer already carries a lot of weight. The house was leased by the Hernando Historical Museum Association in 1980, purchased in 1985 and became the first museum in Brooksville. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The association says it now operates three museums, with the May-Stringer as its best-known site and one of the most haunted houses in Florida.

The film shoot also adds another layer to a property that already draws visitors through history programming and paranormal tourism. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with tours beginning on the hour. General admission is listed at $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 through 12, and free for children under 6. The ghost-tour reservation page says the paranormal tour runs from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., with a docent-led first hour followed by time for visitors to revisit areas and conduct their own investigation.

The house has already shown it can draw organized groups, including an 18-person visit from The Villages in July 2025. A film production gives Brooksville another way to sell its historic character: as a place where preservation, tourism and creative work overlap. For the May-Stringer, Boogeyman is not just a movie title. It is another sign that the old house still has a living role in the county’s economy and public image.