| The East Martello Museum on South Roosevelt Boulevard is one of Southern Florida’s most popular attractions. Perhaps it’s the opportunity to learn about Ernest Hemingway's life in Key West that draws visitors to its doorstep, or maybe it’s a history of pirates and explorers that is uncovered during each visit. But if you’re a doll lover and a Halloween devotee, it’s the eerie story of Robert the doll that appeals to you most.
The story of Robert begins near the turn of the century, when a servant of the semi-prosperous Otto family gave their son, Gene Otto, a rather large straw doll dressed in a white sailor suit. Gene named his new doll friend Robert, and they, like many children and dolls that age, were inseparable. Gene was often heard carrying on conversations with Robert, but that’s no reason to raise a suspicious eyebrow. It wasn’t long, however, before many in the neighborhood began to wonder about this new doll. Some of the more unlucky folks reported that they had heard giggles coming from the doll, while others reported having seen the doll staring at them from the turret-room window of the Otto house.
Gene grew older and married, but he never quite outgrew his doll, Robert. He rediscovered his childhood friend years later in the attic of his parents’ house. Gene’s wife preferred to have Robert locked away in the attic, but Gene did not tolerate this and demanded that Robert be seated by the window with a view of the street. Soon Gene, too, felt that Robert should be locked in the attic, for there were too many unexplainable events occurring. But that did not put an end to the mischief and speculation. Some visitors to the house reported hearing footsteps in the attic, while others reported hearing giggling coming from the “empty” room above. Some have told stories of seeing Robert starring the from the window of the turret room, and even Gene who had locked Robert away in the attic was surprised to have found Robert in the rocking chair by that same window in the turret room, time and time again.
Gene passed away in 1972, and it was said that the daughter of the new owners of the house adopted Robert as her own, only to experience the same wonders as Gene had.
Today, Robert spends most of his time in the East Martello Museum in the Florida Keys. He still wears his white sailor’s suit and causes many visitors and staff to wonder about lights that were left on, strange sounds of someone tapping on glass, and even doll-sized dusty footprints on the museum floors.
He may be quite popular these days, but taking photographs of Robert still proves a difficult task, as cameras often suddenly stop working when aimed at Robert. Visit Robert at the museum this October and judge for yourself. And if you’re lucky, send us a picture!
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