These 10 Hauntings In Texas Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
By Kristen Lawrence|Updated on June 17, 2021(Originally published June 12, 2021)
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Kristen Lawrence
Author
Texas staff writer for Only in Your State, blogger for Power of Positivity, and freelance health, wellness, and travel writer. I spend any chance I get traveling, enjoying nature, trying out new recipes, and meditating. I love sharing smiles, good food, and great conversation :)
We’ve done a few articles about haunted places in Texas before, including one about an old, creepy cemetery in Texas, another about haunted hotels, and a piece about some other well-known haunted places in Texas. We decided to compile a master list of some of the most disturbing hauntings in our state that will leave you running to hide under your covers, then, too, because come on – we gotta. These places filled with ghost stories in Texas will definitely make you want to sleep with one eye open:
Supposedly, a man whose head got cut off in a railroad accident on this very road is searching for his head with a lantern in the dark of night in the woods. People have claimed to see flickering lights in the distance on the old logging road, and while some say it's probably just the headlights of passing cars on the highway (or maybe even swamp gas), people still keep piling into their cars with friends and family to witness the mysterious Bragg Lights.
People come from all over to see the Marfa Lights, which viewers describe as white, yellow, red, and orange basketball-shaped spheres that randomly appear in the night sky in this tiny west Texas town. There's even a special viewing center in town (pictured above) where people can get the best view of the famous lights. They're easily one of the most predictable creepy things on this list! Check them out sometime!
Since the Battle of Goliad and the Goliad Massacre took place here during the Texas Revolution, you will inevitably find many angry and hurting spirits still wandering the land. Many who have visited report hearing cries of pain during the night and even seeing apparitions of soldiers.
Two ghosts are said to haunt this hotel: one of a bloody nude woman on the seventh floor who had an affair with the hotel manager, and another of a man who had died after getting caught in an elevator door. This is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in Texas, and it was even investigated on the popular show "Ghost Adventures." You might just get to witness some of these disturbing hauntings for yourself someday, as the long-shuttered hotel and spa is undergoing renovations (and we all know how crazy ghosts get when there's renovations).
Jefferson is one of the most well-known haunted towns in Texas, and this hotel in particular houses many ghosts that like to torment guests. People have reported objects being thrown at them, hearing loud footsteps pounding down the hallways during the night, hearing mysterious voices from vacant rooms, and other frightening occurrences. If you still decide to stay here, at least you've been warned.
Address: 124 W Austin Street, Jefferson, Texas, 75657
First opened in 1859 by William Menger, this hotel eventually earned a reputation for being haunted, and up to 32 different ghosts are said to wander the halls - including that of Teddy Roosevelt. The Alamo is right next door, which might explain why this is a hotspot for so many spirits whose souls have not gotten a chance to rest.
Address: 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas, 78205
Ever since the bloody, raging Battle of the Alamo took place at this world-famous mission, people have claimed to see and hear strange things on the property. It's no wonder that the Alamo is thought to be one of the most haunted places in Texas due to its long and dark history. For centuries, visitors have reported hearing sounds of explosions and the frightened screams of soldiers, seeing full-body apparitions, and even hearing sounds of a faint trumpet playing "El Deguello," the Spanish call of "no quarter" ordered played by Santa Anna during the final attack at the fort. 182 Texan defenders and 1,600 Mexican troops died here, essentially making it a cemetery for the many soldiers who perished during one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. history.
Address: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas, 78205
Of course, an old insane asylum must be on the list of haunted places in Texas. Reports of children screaming, lights turning on and off randomly, and ghosts wandering the property offer all the proof you need that spirits still haunt this disturbing sanitarium. Someone recently bought the property and since it's a private residence nowadays, investigations are off-limits. But, honestly... that's probably a good thing.
This stately mansion was built in 1936 by a woman named Etta Terrell, an heiress to her family's fortune. After a fire burned down her previous home, she had just one request to the builders of this new mansion: make it fireproof. So, it was constructed out of steel and concrete, complete with 22 rooms and spanning 10,000 square feet. Etta and her four sisters occupied the home until the last one passed away in 1968. Ever since then, things have been getting spooky around the property. Unexplained voices are often heard, doors slam shut without warning, and maintenance workers even see strange elderly women wave to them from the windows of the mansion. If you dare step foot on the property, tours are given on the last Sunday of each month.
Address: 25 North Kendall Street, Goliad, Texas, 77963
After more than 100 years, this restaurant and saloon still stands by the railroad tracks in the quaint community of Spring. People have been enjoying juicy burgers and cold beers here since 1902 when it opened, but expect more than great food and drinks when you stop by. The son of the town's founder, Charlie Wunsche, is said to haunt the restaurant, but he is more of a mischievous spirit than a threatening one. Workers have claimed that coffee pots sometimes start and stop on their own, unlocked doors won't budge, and mysterious shadows are seen along the hallways upstairs. Charlie especially likes to cause a ruckus during construction or remodeling, but the staff respects him and enjoys having him watch over them despite his repeated antics around the store.
Address: 103 Midway Spring, Texas, 77373
What other haunted places do you know of in Texas? Share with us in the comments below!
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More to Explore
Ghost Stories In Texas
Tori Jane|June 17, 2021
What are the most haunted places in Texas?
Texas is a huge state – and you know what that means. Lots of square mileage means lots of history, and with lots of history comes lots of haunted places. So, what are the most haunted places in Texas, you ask? There’s plenty! One of our favorites isn’t even a “place” at all, per se, but a road: creepy old Bragg Road, in east Texas, is home to an unexplained light that appears and disappears, and all efforts to explain it over the decades have come up empty-handed. It’s creepy and weird, for sure. There’s also Yorktown Memorial Hospital, in southern Texas, an abandoned hospital that once saw its fair share of tragedy and suffering. We also like The Plaza Theatre, in El Paso, which is said to be haunted by restless spirits to this day. Craving more haunted locations in Texas? This article will likely serve as inspiration!
What are some creepy urban legends in Texas?
Every state has got its urban legends, and Texas is no different. Perhaps the most famous urban legend in all of Texas’s history is that of the Marfa Lights, a strange and highly notable wave of UFO sightings over the town of Marfa. They still show up to this day from time to time, though the highest number of Marfa Lights sightings was during the 1970s and 1980s. It’s worth noting, though, that the earliest documented sighting of the lights was in 1883. There are a few ideas as to what they are, though nothing has been confirmed yet. There’s also the tale of the screaming bridge, in Arlington, the site of a horrific car crash in the 1960s that claimed the lives of several teen girls. It’s worth noting that the bridge is only accessible by foot, as it’s been closed to cars for years.
What are the creepiest places in Texas?
Where to begin! The Lone Star State is home to plenty of super-spooky spots, like the Hotel Galvez, in Houston, which is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the state. Another hotel, in Austin, known as the Driskill Hotel, is also home to plenty of creepy ghost legends, and Bragg Road in Saratoga is so creepy that locals don’t dare drive it after dark.
