Lone Star Scares: 23 Most Haunted Places in Texas

The most haunted places in Texas aren’t just big, they’re Texas big. From dusty ghost towns to wide-open plains, the Lone Star State is packed with paranormal stuff. 

So grab your ghost-hunting gear and a ten-gallon hat, we’re heading into the wild yonder. 

Ready to yee-haw into the afterlife?

These are the 15 most haunted places in Texas:

Hotel Driskill 

Austin

The Hotel Driskill is one of the most haunted places in Texas and sits right in the heart of downtown Austin. 

Colonel Jesse Driskill, the hotel’s founder, lost the property in a poker game right after it opened. His ghost is a familiar presence, especially in his favorite room overlooking 6th Street. 

One guest awoke to find a man who looked exactly like Jesse Driskill, smoking a cigar by the window. When he turned on the light, the figure was gone, but the curtains swayed and the air was thick with smoke.

Other manifestations:

• The Bride: In the early 1990s, a heartbroken woman spent thousands on a shopping spree before dying by suicide in Room 329. Her ghost still drags shopping bags through the halls.
• The Child: A young boy who fell down the grand staircase is heard laughing as his ball bounces through the corridors.
• The Painting: A portrait on the fifth floor unnerves guests. Many believe the little girl it depicts — the daughter of a U.S. Senator who died at the hotel — remains.
• Suicide Brides: Two women, decades apart, killed themselves in the same bathtub while on their honeymoons. The first incident occurred in the late 1800s, when a heartbroken bride committed suicide after being abandoned by her fiancé. The second happened in the 20th century, under equally mysterious circumstances. Guests claim to hear the faint sound of sobbing from an empty room, see a woman in a wedding gown drifting down the hall, or feel suddenly cold near the infamous suite.
• Lady Bird and LBJ: The former president and first lady are sometimes seen in ballroom mirrors or reflections throughout the building.
• Concrete Terror: In March 1991, Johnette Napolitano, lead singer of Concrete Blonde, stayed at the Driskill while touring with Sting. She awoke to lights turning themselves on and off, a closet light clicking on, and a door swinging open. This happened even after she unplugged the lamps. She described the presence as playful, even sensing it wanted to see her naked. This surreal experience inspired her hit song “Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man.”
• Sharp Dresser: Annie Lennox stayed at the Driskill during a tour and struggled to decide between two outfits for a performance. She laid both dresses on her bed, stepped into the shower, and emerged to find one dress neatly hung in the closet.

Baker Hotel 

Mineral Wells

North of Fort Worth, The Baker Hotel was once a glamorous health resort that drew celebrities like Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and even Bonnie and Clyde. 

Today, The Baker is one of the most haunted places in Texas:

• The Mistress: With red hair, green eyes, and lavender perfume, this woman jumped from the seventh floor. Her ghost flirts with male guests by poking the ones she’s interested in and leaving behind the scent of her perfume. Her lipstick-wearing ghost has even shattered glass on the floor she once lived on.
• TD Baker: The hotel’s founder died of a heart attack he suffered in his 11th-floor suite. He is known to steal small items from tourists and leave them behind as pranks. The entire floor often smells like his favorite cigars.
• The Bellhop: This tragic figure was sliced in half by a malfunctioning elevator. His upper torso has been seenwandering the hallways.
• The Boy and Dog: A child who died while receiving treatment for leukemia roams with a shaggy dog. He once contacted a medium to ask for help, making him one of the few communicative spirits in the hotel. The boy’s spirit reached out during a séance held at the hotel, speaking through a medium to share his story. He expressed confusion about his death and a desire for guidance, making him the only haunting there known to actively seek help.
• The Shifting Windows: In the 1990s, a bank teller across the street noticed windows opening and closing on their own, even though no one used the hotel at the time.

The Baker is currently closed but under renovation, with no opening date yet planned.

USS Lexington 

Corpus Christi

Floating off the coast of Corpus Christi, the USS Lexington, called “The Blue Ghost,” is a historic World War II aircraft carrier and one of the most haunted places in Texas, thanks to the energetic residue from over 400 deaths.

The ship was hit multiple times during the war, including a kamikaze attack that tore through the engine room. 

Visitors today still hear screaming and the sounds of men running in that section of the ship. 

Manifestations include:

• Japanese pilot: Believed to be one of the kamikaze attackers from the 1944 strike, this manifestation has startled many. Witnesses have seen the figure of an Asian man in a pilot’s uniform near the rear of the ship, close to the engine room where the kamikaze hit. He appears disoriented and sometimes angry, walking the narrow passageways, and some have heard him shouting in Japanese, followed by the sound of rushing wind or impact.
• American Sailor: Dressed in a faded WWII-era Navy uniform, this spirit is seen guiding guests through the ship. Some visitors have spoken with him directly, thinking he was a tour guide, only to find out no such guide was assigned to their group. Others have followed him, only for him to vanish around a corner.
• The Engine Room Operator: Deep within the ship, in the section that took the brunt of the kamikaze attack, lurks the presence of a man believed to have died in the blast. He’s usually heard rather than seen, clanking tools, urgent shouting, and frantic footsteps echo through the chamber. Some guests have reported feeling as though someone brushed past them, followed by a sudden rush of heat or the distant sound of screams and explosions. Those who do glimpse him describe a grease-covered man in overalls.

Each year in October, the museum transforms the ship into a massive haunted house called Haunting on the Blue Ghost, where guests explore over 80 compartments on two decks. 

The Alamo 

San Antonio

Remember the Alamo (and its hauntings!). 

The 1836 battle between Mexican forces and Texas defenders left hundreds dead, many of whom were buried in mass graves surrounding the mission.

The hauntings began even before the famous siege. Soldiers and priests reported disturbing sounds and smells from within the original mission walls. 

One of the oldest ghost stories involves a group of Mexican soldiers sent by Santa Anna to destroy what remained of the fort and cover up the massacre. When they returned, they were terrified and incoherent, claiming to have seen horrifying visions.

Manifestations:

• The Blonde Boy: One of the most often seen ghosts is a small blonde-haired boy, usually spotted in the left upstairs window where the gift shop is today. The sad-looking kid has also been seen wandering the grounds almost nonstop during the first few weeks of February. Many believe he was evacuated during the siege and returns each year to search for his father, who died in the battle.
• Native American Man: In a part of the mission now used for storage and meetings, staff often sense a tall Indian silently creeping up behind them. When they turn, they see the broad-chested Native American before he vanishes or walks through a solid wall that once held a tunnel to the Menger Hotel.
• The Wanderer: Louis Moses Rose, a Frenchman once called the “Coward of the Alamo,” is a common haunting. Before the battle, William Travis gave the men a choice to stay or leave. Rose chose to walk away. When he returned home, people shunned him, and he eventually left Texas.
• James Allen: Each March, a few days after the Alamo’s fall, people report waking to the sound of a horse galloping on the pavement. Many believe it is the spirit of James Allen, the last courier to leave the Alamo.
• Davy Crockett: Park rangers have often reported seeing the spirit of frontiersman and Alamo defender Davy Crockett dressed in buckskin clothing and a coonskin cap. His transparent figure is said to stand in different spots around the Alamo, holding a rifle.
• The Torso: At night, some have seen a woman’s vaporous, torso-like form beside the water well on the far side of the church. No one knows her identity.
• Hotel Guests: Nearby hotels have often reported seeing grotesque apparitions emerging from the walls of the old Alamo and restless spirits pacing on top of the buildings. Others say they have heard screams, explosions, and the faint notes of “El Deguello,” the Spanish call of “no quarter” that Santa Anna ordered during the final attack on the fort.

The Alamo’s violent past makes it one of the most haunted places in Texas.

Yorktown Memorial Hospital 

Yorktown

Yorktown Memorial Hospital, opened in the 1940s and closed in 1988, is known for its aggressive paranormal activity.

Manifestations:

• T.J. the Prankster: T.J., a man who died of a heroin overdose after being left at the hospital’s front steps. He reportedly pinches women on the butt.
• Angry Nuns: The hospital, once run by nuns, carries strong energy in the chapel. Visitors with many tattoos or piercings have claimed to be scratched or have their necks squeezed by unseen forces believed to be judgmental spirits of the former staff.
• Dr. Leon Norwierski: This elderly doctor was known for practicing medicine into his 90s. His fatal surgical mistakes, including accidentally slitting a man’s throat, left a dark legacy. 
• Animal-like Shadows: The former caretaker has seen black, dog-sized shadows and a towering man with glowing red eyes.

You can still tour Yorktown Memorial Hospital, one of the most haunted places in Texas, to this day!

The Menger Hotel

San Antonio

Opened in 1859 next to the Alamo, the Menger Hotel is a San Antonio icon and one of the most haunted places in Texas. It has welcomed presidents, soldiers, and celebrities.

Guests often spot a man in a Rough Rider uniform wandering the historic bar. This is believed to be the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt, who once recruited soldiers for the Spanish-American War right inside the hotel. Some have claimed to speak with him before he vanished.

Another manifestation is Sallie White, a chambermaid murdered by her jealous husband. She’s been seen on the third floor, wearing a long gray skirt and a bandaged head, silently continuing her housekeeping duties. 

Captain Richard King, the wealthy founder of King Ranch, still roams the suite that bears his name. He died in the hotel and is often seen walking through a wall. The part he walked through was once the location of a now-sealed doorway.

In the kitchen, staff have reported pots moving on their own, sudden temperature drops, and the scent of cigars.

Presidio La Bahía 

Goliad

Presidio La Bahía is a centuries-old Spanish fortress with a violent past, so you know it made it onto our list of most haunted places in Texas! 

During the Texas Revolution, these 300-plus Texan soldiers, many of them volunteers, were captured and executed by the Mexican army in the Goliad Massacre. 

These fighters had taken up arms in a foreign land, aiming to carve out a new republic from Mexico. Their deaths marked a turning point in the conflict.

Manifestations:

• Colonel Fannin: Hanged in the Goliad Massacre, he is occasionally seen in the courtyard, blindfolded and seated in a chair awaiting execution. His ghost is also encountered in the officer’s quarters near the chapel.
• Courtyard Quadrangle: Many soldiers lost their lives in the courtyard quadrangle during the battle. Visitors often say they feel a strange and heavy energy while standing there. Some witnesses claim to see blood splattered on the wall, known as “phantom blood,” and the smell of rotting flesh. Vultures still gather in the quadrangle, as if drawn by the odor of flesh.
• Our Lady of Loreto Chapel: The ghost of a woman dressed in all black has been seen inside the chapel, mourning while holding a candle. In the courtyard, a woman dressed in all white has been seen, and a robed monk is said to patrol the chapel and scare off trespassers. When the chapel is empty, some have heard babies crying, the organ playing, and a woman’s choir singing or bells chiming. The chapel remains in use to this day.

Jefferson Palace Hotel 

Jefferson

The Jefferson Palace Hotel has a reputation for disturbing paranormal activity. Once a cotton warehouse and later a hotel for riverboat travelers, the building now hosts spirits from several different eras.

Manifestations:

Book of the Dead: Guests record their paranormal encounters in a “Book of the Dead” kept at the front desk. The original book was kept by a former owner, but the current owners, the Jones family, have started a new one. Guests can request the book to read past entries or write down their own experiences.

Room 0: Guests have reported the bed lifting off the floor. Loud banging noises are heard, and heavy objects are thrown. A man’s voice yelling “NO” was witnessed by five people, with no one in sight.

Room 2: Guests have seen a full-bodied apparition go through the bathroom wall. Objects and furniture move without explanation.

Room 3: A little boy has been caught on video looking out the door, and the shower turns on by itself.

Room 6: Guests capture apparitions in the mirrors. Strange residue appears and disappears on the bed. Scratching is heard on the carpet and bed. 

Room 9: A little boy reportedly drowned in the bathtub in the early years, and shadows are seen in the restroom.

Room 10: Breathing is heard in guests’ ears. Objects move without cause. The spirit of Jenny Brown, a young girl who died in a fire, is said to haunt this room.

Room 13: Originally the room where a bride hanged herself from the bed, now in room 19. A table and lamp were thrown across the room, and pictures fell from the walls.

Room 14: Covers lift on their own, and children are heard playing, and footsteps are heard in the room.

Room 15: Shadows have been seen, and loud banging is heard from the restroom.

Room 17: A mirror message has appeared, usually either  “Get out” or “Leave now.” Guests hear voices having conversations with no one there.

Room 19: Guests report a bride covering them up in bed. Loud banging is heard above the bed. Disembodied voices, footsteps, and shadows have been reported.

The Child in the Disappointments Room: A disappointment room is a room where somebody with a mental or physical handicap is kept hidden. This attic room from the late 1880s is off-limits to guests. History says a child was locked inside. A little boy has been seen and captured in photos multiple times.

Mill Children: Guests see a boy in knee-length britches and a girl in a pinafore, believed to be casualties from the building’s time as a cotton warehouse. They are often heard laughing and chasing each other in the halls. They play with small objects, move possessions, and turn lights on and off. 

The Vanishing Man: Guests describe a tall man in a long coat and high boots. He appears in rooms at night and sometimes is followed down the hall, only to vanish when he turns into a room.

Judy: In room 19, guests see the spirit of a teen prostitute stabbed by a client and left to die in the bathtub. She appears in steam from showers and writes messages on the bathroom mirror, sometimes as warnings, other times as pleas for help. The name “Judy” has appeared in the writing. 

Woman in White: This young woman in a bridal gown with golden hair appears mostly to men traveling alone. Her feet never touch the ground. She haunts a specific bed that has been moved to room 19, but was once in rooms 12 and 14.Most believe she is either Elizabeth or Lydia Grigsby, two women who stayed at The Jefferson 50 years apart. Both were abandoned on their wedding days and probably pregnant. Lydia reportedly hanged herself from the bed’s headboard around 1912. Cameras have captured a shadow entering room 19.

With all these manifestations, is it any wonder how the Jefferson Place Hotel made it onto our list of most haunted places in Texas?

The Emily Morgan Hotel 

San Antonio

Once a medical facility with surgical floors and a psychiatric wing, the Emily Morgan Hotel is now a luxury destination with a haunted past. Located directly across from the Alamo, this towering building has long been associated with ghost sightings.

Manifestations:

• Elevator Hauntings: Guests often report elevators stopping on the wrong floor or descending to the basement without buttons being pushed. Some claim to see a nurse wheeling a gurney reflected in the doors.
• Twelfth Floor Activity: Faucets turn on by themselves, but when visitors investigate, the water immediately shuts off.
• Surgical Floors: The fourteenth floor, once used for operating rooms, is said to carry the sharp scent of antiseptic and hospital chemicals.
• Hospital Smells: Hallways are filled at times with the sterile odor of disinfectant (AKA hospital smell).
• The Morgue: In the basement, once used to store the dead, employees and guests have reported hearing disembodied voices, seeing glowing orbs, and smelling what they describe as burning flesh.

La Carafe 

Houston

La Carafe is often called the oldest commercial building in Houston, and it certainly feels like it. The candlelit bar, exposed brick walls, and creaky wood floors already feel haunted.

Built in 1860 after a fire destroyed the original wooden structure, the building has lived many lives. It began as Kennedy Bakery in 1847, later became a trading post, then cycled through uses as a drug store, nail salon, and finally, the bar it is today.

Manifestations:

• Carl, former bartender: He likes to play tricks on women, occasionally opening and closing the cash register on his own. Women have reported wine glasses sliding across tables or crashing to the floor. After closing time, some say they’ve seen Carl’s ghost staring out the windows.
• Kid on the second floor: Bartenders often hear the faint sound of a child playing, including the unmistakable bounce of a ball across the wooden floor. The second floor only opens on weekends, but that hasn’t stopped the stories. 
• Woman in white: She appears at the top of the stairs, slowly walking down the hallway, only to vanish and repeat the motion again and again. She seems especially hostile toward women. More than one guest has claimed to be pushed by unseen hands, sending them tumbling back to the first floor.
• The singing woman: Her voice rises above the noise of the bar. Customers have paused mid-conversation, unsure if what they’re hearing is music or something else.

Hotel Galvez 

Galveston

Built in the early 1900s, Hotel Galvez has welcomed guests for over a century.

The most active spirit is known as The Lovelorn Lady, who is believed to haunt the fifth floor. She checked into Room 500, waiting for her fiancé, who had gone to sea. When she learned that his ship had sunk and he was missing, she killed herself in the hotel.

Guests often report an unexplained scent of gardenias, especially near Room 505. Some say it is her calling card. Visitors have heard voices, seen doors open on their own, and caught glimpses of a woman in white walking the halls. 

Even the women’s restroom off the lobby is known for strange activity. Toilets flush on their own, faucets turn on without a touch, and voices echo even when no one is inside. 

Hotel Galvez remains one of the most haunted places in Texas.

Old Red Museum 

Dallas

The Old Red Museum, formerly the Dallas County Courthouse, built in 1892, is also among the most haunted places in Texas. 

Despite common belief, no hangings took place within the courthouse itself. Most executions happened at another location. Still, a violent mob once stormed the building, threw a man from the third-floor window, and later lynched him. 

In 1910, a white mob stormed the Dallas County Courthouse to get Allen Brooks, a 59-year-old black man, accused of a crime without evidence. They threw him out of a second-story window and smashed his skull on the street below. They beat his body, tied a rope around his neck, and paraded his corpse through downtown Dallas before hanging him from a telephone pole while thousands watched. 

No one was ever arrested for the lynching, and the crowd took souvenirs and photos.

Other tragedies include the shooting death of a former mayor, a construction worker’s fatal heat stroke, and the nearby assassination of President Kennedy. 

Visitors report ghostly figures wandering the corridors, disembodied voices, and a dark figure staring angrily down from the second-story window.

The Crockett Hotel 

San Antonio

Located next to the Alamo at Alamo Plaza, The Crockett Hotel carries the weight of its historic land that once witnessed brutal battles during the fight for Texas independence. 

Manifestations:

• Doors opening and closing by themselves in the lobby
• A figure in a dark blue jacket resembling an Alamo soldier is seen in hallways and near the bar
• Cold spots, faint whispers, disembodied footsteps, and curtains that move without wind
• The sound of horse hooves in the corridors
• Elevators that open on random floors or move on their own at night
• Orbs appearing in photos taken around the lobby

These experiences, rooted in the hotel’s location and history, make The Crockett Hotel one of the most haunted places in Texas.

Miss Molly’s Hotel 

Fort Worth

Inside Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards, Miss Molly’s Hotel stands out as one of the most haunted places in Texas. What began as a respectable boarding house for sick children in 1910 slowly transformed into something darker. 

During Prohibition, it operated as a speakeasy called The Oasis. By the 1940s, the building had become a bordello.

Today, Miss Molly’s is a cozy bed and breakfast known more for its ghostly guests than its human ones. Visitors regularly report the scent of unfamiliar perfumes and belongings that go missing only to appear later in odd places. Others discover old coins left on dressers or catch glimpses of shadows where no one should be standing.

Many of the spirits are believed to be former sex workers who were murdered during the hotel’s darker years. One well-known ghost is a blonde woman seen sitting on the edge of beds in the Cattlemen’s Room. 

Guests have also reported a mysterious cowboy known as Jake who strolls the halls, often appearing fully formed before vanishing without a sound.

Some of the most active rooms include:

• The Cowboy Room, where Jake is often seen
• The Cattlemen’s Room, which has frequent female visitations
• Rooms eight and nine, where a young girl who likely died of disease appears

With its violent history and regular ghost sightings, Miss Molly’s Hotel is for sure haunted.

La Villita 

San Antonio

La Villita, San Antonio’s oldest neighborhood, began as a modest collection of huts in the late 1700s. Originally built from straw and mud, the homes were destroyed in a devastating flood in 1819. 

Former Archbishop Robert E. Lucey said, of the renovations, “We’ve done such a good job restoring some of the Missions that the ghosts probably aren’t sure if they are in the same old place.”

• Chamade Jewelry Store: Inside this historic shop, cold spots chill the air, distant voices argue with no source, and objects move without explanation. The translucent figure of a woman in an apron has been spotted.
• River Art Gallery: A mysterious Woman in White roams the gallery, her identity unknown. She floats silently past the artwork, always present in the periphery.
• Starving Artist Gallery: Here, visitors report figures that slip across walls and objects that relocate themselves. A 19th-century-clad woman is said to appear now and then, her ghost flickering in and out of view.
• Gissi House: Built by Alsatian immigrant Cirilus Gissi in the 1850s, this home is haunted by the spirit of a cheerful little girl, believed to be his granddaughter. The child’s laughter still echoes through the rooms where she once lived.
• Florian House: Near this historic home, a woman in a white dress has been seen drifting quietly through the streets or sitting silently on nearby porches. 

With centuries of layered history, La Villita is a crossroads of art and the afterlife, and one of the most haunted places in Texas.

Texas State Capitol 

Austin

The Texas State Capitol is more than a center of politics and power. Its long history of tragedy and secrecy has filled the building with ghost stories that continue to this day.

Manifestations:

• Robert Marshall Love: The state comptroller was murdered at his desk in 1903 by a disgruntled employee. His ghost, dressed in early 1900s attire with a top hat and cane, has been seen near his former office.
• The Lady in Red: A mysterious figure in a scarlet dress is often seen on a restricted third-floor stairwell. Believed to have been the lover of a politician, she vanishes when approached and is thought to have died heartbroken after a secret affair.
• The 1983 Fire: A young intern died during the Capitol fire, trapped behind a locked window. Though the room was destroyed, the window survived. Today, ghostly handprints appear on its glass during storms or cold weather.

The Marfa Lights

Marfa

For over 135 years, the tiny desert town of Marfa has drawn curious travelers with a phenomenon that refuses to be explained: glowing orbs known as the Marfa Lights. 

Locals and visitors report seeing colorful balls of light across the horizon near the Paisano Pass, just southeast of town. The lights appear at night and often move in unpredictable patterns that split apart, merging, pulsating, or hovering before vanishing.

The first recorded sighting dates back to 1883, when cowboy Robert Reed Ellison spotted a floating light while driving cattle across the plains. He believed it to be an Apache signal fire and told others in town, sparking decades of speculation. Since then, ranchers, tourists, and World War II soldiers stationed nearby have shared similar stories.

During the filming of Giant in 1956, actor James Dean kept a telescope in his hotel room to watch the lights from afar. Some believe the lights are caused by atmospheric conditions or headlights, but documented sightings long predate automobiles.

Today, a dedicated viewing platform nine miles east of Marfa on Highway 90 offers the best chance of seeing the mystery unfold. While not technically haunted, the Marfa lights are a Texas must-see.

Tip: Bring binoculars and patience. 

The Grove 

Jefferson

Built in 1861 by the Stilley family, The Grove is one of Jefferson’s oldest homes and one of its most paranormally active. 

Its first known haunting took place in 1882 when resident T.C. Burks abruptly moved his family out after just a few months. He offered no clear explanation other than, “We can’t live there.”

One of the most tragic stories tied to the property involves James Young, the son of formerly enslaved residents who took ownership after the Burks. 

In 1908, James hanged himself on the back porch. Decades later, his sister Louise Young, known for calling the spirits “haints,” reported escalating activity. She described seeing shadowy figures, hearing doors slam close, and feeling watched.

Other Manifestations:

• A black mass appeared in the bedroom, witnessed by Mrs. Grove while she held a Bible.
• Sudden, unexplained odors, ranging from floral perfume to strong body odor (gross!).
• A woman in white disappearing into a powder room, never seen again.
• A waitress was attacked by a black-and-white dog that vanished without a trace.
• Wet footprints appearing indoors on dry days and water droplets mysteriously forming on a specific mirror and staircase.
• A glowing woman in white is often seen walking through the house or sitting on the porch. She sometimes passes through a wall that once led to the children’s room, believed by some to be Minerva Stilley.

Galveston Old City Cemetery 

Galveston

Established in 1839, the Old City Cemetery in Galveston stands as one of the most haunted places in Texas and one of the oldest burial grounds in the state. 

The site is actually a cluster of seven adjoining graveyards, known as the Broadway Cemetery District:

• Broadway Cemetery District: Galveston’s early burials were poorly suited for long-term use, a problem revealed during the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1839, which claimed 250 lives. To address this, the Galveston City Company created a public burial ground, donating four blocks of land for the Old City Cemetery and Potter’s Field.

• Burial Layers: In the 19th and 20th centuries, additional cemeteries were established, creating the Broadway Cemetery District. Repeated grade raises led to burials on top of burials, with some graves stacked three bodies deep.

• Old City Cemetery: This is Galveston’s oldest burial ground, at nearly 200 years old. Sections were reserved for the German Lutheran Church, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Protestant Orphans Burial Ground.

• Elize Roemer Alberti, “The Demented Mother”: In 1894, Alberti poisoned her four children with morphine-laced wine before taking her own life, claiming she had been ill for months and could no longer care for them, saying, “They are better off.” After a period in the San Antonio Asylum, she returned to Galveston and ultimately committed suicide. Alberti is buried alongside her children, making her grave one of the rare instances where a murderer rests with their victims.

• Nicaragua Smith: A Confederate deserter, arsonist, and burglar executed by firing squad in 1863. With no marked grave, her ghost is said to wander aimlessly.

• New Cahill / Evergreen Cemetery: Built in 1900 to memorialize victims of the Great Storm of 1900, which killed as many as 12,000 people. New Cahill holds about 900 known burials, though many storm victims were lost to unmarked mass graves.

• Old Cahill Cemetery / New City Cemetery / Yellow Fever Yard: Established in 1867, later renamed after the Great Storm of 1900.Known as the Yellow Fever Yard, where 725 victims of the 1867 epidemic were buried, many in unmarked graves.

Galveston Old City Cemetery is undeniably one of the most haunted places in Texas. 

The Fort Worth Zoo

Fort Worth

Founded in 1909, the Fort Worth Zoo is the oldest continuously operating zoo in Texas.

It’s home to over 7,000 animals, including two rare rhino species. But behind the family-friendly exhibits are two unsettling hauntings.

The most well-known ghost is believed to be Michael Bell, a beloved elephant trainer who died tragically in 1987. While working with a 7,000-pound elephant named Sam, Bell was fatally injured, knocked over, and stepped on. After his death, multiple zoo employees and visitors reported seeing a man walking near the elephant and zebra enclosures, just as Bell once did on his daily rounds.

Another manifestation is a woman dressed in late 19th-century clothing, complete with a parasol. She’s often seen slowly pacing near the zoo café, her origin unknown. Some think she may have been connected to the land before the zoo was established.

Bowers Mansion

Palestine

The Bowers Mansion, built in 1878, is a striking example of Victorian Italianate architecture that still stands in Palestine as a registered Texas Historic Landmark. 

The most infamous event occurred in 1956, when the home’s then-owner, Andrew Bowers Jr., fatally shot his wife, Mary, before turning the gun on himself just as police approached the front steps. The tragic murder-suicide marked the beginning of the mansion’s haunted legacy.

Locals say that the Bowers aren’t alone. 

Others have died within the home, and the couple’s six children, who remained in the house until 1973, may have experienced things they never dared to tell anyone. 

Oakwood Cemetery 

Austin

The haunted Oakwood Cemetery dates back to the 1850s. Over 23,000 people are buried here, including:

• Eula Phillips: One of the most chilling spirits said to haunt Oakwood is that of 17-year-old Eula Phillips, a victim of the mysterious Servant Girl Annihilator, one of America’s earliest known serial killers. 
• Thomas Green: Confederate General Thomas Green died in 1864 while charging a Union gunboat during the Red River Campaign. Visitors report seeing him in full military attire, pacing near his grave. Many believe Green is caught in an endless loop of his final moments.
• Susanna Dickinson: Also buried here, Susanna was a survivor of the Alamo. Her first-hand account helped shape what we know about the 1836 battle. 

The Magnolia Hotel

Seguin

Dating back to 1840, the Magnolia Hotel has lived many lives, from stagecoach stop to frontier shelter, and today, it’s known as one of the most haunted places in Texas.

One of the most unsettling stories is that of a little girl who was murdered by a hotel guest. Current owners Erin and Jim Ghedi were told the hotel wasn’t haunted when they bought it…That belief lasted only a few hours. 

While celebrating in the building after signing the papers, they heard 3 loud knocks on the doors followed by a cold gust of wind rushing between them. 

Guests say furniture moves on its own, strange voices whispering in the dark, and sudden drops in temperature. Paranormal investigators have identified at least 13 individual spirits believed to reside in the building.

• Wilhelm Faust: A convicted axe murderer, Faust killed a young girl in New Braunfels and is believed to have stayed at the Magnolia during his escape. His violent spirit is said to roam the hotel, leaving behind a menacing presence. Guests sometimes feel watched in the rooms connected to his stay.
• Emma Voelcker: An innocent 12-year-old girl murdered by Wilhelm Faust in 1874. Her spirit is described as sad but gentle, and some visitors have reported seeing her apparition or hearing a child’s laughter in the building.
• Unnamed Frontier Traveler: One of several spirits tied to the Magnolia’s days as a frontier stopover. Witnesses report shadowy figures resembling weary travelers who never checked out.
• The Weeping Woman: Believed to be the ghost of a woman who died heartbroken in the hotel. Guests hear sobbing, especially late at night, often near the old boarding rooms.
• The Protective Prostitute: A former working woman said to have lived and died at the hotel. Unlike other spirits, she’s believed to protect women who stay there, with many guests reporting a sense of comfort or unseen help.
• The Hanged Man: Thought to be a gambler or outlaw who was lynched near the property. His restless energy is tied to feelings of choking or pressure on the chest reported by some overnight guests.
• The Mischievous Child Spirit: Possibly another victim from the hotel’s long history. Guests describe toys moving on their own and playful giggles in empty rooms.
• Confederate Soldier: The Magnolia served during wartime, and a Confederate soldier’s spirit is often seen in uniform. He appears briefly before vanishing, usually near windows and doorways.
• Native American Spirit: Said to predate the hotel’s construction, this ghostly figure has been glimpsed outside the building. Witnesses describe a tall, stoic figure watching silently, sometimes inside during nighttime tours.
• The Dandy: A well-dressed man from the 19th century who appears in mirrors or doorways. Guests often smell cologne when he’s nearby, suggesting vanity carried beyond the grave.
• The Midwife: A woman who once worked in the hotel when it served as a residence. Her spirit is felt in maternal ways, with some visitors describing her presence as soothing and protective.
• Unnamed Murder Victim: Local lore suggests the hotel was once a hiding place for criminals. A murder victim’s ghost is believed to linger, restless and vengeful, tied to certain upstairs rooms.
• The Caretaker: Believed to be tied to the hotel’s later years, this spirit is seen checking doors and hallways as if still protecting the property. Guests report hearing footsteps pacing methodically at night.

Half the hotel is now a five-room bed and breakfast, lovingly restored. The other half remains unrestored and without electricity, and many say it’s the most paranormally active part of the hotel.

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