The Definitive Guide To All Things Haunted And Creepy In Texas
Texas is no stranger to the creepy and unexplained. From haunted houses to urban legends, we’ve got a little bit of everything that goes bump in the night. Big cities and small towns alike are brimming with ghost stories, creepy facts, and haunted places; no corner of the state is immune. Whether you want to spend the night in a haunted hotel or simply hear some spooky tall tales, the Lone Star State is a hub for all things weird, horrifying, and paranormal. Are you brave enough to explore the most haunted places in Texas? Here are some of the scariest places to visit, including the creepy lore behind them.
Hill House, located in Mineral Wells (yes, the same town as the infamous Baker Hotel), has a few ghosts of its own. Constructed in 1880, the house was a private residence before serving as a hospital for half a century. Nefarious activities like illegal gambling and prostitution, as well as a handful of deaths, have occurred in the building, and the present-day owners believe restless spirits are lurking around every corner. Ghost hunters, both amateur and professional, never leave without experiencing some sort of unexplained phenomena. Visitors can participate in overnight paranormal investigations, which are held regularly. You're also welcome to face whatever could be hiding in the shadows alone for a private lockdown. So, are you brave enough to sleep in this haunted house?
The Most Haunted Road In Texas (And Maybe America)
Deep in the Big Thicket, beneath towering pine trees whose gnarled branches curve overhead and block out the sunlight, Bragg Road would be creepy even if it wasn’t the most haunted road in Texas. Once you hear the story of the ghost light, you’ll want to stay far, far away — unless, of course, you’re brave enough to face the headless horseman. You see, this now infamous destination is the former site of a logging railroad, and legend has it a conductor was decapitated after the train derailed. Today, he rides on horseback, lantern in hand, searching for his missing head. Those who dare start down the road will see the notorious “Bragg Light” up ahead. Some say it’s nothing more than the headlights of a car, but as you keep driving, the eerie glow stays the same distance away. Could it be the lantern of the train conductor, whose restless spirit will haunt the road until his head is found?
1. Easily the most haunted hotel in Texas, the Galvez was built shortly after the devastating hurricane of 1900 that changed the city forever. In the wake of such a tragedy, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this century-old building is rife with ghosts. The most noteworthy of the spirits is known as the “Lovelorn Lady,” a young bride-to-be who committed suicide in room 405 after learning that her fiancée, a fisherman, had died at sea. Guests often report hearing disembodied voices, footsteps thumping up and down the halls with nobody in sight, and other strange occurrences that have no scientific explanation. Would you like to get acquainted with the specters of Hotel Galvez & Spa?
2. Although not as well-known as The Alamo, Presidio La Bahía has an equally gory history. It was the most contested fort in Texas history, having been involved in six wars or revolutions. Constructed by the Spanish army in 1747, it played an integral role in both the Battle of Goliad (1835) and the Texas Revolution (1836.) With so much bloodshed, one would naturally believe the grounds are full of energies from a realm far away from our own. Among the resident ghosts include a woman in a billowy white dress wandering the courtyard, the sound of ghostly cannon fire, and rapping on the walls in the officers’ quarters. Pay a visit to Presidio La Bahia at night, and you just may find yourself face-to-face with a ghost or two. If you’re really brave, you can even stay overnight in a room known as “The Quarters.” Don’t get too comfortable in the queen bed, because as soon as you turn out the light, the spirits come out to play.
3. If any place is believably haunted, it would be a ghost town in the middle of nowhere. Marfa, a small community of under 2,000 hiding out in the West Texas desert, is just that. People tend to avoid Marfa at all costs — not just because of its remoteness, either. You’ll understand why after hearing about the Marfa Lights. Once night falls in the town, the sky is set ablaze with glowing orbs that have no tangible source. Sightings are so common, there’s even a viewing platform constructed for no purpose other than to gawk at their impossible existence. Could the lights, perhaps, be those of spaceships carrying extraterrestrial beings? After all, the sky is plenty dark enough out here to see things you normally wouldn’t see in a big city…things that shouldn’t be there in the first place.
When it comes to spooky places, old jails are definitely up there on the list. Texas has quite a few, with the Old Gonzales County Jail Museum among the most notorious for being haunted. The jail was built in 1887, and its Gothic architecture is creepy enough without even mentioning the atrocities that took place inside. Misbehaving prisoners were locked away in an impossibly dark dungeon for punishment, and those on death row had to spend nearly all their waking moments behind unforgiving, wrought iron bars. Two executions by hanging even took place in the jail’s very own gallows. Visitors are welcome, but just know that even if you arrive by yourself, you’ll be far from alone. Others have reported such happenings as seeing shadows dance along the walls, hearing disembodied footsteps, and much more ghostly activity — and given the jail’s harrowing past, it isn’t hard to believe evil still lurks within. Would you pay a visit to this haunted prison?
Known ’round the world for its fear-inducing frights, 13th Floor is by far the scariest haunted house in Texas. Two locations, one in Houston and the other in San Antonio, offer double the thrills and chills. The attractions change every year, so even if you’ve been before, you’ll have no clue what horrors await. From a post-apocalyptic wasteland rife with the undead to a family of butchers who pays their debt to the devil by hunting humans, there’s no shortage of heart-pounding terror at this nightmare-fueling Halloween attraction.
Circle S Acres Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Wall has a haunted corn maze. that’s undeniably the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) Texas has to offer. Every twist and turn plunges you deeper into the darkness, until eventually, your sense of direction is all but lost. Unspeakable horrors hide within the stalks, and you can’t avoid them forever. Find your way out before it’s too late!
Purple clouds during a fierce thunderstorm in Darrouzett.
5 Creepy Facts About Texas
1. Several of the nation’s most notorious serial killings and mass murders happened, at least partially, in Texas. Among the offenders are Henry Lee Lucas, Charles Joseph Whitman, and Carl “Coral” Eugene Watts.
2. A 25-mile stretch of land off of I-45 is known as the “Texas Killing Fields” due to the number of bodies found there over the decades. It is believed that several different people are responsible for the murders, but only one conviction has ever been made. Who knows how many psychopaths could be walking around with blood on their hands?
3. If you love all things weird and macabre, pay a visit to the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston. This creepy place features 14 permanent exhibits, in addition to limited edition displays shown on a rotating basis. From the ins-and-outs of the embalming process to the evolution of funeral attire, you’ll learn more about death than you ever wanted to know.
4. Texas has its very own version of Area 51. Aurora Cemetery is among the oldest burial grounds in the state, dating to 1861. The small-town graveyard was launched into the national spotlight about 30 years later, when the Dallas Morning Post published an article about an alleged UFO crash on the grounds. Supposedly, an extraterrestrial being was laid to rest in the cemetery, along with wreckage from the accident. Are you brave enough to go exploring?
5. Portions of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie were filmed at a gas station in Bastrop. The once dilapidated building is now a BBQ restaurant and motel where starving, weary travelers can pull off and spend the night. What kind of meat are they cooking, anyway? Make sure to sleep with one eye open, or you just may find out.
Love Texas?
Thank you! You'll receive your first newsletter soon!
