We Dare You To Take This Road Trip To Texas’ Most Abandoned Places
As somber as abandoned places in Texas are, for some strange reason, we can’t stay away from them. We grow sorrowful at the thought of once-thriving businesses or schools that are now nothing more than a pile of ruins but remain fascinated with the possibility that something sinister could be lurking inside. Here’s your opportunity to entertain that dark fantasy and visit nine of the creepiest abandoned places in Texas. As usual, the Google Map for this Texas road trip can be customized to your location and preferred destinations!
During WWII, this was the largest infantry replacement training center in the United States. Fort Wolters Training Site also served as a German POW camp. Now, instead of army men, all it holds are the bloody, forgotten memories of war-torn souls.
2. Baker Hotel (Mineral Wells)
The Baker Hotel and Spa, 200 E Hubbard St, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, USA
Also in Mineral Wells, this hotel is easily one of the most famous abandoned places in Texas. There are many ghost stories associated with it; an especially notable one is about a woman who flung herself from an upstairs window after learning of her husband's infidelity. Although you can't go inside, merely touring the grounds will make every hair on the back of your neck stand at attention. You might even see a ghost peering out at you from one of the windows.
As if places that once housed rotting corpses aren't creepy enough, the fact that this abandoned place in Texas hasn't been in operation since the 1970s combined with the graffiti littering the walls makes it a million times spookier. It's still a historic part of the Stockyards District, though, and harbors a lot of history that deserves to be celebrated for years to come.
The saying in Paducah is, "The only thing growing here is the cemetery." Sad as it may be, it's true. The town has been nearly deserted since the 1970s. Residents look around at the dilapidated buildings and remember the memories that were made there. The Cottle Hotel is no exception. What do you think is lurking within its walls?
Many years ago, early settlers to the Medina area called this place home. You can only imagine how much history was left behind after their deaths. You'll feel the heaviness in the air as soon as you step onto the property. The overgrowth guarding the house seems to imply the plethora of secrets housed within it.
Movie theatres are supposed to be filled with laughs, screams, and the excitement of tweens out and about without their parents' accompaniment. It's extremely eerie to enter one and see nothing but empty concession stands, decaying chairs, and black screens. Despite this, the memories made at Rig by high school kids on Friday nights still live on. So much so, that you might hear a giggle or footsteps behind you as you explore. What was that noise? Oh look, there's a crunched popcorn kernel on the ground. I wonder who did that... was it a Texas ghost?
Maybe even creepier than an abandoned movie theatre is an abandoned mansion. I'm talking no furniture, nothing at all aside from murals of sword-bearing pirates all over the house. Not to mention there was an Indian burial ground near the house. Are you brave enough to visit this abandoned mansion in Texas?
8. Zedler's Mill (Luling)
Zedler Mill, 1170 S Laurel Ave, Luling, TX 78648, USA
This mill had such a lasting impact on the development of the town of Luling. Who knows what would've become of the area if not for the massive amounts of revenue and population growth brought in by it? Although no longer in operation, the fact that the mill is still standing is a testament to its resilience and refusal to be forgotten. What a captivating abandoned place in Texas.
Abandoned schools are such saddening places. The laughter of children and the promise of future well-educated adults have given way to defunct ruins and distant memories. Nobody knows exactly what went wrong here, but a tour of the empty hallways of this abandoned school in Texas will leave a lasting impression on your soul.
Who’s ready to do some exploring? I know I am. Do you know of any other abandoned places in Texas that immediately give you the creeps?
Address: Fort Wolters Training Site, 734 Warren, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, USA
Address: The Baker Hotel and Spa, 200 E Hubbard St, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, USA
Address: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Address: Paducah, TX 79248, USA
Address: Medina, TX 78055, USA
Address: Premont, TX, USA
Address: Stewart Road, Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX, USA
Address: Zedler Mill, 1170 S Laurel Ave, Luling, TX 78648, USA
Address: Bosque County, TX, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
abandoned places in Texas
September 08, 2022
Sarah M.
What are some other abandoned places in Texas I should visit?
The above road trip is definitely a solid start in terms of the most notorious abandoned places in Texas, and we challenge you to visit them all! Another eerie abandoned spot in the Lone Star State is Glenrio. This town straddles the border between Texas and New Mexico and is another roadside casualty along Route 66. This southwestern border town was founded in 1901 as a popular intersection for many of the growing railroad lines across America. It was a beautiful place filled with wheat fields and cattle; some movies, such as “The Grapes of Wrath,” even had scenes filmed here. But alas, its location on the border put it betwixt and between two states, neither of which were willing to cede control. Two post offices, two gas stations, two state taxes … between this and the dying railroad industry, Glenriowas doomed from the beginning. In 1955, the Rock Island Railroad Depot closed, and by the 1980s, all but two residents remained. Today, curious explorers can drive through this ghost town and imagine what life was once like in this abandoned Texas ghost town.
Address: Fort Wolters Training Site, 734 Warren, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, USA
Address: The Baker Hotel and Spa, 200 E Hubbard St, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, USA
Address: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Address: Paducah, TX 79248, USA
Address: Medina, TX 78055, USA
Address: Premont, TX, USA
Address: Stewart Road, Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX, USA
Address: Zedler Mill, 1170 S Laurel Ave, Luling, TX 78648, USA
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
