That’s right, we’re going on a HAUNTED road trip! With our rich history here in Texas, a few ghosts here and there are to be expected. Every town has its own stories, some scarier than others, but we’re going to 8 of the most notoriously haunted places in the state. It’s almost guaranteed that we’ll see ghosts at every destination, so grab your bible and some holy water, and let’s get this show on the road with this haunted road trip in Texas that’ll scare you silly.

(As always, the Google Map can be found here.)

Google Maps
1. Emily Morgan Hotel (San Antonio)
Flickr/Rob Albright
Our first stop is this historic hotel in San Antonio. It was previously a medical arts facility with a hospital and crematorium, so it's no secret why so many guests have reported paranormal sightings like electrical appliances randomly turning off and on and a woman in a white dress who disappears as soon as you lay eyes on her.

Check out their website to learn more.
2. Driskill Hotel (Austin)
Flickr/vironevaeh
Next up is one of the most notoriously haunted hotels in Texas. It has been around for decades, so it makes sense that a few restless spirits would be lurking inside. People have seen apparitions in the windows, felt as if their face or arms were being touched, and heard people above them...even when they were staying on the top floor. There's also a portrait of a little girl on the third floor that's said to bring about strange feelings to those who look at it - they feel lightheaded and dizzy as they look into her eyes, and the sensation remains for a few hours after the fact.

Check out their website to learn more.
3. Granbury Opera House (Granbury)
Flickr/0ccam
Many people have seen a Phantom of the Opera-esque figure here wearing a black cloak and black boots. There's a rumor that the apparition is that of John Wilkes Booth because he used to perform here in his acting days. Several paranormal groups have captured EVPs with a voice claiming to be Booth, but nobody will ever truly know who haunts this opera.

Check out their website to learn more.
4. Baker Hotel (Mineral Wells)
Flickr/texaseagle
Even though this hotel is currently closed for renovations, it was haunted long before it shut its doors. Guests used to report sightings of a bloody nude woman, most likely the mistress of the hotel's owner, wandering around on the seventh floor. Apparently, the stress of the affair took its toll on her, and she jumped off the balcony to her death. The other ghost is that of an old man who died in an elevator crash. Why am I mentioning any of this if you can't even stay in the hotel, you may ask? Well, for now, exploring the grounds still gives you plenty of opportunity to see spirits peering out the windows. And the hotel is opening to the public again very soon, so your time to spend the night is drawing nearer every day.

Check out their website to learn more.
5. Jefferson Hotel (Jefferson)
Flickr/texasbackroads
And here we are at yet another hotel. Texas sure has a lot of haunted hotels, don't we? This one couldn't be left out, though, considering the rumors of the entire town of Jefferson being riddled with spirits. Some of the ghosts here have been known to throw objects at guests and even lock them in their rooms. Other patrons have experienced knocking on the walls and doors, footsteps running down the halls, children laughing, and doors opening of their own accord.

Check out their website to learn more.
6. Bragg Road (Saratoga)
Flickr/texasbackroads
This is one of my family's and my favorite places to go around Halloween, but it's a place that will give you chills yea-round, for sure. I myself am a skeptic, yet have no logical explanation for what I've seen here. White orbs have streaked past my face multiple times while sitting in the bed of a truck, and the ever-present glow at the end of the road never gets any closer as you approach it. Is the light that of the headless horseman who supposedly haunts the area? Or is it something like swamp gas? I guess we'll never truly know.
7. Hotel Galvez (Galveston)
Flickr/galvestonisland
Another notoriously haunted hotel in Texas, the Galvez's famous ghost is called "The Lovelorn Lady." She was the wife of a fisherman who hung herself in the fifth floor suite after learning of his death at sea. Many people stay in this hotel, but room 505 is often vacant...are you brave enough to stay there?

Check out their website to learn more.
8. Presidio la Bahia (Goliad)
Flickr/matthigh
It makes complete sense that a former mission would be haunted - Just think about how many soldiers died in battle here, their spirits broken by the hardships of war. Nighttime visitors have reported hearing sharp cries of pain akin to someone being shot, and still others have seen the apparitions of uniformed soldiers walking around. It's more sad than it is scary, but still a paranormal experience that every Texan should get the opportunity to have.

Check out their website to learn more.

Who’s ready to get scared? I know I am! Let us know in the comments below if you plan on taking this haunted road trip in Texas!

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More to Explore

haunted road trip in Texas

Jackie Ann | August 30, 2020

Where is the creepiest town in Texas?

There are many towns in Texas that have a ghostly or creepy past, but perhaps the most well-known is Marfa, Texas. With a population hovering around 2,000 people, this tiny but mighty town really hits a home run when it comes to the creep-factor. Many visit the desert town for their minimalist art attractions, which include Building 98, and the Chinati Foundation. The Marfa Lights are another popular tourist destination, a mysterious light phenomena that attracts people from all over the world hoping to catch a glance at these weird ghost lights that have been seen since at least 1883, when they were first recorded.

Can I go ghost hunting in Texas?

There are plenty of places in Texas that have earned a haunted reputation over the years, and you might just have a paranormal encounter of your own if you dare to visit. The Yorktown Memorial Hospital in South Texas is just one of countless haunted hotspots. Originally built in the 1950s, there are plenty of ghost stories to go around this abandoned 30,000-square foot building. One of the most common reports is that of a black shadowy figure with glowing red eyes that has been heard growling when Bible verses are read aloud.

What haunted hiking trails can I take in Texas?

If you drive down Bragg Road in Saratoga, you might just catch a white light bouncing around your head. It could be swamp gas, it could be a headlight, but many believe its the spirit of a horseman who lost his head in a railroad accident many years ago, and the light seen is the light from his lantern, looking for his missing body part. If you find yourself in Andrews County, venture over to Shafter Lake,  just off of Highway 385. In the early 1900s, a smallpox epidemic ravaged through the town, killing just about everyone in it. Those that survived took the advice of a local witch, who instructed them to take a bunch of wild herbs which turned out to be a powerful and poisonous hallucinogen, which made them believe they were under attack and killed each other, including gouging out children’s eyes. If you walk around the lake at night, you might just catch a glimpse of the eyelids spirits of the children wandering around.

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Featured Addresses
The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 705 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA
The Driskill, 604 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Granbury Opera House, 133 E Pearl St, Granbury, TX 76048, USA
The Baker Hotel and Spa, 201 E Hubbard St, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, USA
The Historic Jefferson Hotel, 124 W Austin St, Jefferson, TX 75657, USA
Bragg Road, Bragg Rd, Texas, USA
711 27th St, Galveston, TX 77550, USA
Presidio la Bahía State Historic Site, 217 US-183 Hwy, Goliad, TX 77963, USA