With Halloween just around the corner, I'm determined to pack as many themed activities into the remainder of this month as possible. Lucky for me, Texas is absolutely teeming with haunted places to explore. From hotels with ghostly guests to cemeteries with baby doll heads hanging from the sign, there's something for every horror junkie to enjoy.
1. Holland Hotel (Alpine)
This hotel has been around since the 1920s, so some ghostly activity is to be expected. However, what awaits you just might be more than you can handle. The third floor is supposedly haunted by a woman and her child who died in the building under unknown circumstances decades ago. There are also creepy paintings that give you an uneasy feeling as you stare into them.
2. Stewart Mansion (Galveston)
Stewart Mansion is built on the burial ground of a cannibalistic Indian tribe that went to war with the army of Jean Lafitte himself. The homeowner must have been inspired by this because many of the walls are adorned with intricate murals depicting brave pirates. Today, people have reported these very murals changing places, disembodied voices, mysterious footsteps, and even apparition sightings. Are they the manifestations of the angry pirates and Indians?
3. The Alamo (San Antonio)
Everyone knows that the Alamo is easily one of the most haunted places in Texas. The spirits of war-torn soldiers will remain on the grounds for the rest of eternity as they attempt to find solace with the heroic nature of their death. Countless visitors have seen spectral men in uniform wandering around outside and peering out through the windows.
4. The Killing Fields (League City)
The story of the Killing Fields is a somber one indeed, but we can't let it be forgotten. This long, desolate stretch of land off of I-45 has been a notorious dumping ground for bodies for decades. It truly is the place to get away with the "perfect crime." Very few, if any, of the murders have been solved to this day, so the restless ghosts haunt the area as they await the justice of their killer.
5. The Ghost Tracks (San Antonio)
Nobody knows if this "gravity hill" is scientific or spectral in nature, but one thing's for sure - it's spooky. If you park your car at the bottom of the hill, it will get pushed up and over the railroad tracks with no effort on your part. Supposedly, it's the doing of a group of ghostly children who died after their school bus stalled on the tracks and got struck by a train. So whether by the helping hands of a child or some earthly anomaly, just know that you'll never get stranded on these railroad tracks.
6. Marfa Lights (Marfa)
The Marfa Lights are an age-old phenomenon, but nobody has yet been able to provide a logical explanation. Considering the town is in the middle of a desert, swamp gas isn't an applicable excuse. They aren't headlights either because they shine high above the horizon. So what exactly are they? I guess you'll have to take a trip to Marfa to find out.
7. Tremont House (Galveston)
Galveston seems to be a hub for paranormal activity, not surprising considering the number of lives lost in the 1900 hurricane. The haunts in the Tremont House consist of a Civil War soldier, a salesman with a limp leg who was murdered in the hotel after winning a large sum of money from gambling, a storm victim, and a little boy named Jimmy.
8. Baby Head Cemetery (Llano)
The mere name of this cemetery is enough to make every hair on your body stand on end. The legend says that over a century ago, a group of Indians kidnapped a young girl from a family of invading white settlers. She was killed, decapitated, and her head was mounted on a pole - hence the name of the cemetery. The area flourished into a town before dwindling to nothing, and now the only remnant is baby doll heads hanging from this sign that kids sometimes place as a sick joke.
9. La Carafe (Houston)
Dating back to before the Civil War era, this wine bar has plenty of history - and with history often comes hauntings. Patrons have seen the silhouette of an African American man walking around on the second floor and have heard the floor creak under the weight of heavy footsteps. La Carafe is still open for business today, making it the oldest bar in Houston. Sounds charming, doesn't it?
10. Jefferson Davis Hospital (Houston)
Although this former hospital is now abandoned, you can still peruse the grounds and imagine the dark halls teeming with the spirits of ailing Confederate soldiers (it was built over a Confederate cemetery). You'll be hard-pressed to find a more stereotypically creepy Halloween destination than an old hospital.
Have you ever been to any of these haunted places? Did you see any ghosts? For more Halloween fun, check out The 10 Scariest Haunted Houses In Texas We Dare You To Visit This Halloween.
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