Texas has loads of attractions and many places to visit for a fun time. You can also indulge in festivities with your loved ones. On top of all this, the state has a rich history and is full of haunted places. Each town or city you visit has scary stories attached to it. A haunted road trip will take you to places where you can see these ghosts, so be prepared for spine-chilling moments. Texas abandoned hospitals, warehouses, and churches turned fortresses will scare you silly. If you are up for the challenge, come with a curious mind, some holy water, and a Bible. Should you bring a camera? Yes, since you need to capture spooky moments. Once you’re ready, check out our list of the most haunted places in Texas, the USA.
Spooky events in Texas:
- Texas Haunters Convention is a great family-friendly affair that happens in Mesquite in July. It features over 56,000-sq-ft. (5202.58-sq-m) of vendors, events, demonstrations, and classes for Halloween and cosplay enthusiasts.
- For adult fun, head to Dallas Zombie Crawl, where participants dress up in their favorite scary costumes for a crawl through Dallas' bars and nightclubs in late October. You'll get a map at the starting point with all the participating bars, some of which offer free welcome drinks.
1. The Alamo, San Antonio
Alamo is a Spanish word for Cottonwood. The site was once a battleground for a group of fighters seeking independence from Mexico. The building used to be a Franciscan chapel until the missionaries abandoned it. Spanish troops had a brief occupancy, followed by Texan volunteers engaged in the Texas Revolution battle. When a decision was made in 1871 to demolish a church section, reports emerged of ghost sightings. Guests staying at a hotel across claim seeing spirits marching in front and others guarding the place. The spirit of a boy rescued from the Alamo is a common sighting. Another ghost is that of a Mexican soldier with hands behind his back.
Book Tours : San Antonio Segway Ghost Tour
2. Driskill Hotel, Austin
Driskill Hotel was completed in 1886. It was owned by Jesse Driskill, a wealthy cattleman who moved to Texas from Missouri in 1849. The hotel served as a venue for the Governor’s ball, setting the pace for his predecessors. However, shortly after, harsh weather killed much of Driskill’s livestock. Having run short of finances to fund operations at the hotel, Driskill was left with no option but to wind up operations. On its third floor, there is a portrait of a little girl with flowers in her hands. Guests have reported feeling as though some force lifted them into the air. Also, there are reports of ghosts being spotted on windows or chairs. Other times, hotel guests experience sensations on their bodies, particularly the hands and faces. Presently, Hyatt Hotels Corporation owns the property.
Book Tours : Haunted Austin Walking History Tour
3. Spaghetti Warehouse, Dallas
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Spaghetti Warehouse in Dallas opened in 1972 and soon expanded to a chain of restaurants. The trolley car in its dining room is impressive, and guests can sit in this car while enjoying their meal. The building housing the hotel was first used as a pillow factory. Other historical items at Spaghetti Warehouse include a confessional and brass bed headboard. The ghostly activity takes place at night after the restaurant closes. A lady dressed in white walks around in search of her husband. Legend has it that he died in an elevator. Besides, people have reported seeing the rearrangement of chairs and tables.
Spaghetti Warehouse
Address: 1815 N Market St, Dallas, TX 75202, United States
Website: Spaghetti Warehouse
4. White Sanitarium, Wichita Falls
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
White Sanitarium in Wichita Falls is a popular haunted spot in Texas. It was established in 1926 as a clinic for mentally ill patients. Numerous claims of ghost activity in the property have been reported. Different accounts describe the location’s spooky nature. There are stories about voices being heard from the place, while other narrations tell of a group of ghosts spotted playing cards. More reports describe people seeing shadows wandering around the compound. Ghost hunters, who camped at the hotel in 2008, captured footage of insects flying around. All this time, the filming crew affirmed that there were no insects. In another clip, a woman is seen talking to spirit mediums. The sanitarium was later closed between 1935 and 1955. Presently, the building hosts an apartment complex.
White Sanitarium
Address: 508 Olen St, Wichita Falls, TX 76301-7874
5. Demon's Road, Huntsville
Demon’s Road in Huntsville is a lonely and creepy place comprising an interweaving path. The overgrown weeds, malformed trees, bushes, and tales told for over a century gave the place its haunted reputation. Stories abound of people having encounters with fear-striking beings from the spiritual world. One such narration features a young boy cycling along this road; his eyes glow in the dark. When confronted, he vanishes in thick fog. Alternatively, he stops and stares back into your soul. If he finds you guilty of a crime, he comes to your bedroom at night and suffocates you to death as payback.
Demon's Road
Address: Huntsville, Texas
6. Yorktown Memorial Hospital, Yorktown
Yorktown Memorial Hospital was constructed in 1951 before being closed in 1986. After that, it became a drug rehabilitation center until its final closure in 1992. The abandoned facility is a haunted place where it is believed that the spirits of thousands of patients overrun the place. According to reports from the building’s caretaker, the place is calm when the nursing station lights are switched. However, when they go off, ghostly shadows of patients are seen walking around. Some of these seem like ordinary people, perhaps ghosts of guests who came to visit patients. Meanwhile, every evening, tapping sounds are heard on a glass pane fitted on a staircase door.
Yorktown Memorial Hospital
Address: 728 W Main St, Yorktown, TX 78164, United States
7. Presidio La Bahía, Goliad
Presidio La Bahía in Goliad was built in 1747 as a mission and fortress. Later, in 1835, a massacre of over 300 Texian troops would take place at the site. The troops were retreating from the Mexican army. In the following year, another massacre occurred at the fort. As Mexico fought for independence, occupants of Presidio La Bahía switched between the Spanish and Mexican military forces. At night, one can hear sharp cries from the building. These come from soldiers being shot by their captors. Visitors have also narrated seeing ghosts of soldiers, dressed in uniform, walking around. At present, there is a chapel on site where Catholics from nearby areas attend mass on Sundays. The facility has a museum with exhibits and artifacts. Each March, re-enactments of the 1835-36 massacre take place. Visitors are also welcomed to tour the building as well as its grounds.
Presidio-La Bahia
Address: 217 US-183, Goliad, TX 77963, United States
Website: Presidio-La Bahia
Opening hours: 10am - 4:45pm (daily)
Price: From 2 USD
8. USS Lexington, Corpus Christi
USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier, first sailed in 1943 before its decommissioning in 1991. During World War II, the ship was in operation for 21 months. At the time, it had around 3,000 military men and women, including its crew of 1,550. The carrier has numerous accolades. Planes carried on the Lexington destroyed over 700 enemy aircraft. The ship sank and destroyed close to 1,000,000 tons of enemy cargo. The Japanese nicknamed her “The Blue Ghost” after numerous unsuccessful attempts at sinking her. USS Lexington is now a museum where you can visit, explore, and relive its stories.
USS Lexington
Address: 2914 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78402, United States
Website: USS Lexington
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)
Price: 12 USD - 17 USD
9. Bragg Road, Saratoga
Bragg Road in Saratoga is a former railroad but presently comprises a dirt road. It is 8 mi (12.9 km) long while two cars can fit on its width. What makes it a haunted place is a mystery light that comes on at night. The light flickers on and off. Legend has it that this light comes from a railroad worker’s lantern. A train accident severed the head of the worker in this tale. At night, he goes out in search of the head. To experience this phenomenon, plan your visit during Halloween.
Bragg Road
Address: Hardin County Park, Southeast Texas, USA
10. Littlefield Home, Austin
Littlefield Home was built by George Littlefield, a war veteran, banker, and entrepreneur. According to rumors, the left eye on Littlefield’s portrait follows you everywhere in the house. Besides, other stories state that the spirit of Alice Littlefield, George’s wife haunts the home. Legend has it that when she was 65, she developed a condition that led her to have delusions. She became paranoid, believing that some people were about to murder her family and kidnap her. At times she was hysterical, prompting George to take her to the hospital. Against doctors’ advice to let her stay in the hospital for proper care, George kept Alice confined to the house. She would later recover and regain normalcy. Alice’s ghost is said to have a fondness for singing.
Littlefield Home
Address: University of Texas, USA
Website: Littlefield Home
11. Goatman’s Bridge, Denton
Constructed in 1884, Old Alton Bridge as it’s formally known, is a historic bridge that once united smaller suburbs of Denton and Copper Canyon in North Texas. Now, among the National Register of Historic Places, word is that the structure is said to be the sighting of the infamous Goatman, a mysterious figure with the body of a grown man with the head of goat. What makes this legend specifically haunting is that it is born of hate and murder.
When Oscar Washburn, a respectable honest businessman whom the locals nicknamed the Goatman, moved his family and goat farm north of the bridge, he was met with discontent and jealousy from hate groups within the government. On August 1938, he was taken and hung over the bridge, but when his adversaries found an empty noose soon after they threw him over, they resorted to murdering the rest of his family. Today, aside from mysterious lights, rock throwing, and grabbing, locals warn that if you cross the bridge at night, you’ll be met by the Goatman.
While I did not feel any ghost tugging at my shirt, there was an apparent creepy vibe; most of which is due to the abundance of large spiders hanging overhead, missing floor boards in the actual bridge, and a mysterious mannequin head that was sitting on the ledge.
Goatman’s Bridge
Address: Lantana, TX 76226, United States
12. Hell’s Gate at River Legacy Parks, Arlington
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Somewhere deep in the vast park that is River Legacy in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, there are two metal posts known infamously as Hell’s Gate. While River Legacy Park is home to many ghostly sightings, there is but one that stands as it holds certain historic significance.
The story goes that as Union spies made their way through this murky marshland, they were captured by Confederate soldiers and later taken to hang. Among the last things they saw before their scheduled death was a gate at the end of a trail, which is said to still stand. Reports of whispers, sobs, and prayers are heard walking these very trails. The picture above is, sadly, not the entrance to Hell’s Gate but rather an opening to the curvy path.
When I went to track down the whereabouts of Hell’s Gate, I found nothing but lovely trails during the day, but with many twists and turns this enchanted park can become somewhat of a eerie labyrinth as the sun descends and leaves the mind subject to the many natural sounds of wildlife and rushing river water.
River Legacy Parks
Address: 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006, United States
Website: River Legacy Parks
Opening hours: 5am - 10pm (daily)
13. Bethel Cemetery, Coppell
In a quiet and quaint suburb north of Dallas, there’s an old cemetery that’s been enduring since 1853 and has since 1988 been established as a registered historical marker. While all seems eventless and still on the face, there’s a spiritual presence on a gravestone belonging to Oda Kirby. This specific gravesite, which reads “Lived and Died September 17, 1909,” is marked with strange symbols. It’s said that the infant’s tombstone on film comes out overexposed but I was able to take a clear picture. The site itself does bode a strange presence of someone watching, but the cemetery is right in the middle of surrounding houses.
Bethel Cemetery
Address: Coppell, TX 75019, United States
14. Belaire Theatre, Hurst
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
The Belaire Theatre, now known widely as the Artisan Center Theatre, is home to a few spirits. Rumor has it that a projectionist died during work and is spotted from time to time still on the clock. With current issues like lights and water turning on, some would speculate that the building is just old or rather a playground for a deceased girl that many have interacted with. It is said that another roams the halls by the name of Neil, an elder who is far from welcoming.
Belaire Theatre
Address: 404 E. Pipeline Road, Hurst, TX 76053
Get the creeps
These places in Texas are sure to give you the creeps. If you’re into ghost hunting, visit and find out which of these legends are true. After that, you will never lack a scary story to share.
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