Five Texas Real Haunts That Will Have You Believing in Ghosts Immediately

Anyone who's been to The Alamo can attest to the building's larger than life haunted presence.
Photo by: Frankie Leon, via Flickr. (CC BY 2.0)

Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night? No? Well you should be. Whether or not you're a true believe when it comes to ghosts and paranormal activity, there are some places in Texas that are simply too haunted for even the biggest of skeptics to deny.

The state of Texas is rich with centuries worth of fascinating history, which means (you guessed it), it is also rife with historical sites of conflict, which more often than not, are home to spirits that simply couldn't move on from this world to the next one.

• The Alamo - San Antonio, TX - Considered by many to be the most haunted place in Texas, it's no wonder that The Alamo, where thousands died in battle during the now-infamous siege of 1836, is at the top of our list. The Alamo is a tremendous mass-grave site, so it's no wonder that there are unhappy spirits still calling the place home. There have been reports by visitors and security guards seeing a small blonde boy in the gift shop, as well as other ghoulish sitings, including multiple reports of people seeing John Wayne, who famously starred in the 1960 movie "The Alamo". A eerie place all around, despite the annual pilgrimages made by elementary school children each year.
  
  
• The Driskill Hotel - Austin, TX - Something about real old hotels in always inherently creepy, and that rule definitely applies to The Driskill Hotel, which opened its doors back in 1886. But if it were just a creepy old building, it wouldn't be on this list - no, there's a lot of haunted happenings going on here. A woman fell to her death down their grand staircase, and is rumored to still haunt the place, but if that wasn't enough, there's also the tale of the "suicide brides" - two brides-to-be who committed suicide in the same bathtub in the hotel, exactly twenty years apart, and whose jilted souls are also rumored to continue to haunt the Austin establishment to this day. There re also reports of an apparition that looks quite a bit like the original owner of the hotel, Col. Jesse Driskill, complete with a smoking cigar,  being seen around the premises of his beloved landmark.
  
  
• Yorktown Memorial Hospital - Yorktown, TX - There aren't many real haunts that are creepier than abandoned hospitals, are there? The Yorktown Memorial Hospital opened its doors in 1944, but was shuttered for good only 44 years later, in 1988. The hospital was a treatment center for alcohol and drug addicts in the 1950s run by a group known as "The Felician Sisters", and despite their best efforts, it's believed that over 2,000 patients died within the walls of the hospital, and legend has it that they still roam the hallways today. Although this real haunt isn't open to the public, numerous ghost hunters have gone on the record saying that they've have their shirts pulled, they've been shoved, or otherwise touched by unknown forces, which they believe to be paranormal. There's definitely some real bad juju at this one.
  
  
• The USS Lexington - Corpus Christi, TX - The USS Lexington, a war ship from World War II also known as "The Blue Ghost", is definitely a creepy place to visit. According to local legend, there are a few different spirits that have settled down on the USS Lexington, including that of an engine room operator, who was killed in battle on the ship back during the war. Visitors from around the globe have reported creepy incidents, including doors slamming, lights flashing on and off for seemingly no reason, and that unnerving feeling when you just know someone else is there in the room with you. Definitely not somewhere I'd visit alone, personally.
  
  
• The Menger Hotel - San Antonio, TX - Looking for somewhere haunted to stay while you're visiting the Alamo? Well you're in luck, just a ways away from the Alamo is The Menger Hotel, which was visited by President Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders during the Spanish American War - many have claimed to have seen him serving himself a drink in the lobby bar late at night. The hotel is also believed to be haunted by Sallie the Chambermaid, who was murdered by her husband in 1876 - according to legend, instead of moving on from the world of the living, Sallie continues her duties as world's spookiest maid at the hotel to this day.

Still not convinced of the Haunted History of Texas? Head over to our Real Haunts Guide, where you'll find the scoop on all of the biggest real haunts across the state of Texas!

Have You Ever Had a Paranormal Experience at a Real Haunt?
Share Your Experiences in the Comments Below!