San Antonio Insane Asylum
Building
Halloween is just around the corner and it’s no secret that young, would-be Ghostbusters are out there looking for the next big thrill. Get ready for some unexplained paranormal activity, running away from ghosts, and dining with the spirits of children at five of the spookiest places in Texas. Say goodbye to getting any sleep tonight after reading this.
Granbury Opera House
The Granbury Opera House is said to be haunted by the ghost of John Wilkes Booth, the Confederate actor and man responsible for Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Supposedly, he went to perform a Shakespearean play, under the name John St. Helen, and was chased down to be shot to his death. To this day, staff claim that footsteps can be heard pacing the balcony in his heavy boots. He can be seen standing tall in a white shirt and black pants. Aside from that, catch a few live musicals and comedy performances.
Granbury Opera House, 133 East State Loop 426, Granbury, TX, 817 579-0952
Baker Hotel
Sightings of an apparition have been reported long before Baker Hotel closed in 1980. The ghost of a woman haunts the seventh floor; she was perhaps the mistress of the hotel manager, though the stress of the affair led her to jump from the top of the building. Maids reported finding glasses stained with red lipstick on the rims at times when there were no guests. It is also said that the smell of her perfume wafts through the air. Since 2012, the hotel has been renovated and is now open for business once again.
Baker Hotel, 200 E Hubbard St, Mineral Wells, TX
Screaming, moaning, and doors opening and closing on their own have been reported at the San Antonio Insane Asylum. Before it was abandoned in 1996 for unknown reasons, it housed mentally ill patients who died during ‘treatments,’ one of which was electroshock therapy. Legend has it that figures in the shadows will stare and chase people down once they try to run away to leave. Although the asylum is everything that an avid ghost hunter seeks, it is advised not to go there: it is privately owned and the tall grass is home to Texas rattlesnakes.
San Antonio Insane Asylum, 3749 Farm Rd, San Antonio, TX
Spaghetti Warehouse
The Spaghetti Warehouse is considered one of the most haunted places in Texas. Many of the stories are centered around an elevator shaft. It was once a warehouse for pharmaceuticals; one day, a young pharmacist accidentally fell into the open elevator shaft and plunged to his death. His grief-stricken wife died soon after. The spirits are said to be mostly active on the second floor and voices of children can be perceived once the bustling noise of the restaurant dies down. Staff also have stories of their own and are too spooked to even venture upstairs.
Spaghetti Warehouse, 901 Commerce St, Houston, TX, 713-229-9715
Elder Street Artist Lofts
What was formerly Jefferson Davis Hospital is presently known as Elder Street Artist Lofts, housing the brave souls of artists, photographers, and musicians. Built over a cemetery where nearly 3,000 civil war and yellow fever victims are buried, it is believed that hauntings are on account of deceased patients and fallen soldiers. One resident says that in his room, lives the spirit of a girl who died of polio. Many others state that they have seen the girl on numerous occasions as well. Pretty nice place to call home, huh?
Elder Street Artist Lofts, 1101 Elder St, Houston, TX, 713-223-2787
By Nikara Montgomery
Nikara is an aspiring animator from Houston, Texas who seeks to write and produce cartoons that will make you forget your worries, if for only an hour or so.