Haunted Places in Austin

As you can imagine, any city that brands itself as “weird” is sure to have a variety of ghost tours available. You can hear the stories and explore the venues by foot, bus, hearse or boat. You can also take a pedicab or venture forth on a segway–your choice. Besides ghost hunting and haunted historical tours, some companies offer specialty vampire and murder-themed walks. Whatever trips your trigger in this Texas capital, you’re sure to come away entertained and with an appreciation for Keeping Austin Weird.

Haunted Places in Austin

The Driskill Hotel: Built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the hotel has become synonymous with paranormal phenomena in Austin. Driskill himself is said to haunt the place. Guests have reported seeing the gentleman puffing a cigar while looking out of a bedroom window. There have also been sightings of a child who died when chasing his bouncing balls down the hotel’s staircase. A jilted bride who committed suicidein the 1990s haunts room 329; her spirit has also been seen roaming the hallway outside the room. And then there’s the picture found hanging on the fifth floor. This creepy artwork is based on a painting called “Love Letter” and depicts a little girl with a bouquet of flowers. Visitors swear the picture is haunted and complain of cold chills and a feeling of being watched when they walk past it. Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill: Located near Waller Creek and the Colorado River, this area has been the site of frequent floods throughout the decades. Many believe the amount of death and destruction the waters brought contribute to the hauntings today. Moonshine Bar & Grill is known for its 5-star noshes as well as the paranormal activity that abounds. Guests have been tapped, tugged and whispered to by unseen entities while staff endure rattling noises and cold spots in the building.

Austin Ghost Tours

Texas State Capitol Building: Like all things Texan, the state capital was built to be the biggest, meanest and most ostentacious of all the capitol buildings in the U.S. And it appears the good people succeeded, altho the elements have occasionally played havoc. There are more than a few spirits that haunt the hallowed halls in Austin, including a young intern who perished in the 1983 fire. It’s said his handprint is found on the window from which he could not escape as the inferno consumed the room. There’s also an apparition of a lady dressed in red who disappears when approached. She’s thought to be the mistress of a long ago politician, returning to search for her erstwhile lover. Oakwood Cemetery: Dating back to the 1850s, Oakwood is Austin’s oldest cemetery. The former City Cemetery is the final resting site for Austin’s rich and poor, famous and infamous alike. Former governors are buried among Civil War veterans, while the indigent share land with those felled by pandemics and worse. One of the Servant Girl Annhilator victims, Eula Phillips, is buried here, and her ghost has been reported running through the grounds. The cemetery has also been rumored to be used by graverobbers who sold the cadevors to a university medical school.