As one of the earliest cities west of the Mississippi to experience a boom in the 1800s, San Antonio has a rich history and many old buildings.
Much like New Orleans — one of the spookiest cities in the South — the Alamo City boasts a high number of reported ghost sightings and haunted locales.
And that’s not to mention our city’s much deeper history from before it was even called San Antonio. We’re talking about ghosts dating back to the days of the mission settlements and even before, when this was a Native American village — and home of the Payaya people —known as Yanaguana.
Considering Yanaguana translates to “Land of the Spirit Waters,” is it any wonder spirits walk among us?
Add to that a slew of local urban legends and the 2-1-0 is a regular witch’s cauldron of spookiness. Locals wouldn’t have it any other way.
Devil’s Den
Located near Ingram Park Mall, this eerie spot has a haunting history. Known as a fave hangout for ’90s kids shenanigans including smoking, paintball and underage drinking, urban legends about supposed satanic rituals and murders have also surrounded the locale. Two teenage boys were in fact murdered in 1996 and were missing for a month before their bodies were discovered in the field behind the Piper’s Creek subdivision in Northwest San Antonio in December of that year. Gossip around the murders led to rumors that the victims, Christian Moldanado and Eric Anderson, were murdered in a Satanic ritual. Some even say that remnants of a said ritual were discovered at the site, though authorities refuted this claim. The truth is that a classmate at Holmes High School allegedly killed the two students.
La Lechuza
This Mexican and Tejano folklore legend involves a shapeshifting witch-owl one might encounter on a darkened rural road while traveling late at night. Those who have lived in SA long enough have likely heard a story of a supposed encounter with this malevolent spirit. La Lechuza can take the shape of a giant owl, a woman, or an owl with a woman’s face, depending on who you ask. Be careful not to look at her directly, though. It could spell your doom.
Yorktown Hospital
Located about an hour from downtown San Antonio, Yorktown Hospital is considered the most haunted building in Texas, thanks to the 2,000 souls that reportedly have crossed over within its walls. The decaying hospital built in the 1950s is also considered the second-most haunted hospital in the United States. Those who become members of the private club Scientific Paranormal Investigative Research Institute of Texas (SPIRIT) can gain access to this haunting locale.
Milam Park
Built on the site of an 18th-century cemetery, the ghosts of the interred are said to haunt this public green space. Legend has it that although the headstones for the park were removed, the graves remain. Local paranormal enthusiasts also report this as the top location in town for orbs to appear in photography, believed to be a tell-tale sign of paranormal activity.
Terrell Castle a.k.a. The Lambermont
Now home to a fancy wedding venue, this historic building was built for the influential Edwin Holland Terrell and fashioned after European castles, but its eerie history has led to its haunted reputation. The property remained a source of pride until Terrell’s suicide in 1910 after years of suffering with syphilis. Unfortunately, his initial attempt failed, and it took him 10 days to die. Other tragic tales associated with the mansion include a contractor who threw himself from a balcony during construction, and a man who killed his wife and her lover when he caught them in bed together during World War II. Fortunately, the 12,000-square-foot building is expansive enough to accommodate plenty of guests, so couples shouldn’t be too worried about ghastly wedding crashers.
La Villita
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this downtown enclave of galleries, restaurants and shops is considered San Antonio’s oldest neighborhood, and the site of a former Native American village that predates the San Antonio missions — of course it has some ghosts. One ghost purportedly sited at La Chamade Jewelry Store is a woman in an apron, perhaps from a bygone day when the site was a bakery or a candy shop. Another, spotted at the River Art Gallery, is dubbed the “woman in white,” though there’s no known information as to who she was when she was alive. According to La Villita’s official website “La Villita house, also known as the Gissi House, as it was built (in the 1850s) by Cirilus Gissi, is believed to be the home of paranormal forces. It was also rumored that Gissi (an Alsatian immigrant) buried gold on his property after a business venture gone wrong. No gold was ever found in the house, just a few old coins. But, one thing you actually might find if you enter the house, is the ghost of an enthusiastic little girl. Some believe this little girl was the granddaughter of Gissi.”
San Pedro Playhouse
Performers have long reported paranormal activity at this longstanding playhouse. In fact, one production was absolutely tormented by ghosts, culminating in actual physical injury to its lead actress. The production crew was so spooked that it would no longer even say the name of the play, only referring to it as “that show.” So many paranormal phenomena occur on the premises that staff think it can’t be the work of just one or two ghosts. Usually appearing as puffs of smoke, the apparitions are thought to be actors and patrons of the theatre. To ward them away, the playhouse even has a light that’s always on, which they call the “ghost light.”
Hot Wells Hotel & Resort
Now in ruins, Hot Wells Hotel & Resort was once a premier destination for the elite, including Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino and others. President Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were known to raucously drink and enjoy the company of ladies of the night at the hotel. Considering its storied past, it’s no wonder that there have been reports of spirits wandering the premises, though staff have said they seem benevolent. Adding to the spookiness, no doubt, is the “putrid stench of death” some report, which is really just its sulfur springs. . . . or is it?
The Ghost Tracks
You can’t talk about urban legends in San Antonio without covering the Ghost Tracks. This long-dispelled myth is still a local favorite, and has repeatedly been voted Best Urban Legend in the Current’s Best of San Antonio poll. As the story goes, you can park your car at this spot on the train tracks and get “pushed” forward by some spectral helpers. As a bonus, if you put flour on the back of your trunk, you might even see their little handprints. The push purportedly comes from wee ghosts of children who met an untimely end in the early 1900s when a train rammed into a bus at the location. However, in 2003, archivist Matt De Waelsche traced the story’s origin to a 1938 bus accident in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even worse, the tracks were “exorcized,” if you will, by a construction project. When Union Pacific added a second track to the intersection, they levelled out the elevation, removing the downward slant that vehicles would gently roll down when they were supposedly being “pushed” by the ghosts. Turns out it was just a trick of physics the whole time.
Woman Hollering Creek
Many say this creek located between San Antonio and Seguin is named based on a loose translation of La Llorona, the “Weeping Woman.” People say that you can hear the ghastly shrieking of a woman there at night. According to the traditional myth, La Llorona is the ghost of a woman who drowned her children in a fit of jealous rage after finding her husband with another woman, then drowning herself out of regret. However, some say that the screams heard at Woman Hollering Creek were just from a lady who’d go there to vent her anger when she was upset at her husband. Either way, we don’t recommend getting too close, in case La Llorona pulls you in.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Dicklyon
Gunter Hotel Room 636
With a story this grisly, it’s no wonder people claim this room at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel is haunted. The tale goes that a man named Walter Emmerick checked into the hotel under the alias “Albert Knox” in early 1965. Though he checked in alone, he was seen with a woman. A few days later, a maid entered the room to discover the man standing next to a blood-soaked bed. He then gathered the sheets and fled the room. Upon investigation, employees discovered that the entire room was covered in blood. Some say Emmerick butchered the woman in the room, while others allege that there wasn’t enough blood to substantiate that claim. Police later found the man at the St. Anthony Hotel, where he had killed himself. True crime fans and ghost hunters alike can get more details about the crime, and subsequent sightings of spirits, from a 2013 post on the hotel’s blog.
Grey Moss Inn
Mary Howell, the original owner of the Grey Moss Inn, died decades ago. But that hasn’t stopped her from hanging around this Hill Country restaurant. Employees have seen a vision of an older woman they say looked like Howell, and reported poltergeist-esque incidents including candle flames that flickered back to life after being blown out. After operating for more than 90 years, the Grey Moss Inn was shuttered in 2020, but it has since reopened under new ownership as a Mexican restaurant. The new owners have also embraced the inn’s local spirit, whom they call “El Fantasma de Grey Moss Inn.”
Donkey Lady Bridge
You can’t live in San Antonio long without hearing a version of the story of the Donkey Lady. The story goes something like this: In the 1950s, a young woman attempted to save her children from a house fire (that some say was lit by her husband) — but failed. The event left her horribly disfigured, with her fingers and toes melted together to create hoof-like nubs and her head warped into an elongated, donkey-like shape. Afterward, she was banished to live in the woods. Ever since, the Donkey Lady has roamed the woods of Bexar County, crying out for her children and generally pissed off. Want to meet her? It’s said if you stand on a stone bridge in the Medina River Greenway and call her name three times, she’ll appear.
Emily Morgan Hotel
The Emily Morgan has earned its rep as one of the most haunted hotels in the United States. Built-in 1924, the Gothic-style building served as the city’s Medical Arts Building until 1976, housing 50 hospital beds complete with a psychiatric ward and a morgue. Adding to the creep factor, 600 men lost their lives on the property’s grounds during the battle of the Alamo, according to the Express-News. Among the stories of the paranormal at the hotel are witness accounts of a vanishing apparition of a nurse, unexplained noises including eerie echoing footsteps on the ninth floor, and even a guest who allegedly felt the bone-chilling touch of a ghost when waiting in the lobby.
Our Lady of the Lake University
If you’re wanting to get a minor in ghost hunting while at college, you might want to consider applying to OLLU. Residents of Pacelli Hall must contend with Jack, a spirit who’s been accused of stealing students’ possessions and otherwise making a ruckus. Fortunately, if you ask him nicely, Jack will purportedly return your items and stop making noise. The campus is also rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a wandering nun, but if you see a creepy woman clad in black wandering around you might want to check and make sure it’s not someone dressed up as the demon from that terrible 2018 horror movie.
The Majestic Theatre
This historic downtown theatre is so gorgeous that it’s no surprise that some souls have chosen to linger here. The Zoroastro, a longtime magician, is said to still have spooky performances today. There’s been sightings of ghosts attributed to a ballet troupe who supposedly died on the stage as overhead lights crashed on top of them, killing some of them. It’s not just performers that haunt the venue — an apparition of a woman is said to have laid claim to a second floor box, presumably to take in some post-mortem entertainment. Photo by Mike Hume / Courtesy of Majestic Theatre
Freeman Coliseum
Paranormal experts say Teddy Roosevelt trained the Rough Riders out where the Freeman stands today, though other sources say that they actually trained by the San Antonio River in the area that’s now home to Roosevelt Park. Either way, ghost hunters claim this area was a training ground, and that one 6’4″ spirit — we’re not sure how they got his exact measurements — suspected to be a Rough Rider, still hangs out here today. Aside from the Rough Riders, there’s talk of a circus clown that died of a heart attack and a woman who was trampled by a bull who are seen at the Freeman.
San Antonio State Hospital
There’s a reason that psychiatric hospitals are often associated with hauntings — historically, they were hotbeds of neglect and abuse. The San Antonio State Hospital, formerly known as the Southwestern Insane Asylum, is no exception, as its history is filled with corruption, scandal and death. Established in 1892, the facility could house more than 2,000 patients and was almost always above capacity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, people say that anguished spirits still haunt the hospital today.
Photo via UTSA Libraries Digital Collection
The Menger Hotel
Once known as the “finest hotel west of the Mississippi,” this historical hotel has been a popular haunt for both the living and the dead since its construction in the 1800s. This Menger is said to be haunted by a chambermaid, a U.S. president, and a famed Texas rancher. It also sits atop the site of the Battle of the Alamo, making it a likely spot to encounter the spirits of soldiers who lost their lives there, if you’re a believer. Some say 32 ghosts haunt its premises, and some put the ghastly figure at closer to 45.
Guests have reported countless paranormal phenomena, including witnessing beds levitate to hearing strange rapping and even seeing faces appear beside their own while looking in the mirror. Sometimes, the scent of cigar smoke can be detected suddenly in the hotel’s non-smoking rooms, and heavy doors are known to open without anyone there to push them ajar.
Bigfoot Sightings at Kelly Air Force Base
Some of y’all may think bigfoot only hangs out in the PNW, but the gargantuan apelike cryptid has been spotted all over the U.S., including Texas. In the 1970s, Sasquatch apparently swung down to SA, where he was spotted multiple times near Kelly AFB. According to cryptozoology blog Cryptomundo, the San Antonio Light ran an article in ‘76 covering the sightings. One man claimed to see a 7-foot tall furry monster run out of his backyard after being scared by a train whistle, and later a neighbor claimed she saw a smaller, similarly-furred creature that ran on two feet. Was Bigfoot taking a South Texas vacation with the kids? We may never know.
Photo via Instagram / dailybigfoot
Fang Baby of Old Pearsall Road
In a tale that supposedly originated in the 1960s, a group of young guys were driving down Old Pearsall Road after a night of drinking when they had a creepy encounter. The driver saw something in the road that looked like a toddler, which appeared to be hurt, with blood around its mouth. He swerved to avoid the maybe-baby, but didn’t stop. The friends argued about what it was, and the driver ultimately decided that they should just go home. However, once home, he felt guilty that he had possibly left a baby in the middle of nowhere. Armed with a cooler of beer, he went back to Old Pearsall Road. Unfortunately, he got a flat, and found two small puncture marks in the tire. After replacing the tire, he cracked a beer and chilled in his car for a while before falling asleep. A sharp pain in his neck woke him up, where he found the fanged baby in his lap with a bloody mouth and shirt.
Photo via Google Maps
Gillespie Mansion, a.k.a. “Midget Mansion”
While its name certainly hasn’t aged well, this myth still endures. According to local legend, the Gillespie Mansion was located on the Northwest Side off Medical Drive. Home to a little person who moved to SA in the ‘20s with his wife — also a little person — the mansion was specially built to match their shorter stature, with their two daughters, who were of typical human stature. The home reportedly had lowered fixtures and ceilings to accommodate its occupants’ height. Though all versions of this tale have a grisly end, the details vary — some say the husband killed his family then committed suicide, while another version goes that a servant snapped after enduring abuse from the family, killing them with an axe and hiding them in a closet as well as setting the home on fire. Though it was a popular haunt for ghost-seekers for a while, it has since been demolished.
Photo via Instagram / ghoulsjustwannahavefunpodcast
The Dancing Devil of El Camaroncito
We’re not sure why, but apparently the ‘70s were a banner decade for spooky happenings San Antonio. According to this satanic tale, on Halloween 1975 a handsome man clad in white made quite the entrance at El Camaroncito Night Club. Legend says he was an amazing dancer, and wooed women left and right. As the night wore on, one of the women glanced down at the man’s feet and, instead of stylish shoes, saw that he had clawed chicken’s feet. Some people says she actually saw a goat’s cloven hooves. Either way, people claim he was the devil himself. The story goes that he fled to a bathroom and escaped through a window, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and a sulfuric smell. We’re not sure why Beelzebub himself would feel the need to sneak out like that, but whatever.
Photo via Google Maps
Victoria’s Black Swan Inn
Tucked off of Austin Highway, Victoria’s Black Swan Inn is considered one of the most haunted places in the country, and is a destination for ghosthunters and thrillseekers alike. While people claim that ghosts from as far back as a Native American encampment, as well as from The Battle of Salado Creek — in which the Mexican Army and Texans clashed in 1842 — more recent ghosts also apparently haunt the property. A couple, Jolene Woods and Park Street (yes, that was his real name), previously lived here. Jolene died of cancer and Park later killed himself. Jolene can be purportedly seen walking to the gazebo in the front yard. There’s also a girl named Sarah who’s said to communicate via Ouija board. If you don’t believe in ghosts but like creepy fun, the Inn often hosts supernatural and spooky-themed events.
Big Bird
No, we don’t mean the friendly yellow muppet from Sesame Street — think more along the lines of a dinosaur. In the ‘70s, a slew of sightings of a massive airborne creature were reported in South Texas. The majority of the flap took place in 1975-76, where a so-called “Big Bird” was spotted in San Benito, Brownsville and the Alamo City. According to Jerome Clark’s book Unexplained, three San Antonio teachers claimed to see a giant creature with a wingspan of 15-20 feet that swooped over their car. In the scholarly spirit of their profession, they checked an encyclopedia once they reached their school, and came to the conclusion that it was a pterodactyl, the long-extinct flying reptile.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman
Huebner-Onion Homestead
This historic homestead has an accompanying tragic tale, that of Joseph Huebner, who met his untimely end in the late 1800s. According to the story, Huebner really liked his liquor, but accidentally quaffed some kerosene instead of whiskey. When neighbors found him, they weren’t sure if he was dead or passed out drunk. The neighbors decided to inter him near a creek behind the home — possibly burying him alive. When Judge John F. Onion and his wife, Harriet, bought the homestead in 1930, it was already rumored to be haunted by Huebner’s restless spirit, with tales of strange noises coming from the property.
The Alamo
It should come as no surprise that the Alamo is said to be very haunted. According to TPR, ghosts that have been seen at the historic site include soldiers as well as a small child that purportedly wanders the grounds.