The 20 Creepiest San Antonio Urban Legends

The Haunted San Antonio State Hospital has a lot of history – and creepiness
It goes without saying that asylums have their share of spookiness. Formerly known as the Southwestern Insane Asylum, which has a history of corruption, scandal and death. Legend has it that spirits of the mentally ill and those wrongfully checked in are still creeping the grounds today. Established in 1892, the massive hospital could house more than 2,000 patients and was almost always past capacity. Many say the spirits belong to those who mysteriously died while admitted haunt the hospital still. There was also major abuse going on in the 20th century, so those spirits are said to be here too.
Photo via UTSA Libraries Digital Collection

Tragedies went down at the Terrell Castle … and now it’s a wedding venue
Known today at The Lambermont (yes, the wedding venue), Terrell Castle was built for the influential Edwin Holland Terrell and fashioned after European castles. The property remained a source of pride until Terrell’s suicide in 1910 after years of suffering with syphilis. He shot himself in his head, but didn’t get the right shot and took 10 days to die. During World War II, the castle was split into apartments for military families station at Fort Sam Houston. At that time, a man discovered his wife in bed with another man and killed her lover before pushing her from the stairwell on the third floor. It took years for her bloodstains to fade. Guests have said items in the rooms have floated in mid-air, there’s mysterious smells, and random sounds. So yep, there’s plenty of tragic spirits here.
Photo via Instagram / otponce

The devil impressed San Antonio women with his dancing back in the ‘70s
Back on Halloween 1975, many locals said a handsome man dressed in all white showed up to El Camaroncito Night Club. Legend says the man was an excellent dancer and wooed plenty of women that night. As the night wore on, one of the women looked down at the man’s feet and discovered his shoes had transformed into clawed chicken’s feet. Others says it was goat’s hooves. Either way, people said he was the devil. Attendees said he fled the scene to the bathroom, where he escaped through the window and left a cloud of smoke as well as a sulfuric smell.
File photo

Grim reapers protect the cemetery at Milam Square
Did you know that this downtown park is built on top of an 18th-century Catholic cemetery? Yup. the remains of Native Americans and Spanish settlers who fought over the land were laid to rest here. So it’s only natural that this site would be hella haunted. The urban legend claims that visitors who walk through the park with thoughts of hatred or anger will awaken the spirits here. So maybe be in a good mood the next time you stop by?
Photo via Instagram / mando_ranaxvii

There’s spirits of the Institute of Texan Cultures – which actually makes sense
Officials won’t say there’s spirits here, but employees have said they’ve felt some sort of presence. One employee said she saw a longtime employee walking the halls the day after he died. But more telling is all of the reports of disembodied voices and apparitions. Some guess these are spirits from angry residents whose homes were torn down to make way for Hemisfair Park and the surrounding area. Others say it has to do with thousands of artifacts being taken from their unofficial resting places and all put under one roof. Then there’s artifacts that are straight up haunted according to experts. Hell, it’s probably all three as ITC is considered in the top 10 most haunted museums in the world.
Photo via Instagram / johnny._boii

Students and faculty aren’t the only ones at Our Lady of the Lake University
Considering how old OLLU is, it makes sense that there’s some spirits in history. There’s Jack, who has been reported hanging around Pacelli Hall, one of the dorms. Students have never seen him, but say he’s taken their stuff and made noises. But Jack is a reasonable ghost, and will supposedly return your stuff and stop the noises if you ask nicely. Perhaps more creepy to most, the spirits of nuns have been seen roaming throughout the West Side campus.
Photo via Instagram / roxxiebird

Victoria’s Black Swan Inn is considered one of the most haunted places in the U.S.
If you haven’t heard of this one, you’re in for a treat. The building is a destination for ghosthunters and thrillseekers alike. The Battle of Salado Creek between the Mexican Army and Texans took place here in 1842, so you have plenty of those ghosts roaming around. But wait, there’s more. The site also previously served as a Native American encampment, with many visitors saying they’ve seen their spirits in the woods. 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 seen walking to the gazebo in the front yard, while a girl named Sarah is said to communicate via Ouija board.
Photo via Instagram / erikjongustafson

The owner of the Grey Moss Inn just can’t leave
Mary Howell, the original owner of the Grey Moss Inn, died more than 30 years ago. But that hasn’t stopped her from keeping around this Hill Country restaurant. Employees say they’ve smelled her signature rose-scented perfume. Others have seen a vision of an older woman they say looked like Howell. Here’s the most telling occurrences: sometimes, when employees made decisions or do things that Howell wouldn’t have liked, weird things happen. Items will swing, glasses will fall to the floor or tables will overturn on their own. ~Spooky~
Photo via Instagram / misslissa808

Though beautiful, the Majestic Theatre is also super haunted
We can’t say it enough: the Majestic is incredibly gorgeous. So gorgeous that spirits want to hang out here, too. The Zoroastro, a longtime magician here, 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. All in all, these departed performers are still excited to show off their talents today – even if they’re ghosts.
Photo via Instagram / clarkdashark27

Lots of spirits dwell at San Pedro Springs Park
Being the second oldest park in the U.S., it goes without saying that plenty of people have hung out here. Apparently, urban legends say some park-goers never left. There have been reports of park visitors hearing children’s voices (and more creepily, children’s laughter) even though there’s no one else in the park. Supposedly some have also heard Native Americans performing a ritual drum ceremony, though no one has even seen a group come or go.
Photo via Instagram / mixmaster_mo

Some angry ghosts are not-so-welcome guests at the Emily Morgan Hotel
Spirits are known to haunt the Emily Morgan Hotel, specifically the ninth floor. The legend goes that these spirits are those of wounded Alamo defenders, which makes sense since the hotel is across the street from what’s left of the Alamo. Whoever they may be, guests say they slam doors and move objects.
Photo via Instagram / roymomsoyoung

Bigfoot used to hang around Kelly Air Force Base in the ‘70s
There have been plenty of supposed Bigfoot sightings throughout Texas, that’s no secret. The furry, gargantuan cryptid was reportedly seen numerous times in the San Antonio area from November 1974 to August 1976. Supposedly two sightings happened near Kelly AFB; one witness saw a seven-foot-tall brown figure run out of his backyard, a few days later his neighbor saw a creature sitting outside her home.
Photo via Instagram / dailybigfoot

A grisly murder went down in Room 636 at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel
In February 1965, a man checked into a room 636 under an alias of Albert Knox. Though he checked in alone, he was seen with a white 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 ran right past the maid. Upon investigation, employees discovered that the entire room was covered in blood. Police said small pieces of the woman’s flesh were found in the bathroom, with some supposedly flushed down the toilet. Police later found the man at the St. Anthony Hotel, where he had he killed himself.
Photo via Instagram / thegunterfilm

Guests aren’t the only ones staying at the Menger Hotel
There are ghost sightings aplenty over at the Menger. They occur so often that many of them have names. There’s Sallie White, a chambermaid in the 1870s who was shot by her husband because he thought she was being unfaithful. She’s been seen wearing a uniform and apron, holding fresh towels in her hands. There’s also Capt. Richard King, who founded the famous King Ranch. He died at the Menger and has been seen wearing a bolo tie and black hat in the King Suite. The elevator next to the suite regularly stops there even without being punched.
Photo via Instagram / i.got.his.six_tx

A lot of crazy shit went down at Midget Mansion
Sure, we’ve all heard of Midget Mansion, but does anyone really know what went down here? No, but that doesn’t stop us from coming up with wacky scenarios. Also known as Gillespie Mansion, the urban legend got its pop-culture name due to how it was built: with low-hanging fixtures and ceilings made especially for the little people couple that lived there (along with their non-little people children). Rumor has it that the father went mad one day and murdered his entire family. The house stood vacant for many decades, and many ghosts were said to have been seen there. But you can't check it out for yourself — the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center now stands where Midget Mansion once was.
Photo via Instagram / ghoulsjustwannahavefunpodcast

Strong spirits stay lurking at Freeman Coliseum
Paranormal experts say Teddy Roosevelt trained the Rough Riders out where the Freeman stands today. (Though that seems hella far – after all he’s said to have recruited them at the Menger Bar.) Either way, experts say this area was a training ground, and that one 6'4" spirit, 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.
Photo via Instagram / justincpress

There was once a fang-toothed toddler found in the middle of the road
If you have a baby, you may want to put them to sleep before you read this creepy urban legend. Here’s what supposedly happened: a group of young guys were driving down Old Pearsall Road when the driver saw something in the road. Something that looked like a toddler, which appeared to be hurt, with blood around its mouth. He swerved, missing whatever it was in the road. The friends argued about what it was, and the driver ultimately decided that they should just go home. However, after returning home, the driver felt bad thinking that he had left a baby out in the middle of nowhere. With a cooler of beer packed, 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 chilled in his car for a while and opened a can of beer (Lone Star, in case you care) and began to think of his lady friend while he drifted off to sleep. He awoke to the fanged baby in his lap, with a bloody mouth and shirt. Feeling a sharp pain in his neck, he realized the baby had pierced him with its two long fangs.
Photo via Google Maps

The ghosts at the Chinese Graveyard are because of a lost, forbidden love – and another urban legend
Also known as the Loma China Cemetery and the Guzman Burial Ground, the Chinese Graveyard on the South Side is packed with history. With many graves belonging to those with the last name Guzman, and other with Chinese last names, this site is an attraction due to a Guzman of generations past's love for a Chinese woman. The man’s family forbade him from seeing the woman, but the lovebirds would meet at what is now the cemetery. One night, on his way to meet his secret lover, he and his horse were struck by lightning. The woman reportedly was so heartbroken that she committed suicide at her lover’s grave. The family felt so guilty that they buried her alongside her beloved. Some say they’ve seen a specter of a seven-foot-tall woman at the cemetery, though it's unknown whether it is the spirit of the Chinese lovebird or someone else. Legend has it that if you park near the front at night with your car shut off and windows rolled down, you might have an experience of your own. Flash your lights five times and you’ll hear voices, and maybe even see an apparition. If you don’t scram, the tall Asian woman will supposedly walk over and grab your arm. There’s also talk that this is supposedly where The Donkey Lady is buried, and that she can be heard screaming.
Photo via Instagram / chasebats

The ghost at Huebner-Onion Homestead
Though anything with ‘homestead’ in the name sounds innocent enough, a tragic death went down on this property. Joseph Huebner, an Austrian immigrant in the mid-1800s, is said to have met his untimely death after mistaking kerosene as whiskey. His ghost is said to still be restless today, walking the grounds of the homestead. This spot is packed with history, as the house served as Huebner’s home and a stagecoach stop for those riding out west. You can still see the homestead today if you drive down Bandera Road, so maybe swing by to say "hey" to the late Huebner’s spirit.
Photo via Instagram / missboss740

San Antonio has its own Devil’s Bridge, and it’s hella creepy
Devil’s Bridges are somewhat common throughout the world, and it turns out there’s one right here in SA. Not too far from Mission San Juan, there’s a bridge around 2454 E. Ashley Road. Some say bridges like these were built by the devil himself, while others allege the name arose due to supernatural happenings at the site. Here, people say they’ve seen the spirits of the Native Americans who were settled on the river back in the day. Others have heard a creaking rope, said to be that of a pastor who hung himself after all of his parishioners were killed during the Spanish Inquisition. A ghosthunter said he has a recording of a disembodied spirit saying “I’m here” and another saying his name was Melvin. Others say they’ve encountered white smoke-like spirits and bizarre smells like rotten eggs. And supposedly, if you drop a rock from the bridge, you won’t hear the rock splash in the water – they say a little girl catches it.
Photo via Google Maps