Opened in 1859 just steps from the Alamo, the Menger Hotel has long been celebrated for its grandeur and been whispered about for its ghosts. Among the most enduring tales is that of Sallie White, a young chambermaid whose tragic death led the hotel to kindly cover her funeral costs. Guests still report glimpsing her in the historic halls. Col. Richard King, the famed rancher and founder of King Ranch, also lingers in spirit, often seen entering the suite where he died, which still houses his original bed. And in the bar where Theodore Roosevelt once recruited his Rough Riders, patrons claim to occasionally spot the former president raising a glass. With its blend of Texas history and spectral lore, the Menger offers travelers a stay where the past is never entirely at rest.

Opened in the 1850s, the Excelsior House Hotel in Jefferson is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Texas and has welcomed an impressive guest list - from Ulysses S. Grant and Oscar Wilde to Lady Bird Johnson and Rutherford B. Hayes. But it’s the hotel’s spectral visitors that have left the deepest impressions. Guests and staff have long reported sightings of a woman in white, said to be Emily, a jilted bride whose tragic story lingers in the halls. Others speak of playful apparitions and unexplained chills, with the most famous encounter belonging to Steven Spielberg. While scouting film locations in the 1970s, the director fled the Excelsior after a series of unsettling experiences - an incident often linked to the inspiration for Poltergeist. With its combination of historic charm and spine-tingling legend, the Excelsior remains one of Texas’s most storied haunted hotels.

Set in the heart of Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards, the Stockyards Hotel has hosted cattle barons, celebrities, and even the infamous outlaw duo Bonnie and Clyde, whose namesake room 305 still draws curious visitors. With a guest list like that, it’s little wonder the hotel also carries a haunted reputation. Guests have reported water faucets turning on their own, an unseen hand operating the elevator, and the unsettling sensation of someone slipping into bed beside them only to find no one there. Blending Old West lore, notorious history, and lingering spirits, the Stockyards Hotel offers travelers a stay that’s as legendary as it is eerie.

Built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the Driskill Hotel is Austin’s oldest and most storied lodging, a Gilded Age landmark that has hosted presidents, celebrities, and Texas legends alike. But behind the marble columns and opulent halls lies one of the state’s most famous ghost stories - that of four-year-old Samantha Houston. In 1887, the senator’s daughter tragically fell to her death while chasing a ball down the grand staircase. Today, a portrait of a young girl near that spot is said to change expressions, and some viewers report feeling mysteriously lifted from the ground. Guests also describe ghostly figures in windows, phantom noises, and unexplained sensations in empty rooms. With a history as rich as its architecture, the Driskill continues to draw visitors eager to experience both Austin luxury and the whispers of its haunted past.

At Fort Concho Historic Site, once a frontier army post, history lingers not only in the adobe walls but also in the form of a young ghost. Officer Quarters 1, the former home of Colonel Benjamin Grierson, is said to be haunted by his 12-year-old daughter, Edith, affectionately called “Eedie.” After succumbing to typhoid fever in 1879, Eedie’s playful spirit is believed to remain, often spotted in a peach-colored dress or quietly absorbed in her favorite game of jacks. Visitors report entering unusually cold rooms, hearing the bounce of a ball or footsteps on the stairs, and even finding jacks mysteriously scattered across the floor. With its blend of military history and tender ghostly legend, Fort Concho offers travelers a haunting reminder of the families who once called the post home.