Haunted Experiences
Halloween isn’t the only time of year to get a good scare. With hauntings year-round in the regions around Houston, you’re sure to find a ghostly good time on a day-trip (or night-trip) somewhere close by.
Galveston has many sites that are considered haunted, including an 1867 building that served as a morgue after the 1900 Storm – still the deadliest storm in U.S. history having killed an estimated 8,000 Galveston residents. The building now houses Haunted Mayfield Manor, a year-round haunted house attraction in downtown Galveston. The haunted house embraces the spooky history of the building’s past while providing guests with a psychologically thrilling experience.
Also embracing its reported haunting is Hotel Galvez, which has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Stories and on the Discovery Channel’s Ghost Lab for its paranormal significance. The hotel, which offers year-round audio ghost tours and special tours during October, is said to be haunted by a “Ghost Bride” who reportedly has been seen in room 501 and in the hotel’s west turret. Legend has it that the bride hung herself in the west turret during the mid-1900s after hearing reports that her fiancé had died at sea. Tragically, her fiancé eventually returned to the hotel looking forward to a marriage that would never be.
You might see a ghost for yourself in Brazoria County at the James Briton “Brit” Bailey Plantation. Brit Bailey, a pioneer Texan noted for his courage and eccentric behavior, was the captain in the local militia and fought in many battles. At his request he was buried on property standing up, facing west with a gun at his side. His ghost is said to walk the grounds.
Ghosts recognize quality barbecue too - at least the resident ghost at Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue does. Recently named the top sixth barbecue joint in Texas by Texas Monthly Magazine, Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue is one of Tomball’s hot spots for unexplained late-night groans and the sound of footsteps in the attic and on the staircase.
Neighboring shops including Jane & John Dough Bakery have tales about unexplained events like the opening and shutting of gates at Tejas and an all-around spooky feeling. In fact, the ghostly energy fills the bakery, a semi-remodeled house built in 1936, but the owner says it’s strongest in the hallway leading from the main kitchen to the dining room. What does it feel like, exactly? “Like you’re being watched,” he said.
Beaumont’s local cemetery, known for its beautiful headstones and monuments, is also the site of a mysterious sculpture known as “The Kissing Statue,” a carving of a man and a woman looking toward the distance in a loving embrace. Legend has it that if you drive in after dark and shine your headlights in a certain direction, the loving couple will turn and kiss. Many brave nighttime visitors have also reported seeing paranormal movements, including the silhouette of a woman standing in the doorway of a nearby house. This apparition is believed to haunt the cemetery and anyone who dares to venture inside.
Mystery surrounds Bragg Road, a long dirt road in Beaumont shrouded by towering trees, with reports of unidentified orbs of floating lights lingering around the road. Some believe these orbs are the result of a never-ending fire during the infamous Kaiser Burnout, where a man was shot to death. Others say the light is from a spirit with a flashlight looking in the woods for his murdered bride and her killer. Whether you believe the rational explanation or the spooky lore, a drive down Bragg Road late at night will provide for a creepy chill or two.
On a winding road that leads towards Martha Chapel Cemetery in Huntsville, there is said to be a wandering ghost that looks like a little boy. Bowden Road has the nickname, “Demon’s Road” and there has been reports of people seeing what looks like a little boy walking around or riding a tricycle. Some say his eyes glow.
Looking for other haunted experiences around Houston? Check out this page.
