Not everyone believes in ghosts, but curiosity can get the better of even the biggest skeptic. Tours of haunted sites have become an attraction to travelers who want their own brush with paranormal activity. Houston is a gem among haunted destinations. Its ghost-rich past has roots in early settlement, the plague, the Civil War and the occult. Many of the sites are accessible to the public, often renovated and open for business, so tourists can create their own tour of spooky Houston spots.
The haunted history of the Jefferson Davis Hospital dates back to the 1600s, when the site on which the hospital was built is believed to have been used as a burial site for early victims of the yellow fever. It was in 1840 that the area was made into City Cemetery, Houston's second largest cemetery, which that held 5000 to 6000 bodies. The hospital was built in 1924 and named after the Confederate current state's president, to acknowledge the many confederate soldiers that were laid to rest there. During construction, sightings of Mr. Super--the head of one of Houston's more wealthy families--were common. In 2011, haunted sightings include ghostly doctors and nurses, as well as a ghost that guards the third floor, and the basement is spooky enough to keep most people out. The building was restored and turned into an artist residence, but includes public space for visitors to Houston who want to see the long-haunted site.
This building at 903 Welch Street was reputed to be the scene of animal sacrifices until the cult that was inhabiting it was evicted in 1974. While the beautiful house was under renovation, one worker was struck by an invisible force, another suffered from recurring nightmares, and many others were too spooked to finish the job and walked off the site. Though the renovated house that now sits on the corner lot seems rather inconspicuous, haunted activity is reported regularly and the house spends a lot of time on the market, which means that having a spooky tour of the place is only subject to a phone call to the real estate agent.
Being the oldest building in Houston, it is no surprise that La Carafe, a wine bar in Old Market Square, houses at least one residual spirit. "We have a bartender that used to be a manager here. He passed away in about 1990 or 1991," said Carolyn Wenglar, La Carafe's owner as of 2011. Hauntings have included the figure of the bartender, Carl, appearing in an upstairs window and strange sounds at night as if someone is fixing a drink at the bar.
The Spaghetti Warehouse is located in a downtown building, at 901 Commerce Street, that was once used as a cotton storage facility and a pharmaceutical warehouse in a history that dates back to the early 1900s. The owner of the pharmaceutical company allegedly fell down the elevator shaft to his death one night, and his spirit supposedly lives on in the building. In 2011, the location is a restaurant, and haunted activity includes table arrangements that change position, utensils flying around the kitchen, and strange apparitions that appear in photographs.
