Not only rich in history from the days of the Republic of Texas, Austin is said to be just as rich in hauntings and ghost sightings. The downtown area of Austin is full of historical buildings, and many of them are believed to be full of frightening stories. Through tours and guides, anyone can have the opportunity to explore these buildings and learn of their haunted pasts.
Austin Ghost Tours
617 Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78746
512-853-9826
hauntedtexas.com
This tour takes groups on a walk through several historical buildings, including The Wooten Building, the Old Miller Opera House and the Capitol. It also includes a museum exhibit called "The Disembodied Spirit." The sightings and other occurrences at The Wooten Building have become so common that employees within have stopped checking out random sounds, and they even joke with one another when leaving to go downstairs where most of the action takes place.
The Ghosts of the Warehouse District tour is an hour and a half walk that takes you through Guytown, Germantown and the very popular Driskill Hotel. The Driskill Hotel, opened in 1886, is considered the most haunted hotel in Austin and all of Texas. While walking through the hotel, visitors may notice the smell of cigar smoke, which is commonly mentioned during sightings of the ghost of the original owner of the hotel--Colonel Jesse Lincoln Driskill.
Another hour and a half stroll through downtown streets, the Ghosts of the Capitol - Old Pecan Street tour takes groups through the Capitol building, the Governor's Mansion and the Omni Hotel. While it is unknown who she might be, there are several reports of a a woman in a red dress who lurks around the legislative library on the third floor of the Capitol building. As for the Governor's Mansion, it is rumored that Sam Houston himself still lingers there.
