The Jefferson Hotel is a Top 10 Most Haunted Hotel or Restaurant in Texas
Texas is no stranger to being full of ghost stories. There are many spots across or huge state that you could easily get a scare or two out of. In East Texas, The Jefferson Hotel in Jefferson, Texas is a prime hot spot for various types of ghost activity. Yelp has come out with their list of the top haunted hotels and restaurants and bars across the state with the Jefferson Hotel among the top 10 of this list.
Yelp recently released their list of the 15 most haunted hotels and 20 most haunted restaurants in the state of Texas. With that list, Yelp provided an easy map to identify these stops in case you want to make a road trip around this list. Of the hotels, Jefferson Hotel came in at number six. There wasn't a lot of detail as far as why each venue made this list but I dug a little deeper to get the story behind some of these stops.
Top 10 Haunted Hotels in Texas According to Yelp:
- The Driskill - Austin
- The Emily Morgan San Antonio - San Antonio
- Menger Hotel - San Antonio
- The Tremont House - Galveston
- Miss Molly's Hotel - Fort Worth
- Jefferson Hotel - Jefferson
- The St. Anthony - San Antonio
- The Adolphus - Dallas
- The Faust Hotel - New Braunfels
- Drury Plaza Hotel Riverwalk - San Antonio
The Haunted Tale of The Driskill in Austin
The Driskill was opened in Austin in 1886 by cattleman Jesse Driskill. Driskill would eventually lose the hotel in a poker game. Driskill's spirit has been seen smoking a cigar at a window of a room overlooking 6th Street and Brazos. Another story is of a bride who was left at the altar at the hotel in the early 1990's. She went on a shopping spree and then committed suicide. She's said to walk the halls towing her shopping bags behind her. In another tale, a child was killed by falling down a flight of stairs. Paranormal investigators have heard a ball bouncing against the walls followed by a mischievous child giggle. A final story is of a painting of a girl holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a letter in the other. The painting is said to be haunted and guests have felt a sinister presence walking by it.
The Many Ghosts of Miss Molly's Hotel in Fort Worth
Miss Molly's Hotel in Forth Worth was opened in 1910 and was a popular speakeasy during prohibition. In 1940, it became a brothel called The Gayatte Hotel. Shortly after the brothel was shut down, it became Miss Molly's Hotel. There have been numerous sightings of ghosts and apparitions including Jake the Cowboy, the madam Josie King, many working girls who died there, the Tipping Ghost and a little girl.
The Jefferson Hotel in Jefferson
Many of us in East Texas are familiar with the Jefferson Hotel. Over the years, the hotel owner, guests and paranormal investigators have witnessed numerous events in every part of the hotel. These include messages on bathroom mirrors, disembodied voices cussing at a cross, a doll moving on its own, items being tossed in the kitchen and many, many more. Many of these events have been documented on the hotel's YouTube channel.
Top 10 Haunted Restaurants and Bars in Texas According to Yelp:
- La Carafe - Houston
- Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill - Austin
- The Driskill Bar - Austin
- Clay Pit - Austin
- 1886 Cafe & Bakery - Austin
- Faust Brewing Company - New Braunfels
- Menger Bar - San Antonio
- The Tavern - Austin
- Wunsche Bros Cafe & Saloon - Spring
- Dean's Downtown - Houston
The Scarlet Lady in the Clay Pit
Austin's Clay Pit is a go-to for Indian Cuisine just a few blocks from the state capital. It is located inside the Bertram Building which has its own stories of secret tunnels used for high profile guests to get to brothels or for the Texas state government to transport its gold safely. One story says that a prostitute was murdered by one of her customers in the basement of the building. Being that she was a prostitute, her death was never investigated she her killer got away with it. Its said that she appears in the basement and will even awaken employees taking a nap in the basement.
The Resident Ghost, Emily, of The Tavern in Austin
The Tavern has been open since 1916 just off of Twelfth and Lamar in Austin. The bar is said to be home to Emily. Not much is told about who Emily is but its said that she roams the upstairs of The Tavern. She has been known to tap or pinch guests or just give guests the uneasy feeling of being watched. There has even been times of hearing disembodied footsteps or a pool game being played. Other guests have felt cold spots or seen apparitions.
Elevator Operator of Dean's Downtown
Dean's Downtown can be traced back to its days as a haberdashery in 1893. It was one of the first buildings to have electric lighting with the neon sign dating back to it's days as Dean's Credit Clothing Store. Today it is a bar with the elevator being it's biggest draw. Its said that the elevator went up to a speakeasy during the prohibition era. Guests will take selfies in that elevator and some have seen a thin figure with long black hair in a mirror's reflection behind them in their picture. Other guests have been shoved or scratched when inside the elevator.
How to take this haunted road trip across Texas?
There is a very handy Google Map that show you each location of the top haunted hotels and restaurants and bars across the state.