Find out more about what’s being haunted by who in Austin with a trip to any of these locations. This city is full of strange happenings and spooky stories everywhere you go so have fun and learn a lot while looking for something scary this Halloween season.
The Driskill Hotel
4.6 ★
Considered by many to be Austin’s most haunted hotel, The Driskill is rumored to remain home to many who have rested their head (and more) at this well known establishment on Brazos St. Established in 1885 and built on already haunted land, The Driskill has been making waves in the paranormal realm of this world for much of the time it has been housing guests. From the little girl who is rumored to be Samantha, senator’s daughter who fell down the stairs in 1887 to the owner of The Driskill himself, Colonel Jesse Driskill, you don’t have to search long for hints from the other side. Ask the employees, maybe you will get to hear a story about Peter Lawless, a guest who lived in the hotel for 31 years but seems to have stuck around much longer. When you book a stay at The Driskill Hotel, you might end up spotting an extra guest wandering their halls or maybe even waiting to help you select an outfit for the day. Stories told by those who have worked or stayed at The Driskill go all the way back to day one, some passed on from back then and others from this decade. Before your visit begins, give a listen to the song “Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man” by the band Concrete Blonde. Performed in the 90’s, the track was inspired by Colonel Jesse Driskill’s alleged apparition hanging around the property.
Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill
4.6 ★
Did you know that the Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill was actually a mortuary way back in the day? This popular spot on Red River St is known for having food, atmosphere, and a staff full of friendly faces and has a full history to look back on being one of Austin’s oldest buildings. Throughout the years, many variations of stories have popped up in regards to this property. Rumor has it that those who died in the great floods from Waller Creek can be spotted outside of the bar in ghost form. Some believe that this relatively ancient building was home to a mortuary at some point in the 1900s. Regardless of which tall tale you’ve been told, Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill has been part of Austin since housing a trade store in 1852 and folks are excited to learn more about the potential hauntings of this area.
While you’re out ghost hunting around Red River St, visit the establishment and take a load off. There’s nothing that goes better with tracking down spirits than a meal with Moonshine. Start off with pretzels and pimento cheese for an appetizer and get spicy with a plate of horseradish crusted salmon. The menu at Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill keeps the flavors coming hard every day of the week at both restaurants. Though their second location does not hold the promise of spooky experiences (that we know of) the quality remains the same if you take a trip to the Parmer Ln restaurant for when you can’t get enough of the menu at Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill.
Littlefield House
4.8 ★
Seems like Austin’s rumor mill is one that has been touched by the dead for longer than any of us have been around to participate in the fun of gossip and the Littlefield House is another highly discussed location in the realm of active haunts. Constructed in 1893, the Littlefield House has watched over the walkers of 24th St for many generations of Austin living. Rumor has it that even the original owners of this location were dealing with hauntings of their very own. Even the ghost stories of old have gotten lost and distorted throughout history, but that is what makes the experiences all the more fun. What we do know is that the original lady of the house, Alice Littlefield, was documented to have gone crazy towards the end of her life, especially after the passing of her husband. People love to talk about how she stuck around after all these years, just ask any local that lives nearby and they will surely talk in great detail about Alice. While the Littlefield House is not open for tours or public use without renting the space, a visit to the outside is worth a couple of camera clicks at least. Who knows? Maybe the spirit of Alice Littlefield will come out to the street and say hello!
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Pioneer Farms
4.6 ★
When you want to get more out of a paranormal visit than just saying that you were able to visit the spot, Pioneer Farms has got you covered with a haunted tour that will keep you moving and exploring while learning plenty of info about haunted Austin. Tour tickets cost a little less than 50$ and they pack the experience with stories, clues, maybe even an actual ghost sighting if you are lucky enough. Throughout the trails of Pioneer Farms your skilled host will take you on a journey back through time, stopping at plenty of locations to chat about exactly what was happening back in the day. Along with their standard tour that runs throughout the year, they offer a wide array of special tours that can be found on their events section of the website. Don’t forget to plan accordingly, they are quite vigilant about start times at Pioneer Farms to ensure that everyone has more than enough time to ask all the questions they can come up with. Plan to make more than one visit to Pioneer Farms, the nature of available events changes often and every week that passes brings another possibility to the mix. The brains behind Pioneer Farms ghost tours are always searching for more ways to enhance the overall experience and a few hours spent with them.
The Tavern
4.3 ★
Serving the locals of Austin since 1916 with beginnings as a grocery store, The Tavern is that bar you visit once and the regulars never forget your name or hesitate to shout it as you walk through the door. Throughout all the years that they have been keeping Austin full of their favorite drinks, stories of lifelong relationships beginning at their bar have made waves since day one. Another set of stories that have become as famous are about The Tavern’s hauntings. They even feature an entire tour centered around the concept. Now these tales passed on over the years might be nothing more than the collective ramblings of patrons who want to spice up a regular day, but you won’t convince any of us that the stories aren’t at least rooted in truth. From 11 am – 11 pm at least, you can sit down at this bar any day and potentially be greeted by “Emily” in some way. This 12th St establishment has grown fond of their resident ghost, an original resident of the building. Apparently, a pair of her shoes were found embedded in a wall during renovations in 2003. Emily is relatively harmless, only playing the occasional prank or showing herself in front of tv’s. The folks at The Tavern have gotten so hyped up about the hauntings that they feature an entire murder mystery themed dinner party hosted by the owner. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the show is one for the books every single time. Even without the haunted show, Emily is rumored to hang out in the bar every day so come by sometime and find out why The Tavern has remained so popular. This heavily German-influenced hang out spot has 50 tv’s on top of being just a wicked fun place to sit around with friends.
The Austin Club/Millett Opera House
4.7 ★
Initially assembled in the late 1800s, the Millett Opera House building has been home to The Austin Club since they moved in around 1980. Over the many years that this building has sat on east 9th St, the industrious building has been a central spot for folks in Austin to gather for top tier entertainment experiences and socialization. The Millett Opera House building has seen a number of parties, concerts, even political meetings housed within the massive walls. Since The Austin Club moved in to the establishment right before the 1980s, the establishment has remained one of the most luxurious in the city.
When any building sits around as long as this one has, there is no avoiding the potential of possible hauntings. In particular, The Austin Club’s walls are known to house so many ghosts and poltergeists that a proper headcount would be too hefty of a task for even the best historians. Rumor tells us that the performer called Priscilla is the name behind the woman who haunts the stage, even if people can’t decide whether she was a gypsy or an opera singer who suffered the tragic accident all those years ago. What we do know is that members of the club and staff have reported a full blown apparition appearing in a chilling white dress. Apparently, our friend Priscilla likes to ride the elevator as well, and she usually has a reputation for being quite the friendly ghost. For those who plan on using this venue as a wedding, don’t worry much about Priscilla. The most she is known to do is knock the occasional bouquet over. If you’re in need of a venue for your next event and don’t mind the occasional spooky occurrence, The Austin Club has some of the best facilities in the area. Otherwise, the building itself is full of splendor and worth a visit with your camera.
The Clay Pit
4.2 ★
Finishing up the list has to be The Clay Pit, where no number of spirits could keep people from coming around. First of all, The Clay Pit dishes out some of Austin’s best Indian food according to local reviews. Because The Clay Pit is located inside of the old Bertram Building on Guadalupe St, the number of reported ghost stories are through the roof. This old building has seen illness, murder, and many generations of this town’s residents since being turned into a grocery store in 1880. From the “Scarlet Lady” to the original family that owned the building and everything in between, these stories get more interesting with each passing day. Hauntings aside, the history of the Bertram Building is interesting enough to make at least one trip. Underground tunnels are one of the main topics of discussion, especially the ones that are believed to have led people straight to the building’s very own brothels and other generally unsavory locations. Speaking of brothels, the Scarlet Lady is said to be the ghost of a prostitute whose life was ended in the basement. Because of her profession no one ever took time to look into the occurrence and the case has remained unsolved to this very day. She is the most noteworthy and often spotted of the many spirits rumored to haunt the old place. Open every day of the week, The Clay Pit is happy to have you come in for Indian cuisine with a side of ghost stories for those who are in the mood. Come in sometime for lunch or dinner and if you’re lucky, maybe your server will be able to tell you more about what’s haunted and who is hanging around The Clay Pit.
CONCLUSION
When the days start to get a little shorter and maybe even colder, the urge to find out what’s been haunting those old buildings in Austin can get stronger with each passing day. Have a blast hunting for chilling stories all over this old town, you won’t run out of content on the subject anytime soon. Austin has always been full of ways to have fun and going on a haunted scavenger hunt is one of those activities that is fun and educational. If you don’t want to put in the time planning, there are a variety of haunted tours and shows offered in the area.