Home for the Holidays

Rumor has it that Austin is the most haunted city in Texas. Stories and legends surround the capitol enough to warrant not one, but two ghost tours and a book dedicated to the spookiest tales.
From the Republic of Texas with its rich history to becoming the state capitol, the farm life in the surrounding areas, and business growth downtown in the early 20th century, it is easy to see how Austin is home to so many spirits of the past.

Does this place look Haunted?

Get close to these apparitions with the Austin Ghost Tours (http://www.hauntedtexas.com/ ). They provide two separate routes, The Ghosts of the Capitol tour, and the Ghosts of the Warehouse District tour. Tours begin at 8:00 or 8:30 PM and start at Moonshine’s Bar and Grill. This is the old Hofhientz-Reissig building, which is over 150 years old. Join one of the Haunted Texas tours to find out why this historic house is its starting point. Each tour also concludes at the same location, the famous Driskill hotel, home to perhaps the largest number of ghost stories in Austin.
It is said that Colonel Driskill, a cattle baron, owner and builder of the Grand hotel, lost the deed to his beloved estate in a high stakes poker game. His presence is made known through the smell of cigars throughout the lobby and parlors.

Since its Grand opening, the Driskill was the place for political figures to stay. Many presidents and congressmen mingled in the lobby while they visited Austin. It is rumored that the four year old daughter of a US Senator haunts the grand staircase from the Mezzanine level. Legend has it that the little girl fell down the stairwell while playing alone with a ball. Her laughter and the sound of a ball bouncing have been reported by guests and the hotel staff.

The Driskill offers exquisite bridal suites. Unfortunately, not all love stories of newlyweds have a happy ending. Two scorn brides are haunting the halls, or so the story goes. Suicide bride #1 (as they have been labeled) was so distraught when her fiancé called off the wedding, that she hanged herself. Some say she can be seen in her wedding gown, wandering through the halls and peering under the ladies bathroom stalls. Suicide bride #2 is a more recent account.

The Driskill Suicide Suite

In 1990, after being dumped by her fiancé, a Houston woman traveled to Austin, checked in at the city’s most extravagant hotel, and set off on a $10,000 shopping spree with her ex’s credit card. She returned late at night, drew a bath, then shot herself in the tub. With the hotel’s thick walls, no one heard the gunshot and she wasn’t found until three days later. Tour guides paint a vivid picture of two visitors in 1999 coming into contact with her ghost while the hotel was being renovated.

The Governor’s mansion houses a wedding legend of its own. In 1865, Governor Pendleton Murrah’s nephew committed suicide in a bedroom after his marriage proposal was rejected. Years later, strange noises still originated from the room, and the governor had the room sealed off for more than forty years. Sam Houston, Congressman, Senator and former governor is also said to wander around the mansion.

The most notable story from the Warehouse District Tour is the one about the “Servant Girl Annihilator,” a mass murderer who went on a killing spree in 1884 and murdered many servant girls. Some suspect this “lady-killer” later fled to London and became better known as the infamous Jack the Ripper.

Although both tours are rich in history, some critics find it less interactive than they would like. For those who are adventurous enough to find spirits on their own, they can read the Ghosts of Austin: Who They are and Where to Find Them, by Fiona Broome. Study up on Austin’s haunted history, choose a handful of the eeriest accounts, and track who’s in them yourself. Without a big group to belong to, it may be easier to play detective and unlock personal accounts or details from people who now work at these haunted locations. Be sure to bring a flashlight and to use the buddy system! Especially if trekking down ghosts means heading off the beaten path.