The Alamo
Downtown San Antonio
Not surprisingly, the spirits of those involved in that famous battle have opted to stick around, but they are not the only ones. The original incarnation of the Alamo was the Mission San Antonio de Valero, and when Santa Ana ordered it destroyed, the deceased monks supposedly reached through the walls and threatened the troops assigned to its destruction. To this day there are reports of strange creatures and apparitions dancing or walking along its outer wall. The plaza in front of it is reportedly haunted as well.

There are two major reasons for all of the activity in the downtown area of San Antonio.

One, is because of the burial ground that was used between 1724 and 1793 that takes up most of what is Alamo Plaza today. There are probably about a thousand people that were buried in this area. 954 are recorded in Spanish records from the time.

Two, is because of the actual battle, where people died a violent death or before their time. When Santa Anna left SA to go to San Jacinto with about 1500 troops, he left about 1,000 men in SA to keep control of the area for him under the command of General Andrade. Because the bodies of the Texas defenders were burned in two or three locations around the Alamo grounds, General Andrade moved his troops about a mile or two out of SA and set up camp. When Santa Anna was captured at San Jacinto, it was reported that he got off a couple of messengers. He ordered Andrade to move his troops south of the Rio Grande, but before he was to leave SA he was to go into the Alamo and totally destroy the Alamo chapel. Santa Ann hated the Alamo for a couple of reasons. One, he lost about 1,600 troops taking the place in 1836 and two, his brother-in-law, General Cos had been run off with the 1,100 troops he had there in late 1835 by about 300 Texas Rebels.

General Andrade started to organize his troops for the march to the Rio Grande and he ordered Colonel Sanchez to go to the Alamo and destroy it. It was reported that the Colonel returned to camp rather quickly with a story about six Diablos, or ghostly looking devils coming out of the front doors of the Alamo and waving flaming sabers over their heads and yelling, "Do not touch the Alamo, do not touch these walls."

General Andrade thought that this story was ridiculous and he got a group of men to go with him to destroy the Alamo. When he got there, he also saw the same six ghosts. Now a lot of people want to think that these six ghosts were the ghosts of the most famous people involved in the battle. The ghosts of Bowie, Crockett, Bonham and Travis. I even get into arguments with people about the fact that I do not believe that the ghost of John Wayne was there too. Anyway, the General also looks over at the long barracks and sees the image of a person that is larger than life and has their hands up in the air with balls of fire in their hands. This is one of the images that is depicted on the Cenotaph (the Alamo defenders monument that is located in Alamo Plaza). It is the image of the spirit of sublime heroic sacrifice and it is given credit with saving the Alamo from physical destruction. The story goes that when the ethereal energy was released from the flames of the fires that burned the bodies of the Alamo defenders, this spirit used that energy to manifest itself, make itself visible, to scare away intruders of the Alamo grounds.

As far as the plaza hauntings that I know about. The report of the six ghosts and the spirit of sublime heroic sacrifice is widely known as the first reported ghost sightings at the Alamo. But there were also reports that two women were walking across the Mission grounds back in the 1700's, right about where the Plaza is today and they were struck by lightning. One died and the other survived. There are reports today, by people that work in the plaza on a daily basis that they have seen a ghostly woman walking across the plaza. It just might be the person killed by lightning. Just talk to some of the people that sell snow cones in the plaza.
This information provided by Martin Leal of Alamo City Paranormal.

Alamo Street Restaurant & Theater
"Miss Margaret" shows up in the choir loft in Victorian dress. She is believed to be Margaret Gething, an actress who lived just a few blocks away.

Bexar County Medical Health Building
Toilets flush themselves, doors open, items move and the warehouse emits loud band music.

Botanical Gardens
San Antonio has its own headless horseman.

Brooks House
Pipe smoke, ghost footsteps and a tall apparition with a mustache who shows up in the upstairs bedroom are reported here.

Bullis House Inn/International Hostel
Male voices have been heard arguing loudly, and the apparition of an Indian brave has been seen here. Gen. Bullis helped capture Geronimo - could that be the brave?

Cadillac Bar
The alarm goes off, dishes fly off of the shelves, faucets come on, a male apparition has been seen on the back steps and a homely female apparition is seen in or near the party room.

Cafe Camille
Doors open and close, items are picked up off the wall then moved and dropped, and the activity is attributed to the wife of the former owner.

Central Texas Parole Violator Building
The spirit of murdered prisoner Hugo Saenz has been seen roaming the halls of this old prison building.

Chabot-Reed House
Old honky-tonk music, muffled conversations and eerie presences have been reported in this old home.

Comanche Look-out Hill
Haunted by soldiers who were stationed there. Reports indicate that Native American spirits can be seen in the area as well.

Crockett Hotel
Moving curtains in an unexplained apparition in the executive offices. No one is certain who the spirit(s) might be, but it should be noted that the grounds were a part of the battlefield of the Battle of the Alamo.

Crown Plaza St. Anthony
Unidentified spirits have been experienced in the basement-level male employee's locker room, feelings of being followed on the tenth floor, the doors to the roof garden open by themselves, ghostly footsteps, ghostly feet and a pair of unknown apparitions spotted by a guest have also been reported here.

Dienger Building
Charley Dienger slams doors, plays with the lights and rattles the windows in the cellar. Other activity includes voices, items that disappear, a male apparition, a female apparition, and footsteps.

El Camino Real
Near Salado Creek and Austin Highway. A woman murdered by her husband & buried under the house is heard in this abandoned residence.

Emily Morgan Hotel
Near the Alamo. Most of the activity can be found on the 12th floor, 7th floor and in the basement. Guests have reported apparitions and electrical equipment going haywire. The building used to be a medical facility.

Express-News
Ave E. While the name of this ghost is not known, a sensitive has identified him as an Irish immigrant who worked in a carriage house that stood nearby before the current structure was erected. Those who have experienced this spirit have deemed him to be benign.

Fort Clark
Ghostly footsteps at the end of Officer's Row are attributed to the ghosts of a black cook and her cat. She was killed by a colonel. Ollabelle Dahlstrom enjoys touching people, a strange voice is heard, and beds will shake in bldgs 8 - 9. You can smell food cooking in bldg 10 when no one is in the kitchen, and you might see a wispy female apparition. An unknown spirit in bldg 11 calls out people's names.

Fort Sam Houston
"Harvey" hangs out in Service Club #2 and one of the pools. Ghost footsteps, the sensation of someone laying in bed next to you, and self-flushing toilets are reported in Quarters #1. Pershing House also has self-flushing toilets as well as a self-ringing doorbell, lights with minds of their own, and footsteps.
In the old hotel building, there are cold spots, and items get thrown out of the closets. The old hospital building has lights that come on by themselves, and windows open and shut.

Gatlin Gasthaus
Trembling flowers and haywire lights. During one Christmas celebration the locked front door blew open and the gust of wind that accompanied it blew out all of the lit candles and knocked over the antique crystal candleholders, but remarkably, nothing was broken.

Gunter Hotel
Near the Alamo. A blonde apparition is seen in the vicinity of room 636. Apparently she was the victim of a grisly murder.

Harlandale High School
The story goes that a teacher hung himself when he couldn't be with one of his students (with whom he'd fallen in love), now cold spots and shadows that resemble ropes, and disembodied voices are reported in the room.

Hertzberg Museum
Cold spots, shadows, odd noises, falling items and ghost steps are attributed to John McMullen.

Hope Farm
This old house is the site of self-opening doors, ghost steps, rattling windows, disappearing objects and freshly-made beds that get disturbed.

Inn on the River
Cold spots and shaking lamps are attributed to a female ghost. Rooms 11, 13 and the dining room are the most active.

Institute of Texas Cultures
Unexplained pipe smoke, rearranged books, and a hearse door that opens on its own. None of these events have an explanation, and there is no obvious reason for this building to be haunted. Perhaps it's not the building, but the artifacts it contains.

Jesse's Bar & Restaurant
An apparition with a handle-bar mustache has been seen climbing the back stairs. Another apparition - a female with stringy blond hair and an overbite - has been seen on the top of the stairs and looking out the window.

John F. Kennedy High School
Gus Langley, a teacher, gets blamed for cold spots, footsteps, moving items and banging lockers.

John J. Wood Federal Building
Strange voices in the elevators, hammering sounds coming from the roof, self-opening doors, lights that turn on and off, and an apparition in the courtroom are among the occurrences reported here.

Jose Antonio Navarro State Historical Park
A face has been seen looking out of the attic dormer window by state employees working on the restoration. Other apparitions include a Confederate soldier, a child, a prostitute, and a bartender.

La Villita
Objects move of their own accord, and a female apparition are reported in Chamade Jewelry Store. A female apparition in white frequents the River Art Gallery. Shadows, moving items and a 19th century female apparition are experienced in the Starving Artists Gallery. A little girl's spirit is reported in La Villita House.

The Linden House
This house has ghost steps, electrical disturbances, doors that open and close, and objects that move on their own.

Long Acres
A female spirit named Elsie may be the one causing items to disappear.

Menger Hotel
Haunted by the ghost of a chambermaid who was murdered by her husband, a group called the "Ruff Riders" and Mr. King of King Ranch fame. He reportedly haunts the "King Ranch Room" where he passed away.

Milam Square The site of an 18th century cemetery, ghosts of Natives and Spanish settlers have been experienced. The Mission District - Mission San Jose
A headless monk has been seen in the courtyard at night, and a huge black dog has been seen in the area.

Mission San Francisco - A similar black dog/wolf, with a chain dangling from its neck, has been seen here. Is it the same one? Also, an Indian in full ceremonial dress has been seen at the altar.

Mission San Juan - The apparition of an Indian has been seen by the altar in the chapel.

North Star Mall
Workers hear their names called and report strange shadows.

Oge House
Named after its most colorful owner, this antebellum plantation cottage has had lights turn on and off, and one spirit protested the spices selected by the cook. Every time she went to add them, they were blown all over the kitchen.

Old Menger Soap Factory
Ghost steps, apparitions and cold spots are reported inside this 150+ year-old soap factory.

Old Salinas Homestead
A pair of phantoms is reported here - male and female.

Old Spanish Tower
San Antonio's very own set of ghost lights!

Our Lady of the Lake University
The myriad of ghosts at this university include a janitor in the library basement, some ghostly nuns, and a headless apparition that haunts a former dormitory across the street (now an elementary school).

Plaza Marriott
Former owner hung herself in what is now the exercise area. Now her apparition is seen on the upper floors, in the basement and in the garden. Lights come on and off and the front desk drawers open on their own.

Providence High School
A nun is reportedly buried under the site of the gymnasium, and freshmen attending the lock-in have reported seeing her wandering the halls at night.

Reed Candle Factory
Still being visited by founder, Peter Reed.

Rivercenter Mall
At the head of the river, near where the photo center is now, was one of the pyres that burned the remains of Alamo defenders. Strange shadows are now seen in the area.

The Riverwalk Inn
The TV in the common room comes on, doors close by themselves, and ghostly footsteps head up the stairs.

Royal Swan Guest Inn
The apparition of a hispanic woman has shown up from time to time, and guests have reported violently shaking beds, and the feeling that someone just sat down next to them on the bed.

San Antonio Academy
A haunt in the upstairs of the Stribling Building is attributed to Professor Jim Roe.

San Antonio College
Ghost voices and strange lights are reported in McAllister Auditorium.

San Pedro Playhouse
The ghost of a plump, balding elderly gentleman has been reported frequently.

Sartor House
A "friendly presence" is reported in the parlor and hallway.

Schilo's Delicatessen
Lights turn on and off, staff gets pinched, strange shadows are reported, and objects move by themselves.

Spanish Governor's Palace
The property contains a well that is haunted by a maid whose murdered body was dumped in it.

Spanish Ranch House
Ghost steps, misty apparitions, odd noises and cold spots are reported here. It is located near the Mission District - could there be a connection?

St. Mary's University
A Marianist brother was practicing on some acrobatic rings that were in the current administration building. His hands slipped and he fell, breaking his neck. Now, when the sun begins to set behind the building, you can see a figure working out in the attic and you can hear his footsteps.

Stinson Field Graveyard
Mission Rd. Haunted by the ghost of a Chinese woman who committed suicide. Though this may be a hoax perpetrated by a popular paranormal-themed magazine.

Stinson Municipal Airport
Supposedly a man who was killed while starting his plane haunts this condemned hangar.

Terrell Castle Inn
Footsteps that sound like a woman in high-heeled shoes have been heard on the stairs. Guests reported the sound of a toilet seat slamming every 30 minutes or so, only to find out that the toilet seat was fine. The same guests changed rooms and ended up with a ceiling fan that spun wildly then stopped (the switch was "off"), and a TV set that jumped off the table and landed upside down on the floor. Housekeeping staff report seeing the shadow of someone pass by when no one is there.

The Tracks
The legend has it that a busload of kids were killed when their bus stalled on the tracks and was hit by a train, and now if you stop on the tracks and put your car in neutral, your car will roll over the tracks. The legend also states that if you powder your car you'll see the kids' fingerprints in the powder and that the streets in the neighborhood are named after these kids. There is no record of any bus being hit by a train here, the streets in the neighborhood are named after the developer's kids (who are alive and well), if you don't wash your car down thoroughly first you'll see your own prints in the powder (and those of any kid who has touched your car recently), and it can appear that you are rolling uphill when you are actually rolling downhill. This is a very popular legend that has been made famous in recent years by the press. The local police department is tired of dealing with the traffic problem caused by people testing the tracks (and the drugs and alcohol that seem to find their way there), and the local residents are tired of the traffic congestion caused by people stopping on these tracks. Do not ask us for the location, we no longer disclose it out of respect for the people of San Antonio who have to live there. Urban legends are fine and there may be many others listed on our site, but this one has gone too far. We regret that this seems harsh, but if the number of questions we receive each week about these tracks is indicative of the number of people visiting them, I'm glad I don't live there.

Ursuline Academy
Apparitions of a priest and a nun have been sighted, and some unfortunate folks have been shoved. The buildings are now part of the Southwest Craft Center.

Weinert House B and B
The piano and drums play by themselves, lights turn on and off, doors open and close, items move on their own, and a female apparition identified as Clara Maria Bading Weinert has been spotted.

Westin Hotel on Market Street
The apparition of a cobbler at his booth has been seen in one room on the fourth floor of this hotel.

Witte Museum
Poltergeist activity and apparitions have been reported here. Many think that the ghost is that of museum founder Ellen Schultz.

Wolfson Manor
Broadway. Slamming doors, ghostly footsteps and a floating China cabinet are among the poltergeist activity experienced in this old home. Whenever anyone removes Mr. Wolfson's collection of portraits, they are quickly replaced by ghostly hands.

Yturri-Edmunds Home
Cold spots and fleeting glimpses in the peripheral vision have been attributed to Miss Ernestine, a former resident.

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