Seeking Spooky This Halloween Season? Here Are 7 ‘Haunted’ Spots in Austin

By Nathan Han in Alcalde Online on October 28, 2022 at 10:29 am | No Comments

Spooky season is here, and so are ghost stories that follow local legend. 

Most Longhorns are more than familiar with Littlefield House, but Austin has no shortage of spots that are (allegedly) haunted. 

So if you’re looking for a chance to experience infamously spooky spots in Austin, the Alcalde made a list of seven places in Austin, both near and far from campus, to put on your Halloween bucket list this year: 

Littlefield House 

One of the oldest buildings on campus, the Littlefield Home is a striking contrast from the rest of the Forty Acres. At the intersection of 24th Street and Whitis Avenue, the red Victorian mansion was built in 1893 for George Littlefield. After his wife Alice died in 1935, the home was given to the university, and rumor has it that Alice’s ghost still roams the rooms — and don’t forget about the Littlefield dorm as well, which also is the spot of many stories of spirits. Those same rumors say that when you visit, on a portrait in a hallway, Littlefield’s left eye follows you wherever you go.  

Driskill Hotel 

The Driskill Hotel and the accompanying Driskill Bar claimed the top two spots for the most haunted spots in Texas, according to a 2021 list compiled by Yelp, which used keywords from reviews to measure “spookiness.” Col. Jesse Driskill built the Sixth Street hotel in 1886, and guests and hotel staff have reported encounters with the deceased former owner and other ghosts — a suicidal bride and former president Lyndon B. Johnson, to name a few. 

The Clay Pit 

Just one block down Guadalupe Street from UT’s central campus, the Indian restaurant is located at the historic Bertram Building. Originally built in 1853, the building was purchased by German immigrant Rudolph Bertram, who used it as a trading post. When it became a saloon and grocery store, Bertram’s family lived on the second floor, where it’s rumored that the ghost of one of his children who died there still haunts the now-restaurant. 

Austin’s Inn at Pearl Street 

If you’re looking for a more friendly ghost, this quaint hotel could be the place for you. At the edge of West Campus at MLK Jr. Blvd and Pearl Street, Austin’s Inn at Pearl Street sat abandoned for several decades after its original owners, Judge Charles A. Wilcox and his family, died. Current owner Jill Beckford brought the previously private home back to life in 1993 and told the Daily Texan that she noticed suspicious activity, like a broom falling over repeatedly, when she was restoring the building first constructed in 1914. She now hears stories from guests about the “friendly spirits” and told the Texan she doesn’t want the spirits to leave. 

Shoal Creek Greenbelt 

The long and shallow creek and accompanying trails are normally home to disc golfers, runners, and hikers. On the north end of the 12.9-mile-long Shoal Creek Greenbelt, near 34th Street, however, is a historical marker commemorating the clash between local Native Americans and pioneer Gideon White, who settled near the creek on their land. The ghosts of White and his family are said to still be haunting the area.  

Buenos Aires Cafe  

The bistro on East Sixth Street serves some of the best Argentine cuisine in Austin. The café is also home to the speakeasy and basement bar, Milongra Room. According to accounts from employees and customers, there are four resident ghosts who reside in the 19th-century building, including Armando, a former employee You can learn more about the fantasmas at the Milongra Room by listening to the Night Owl Podcast or by ordering from their special cocktail menu called “Hidden Spirits,” which includes Armando’s favorite drink. 

Neill-Cochran House Museum 

Located in the heart of West Campus on San Gabriel Street, the Neill-Cochran House Museum is one of Austin’s oldest homes and includes the only intact former slave dwelling in the city. Among apartment complexes and fraternity homes, the Neill-Cochran House is certainly the source of many ghost rumors — during the Civil War, the home was used as a quarantine for soldiers who had yellow fever and cholera. While current staff haven’t reported any paranormal activity, according to the museum’s website, it hasn’t stopped students and ghost fanatics from their stories.