Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to Austin to experience its famously weird art and music scene every year. Everyone wants to take in the local craft stores and delicious barbecue, as well as a concert of two.
If you stroll a little further into Austin’s older districts, past the gift shops selling all that fun “Keep Austin Weird” merch, you’ll stumble across a genuine artifact of the city’s bygone era: the historic Driskill Hotel. Just looking at its architecture will take you right back to the gilded age of the Southwest, when glamor and oil money reigned supreme.
In the 100+ years that it has stood at the corner of 6th St., The Driskill has hosted everything from inaugural balls to high-profile weddings and many mysteriously wealthy guests in between. Sure, its eye-catching architecture and expensive decor draw visitors in, but the rumors of its ghostly past are what make it an Austin destination not to miss.
History of The Driskill Hotel
The Driskill was built in 1886, making it now the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas.
The hotel’s stunning Romanesque-style architecture makes it one of the most widely recognized. Impressive pillars, lofty arches, gleaming white limestone, and marble detailing make The Driskill easy to spot from its corner location in Downtown Austin.
Inside The Driskill, the luxurious decor continues in stained glass lighting fixtures, period artwork, and, of course, more marble floors and pillars. So glamorous is the interior that it’s been a feature in several movies through the ages.
However, before making its way to the silver screen, The Driskill had a long history of catering to Texas’ wealthiest residents. Many of them were enjoying the booming cattle and oil industries of the era. Jesse Driskill, the successful cattleman and socialite who built The Driskill, envisioned it as “the finest hotel south of St. Louis.”
Since then, famous politicians, movie stars, musicians, and artists have put their names on the guest list in fulfillment of Jesse Driskill’s dream. It’s no mystery why The Driskill Hotel has captured the imagination of historians and tourists alike for generations.
However, what is a mystery is many of the haunted happenings reputed to have occurred behind closed doors.