Welcome To Sun City Ghosts
When The Sun Sets, The Darkness Rises
Known as “The Passage to the North”, El Paso’s location on the Rio Grande River, which borders both Mexico and the United States, has always been a bridge between the North and the South. Its unique history and even more unbelievable hauntings have also created a connection between past and present, as well as the living and the dead.
Located in the western most region of the gigantic state of Texas, the border town of El Paso was a prime travel route for Europeans seeking safe passage to the “North ” from Mexico. The area surrounding San Jacinto Plaza, which serves as a seemingly peaceful public park, was a meeting place for local citizens in the 1800s, but was also used a common stable for the livestock of locals as well as lawless criminals and a rest stop of those infamous outlaws who needed a place to stash their steeds.
Unfortunately for this small and peaceful Texas town, once their horses were unhitched, the town was at the mercy of the whims of the wicked. The dark events that followed, day or night, gave birth to some of the most terrifying tales of hauntings Texas has ever known. Even though the sun never stops shining in Sun City, USA, the heart of El Paso’s sinister side that hides in the shadows is darker than the dirty deeds of the outlaws that made it their stomping ground.
Join us where it all began – San Jacinto Plaza – where apparitions of legendary lawmen, courageous cowboys, and dirty outlaws continue to clash for supremacy of the area. Enjoy a frightful night of disturbing tales that are a significant part of El Paso’s past, and continue to be a terrifying and integral part of its present.
WHAT YOU’LL SEE AND DO
Experience a Side of El Paso Darker Than Midnight in the Desert
The notoriously haunted locations you’ll visit and the terrifying stories that are attached to each will send chills down your spine and shed a whole new light on the El Paso you thought you knew. From the long-standing Wigwam Saloon that’s known for its resident spirit, supposedly the literal “Dark Angel of Death”, to the fire stations that hold countless stories of unexplained and unbelievably bizarre events, you’ll experience over almost two centuries of horrifying history unique to the Lone Star State.
Dig deeper and you’ll find even more hauntings that can be tied to the indigenous peoples who inhabited the land for more than 500 years before Europeans or cowboys ever set a boot on the land. However, in the boot capital of the world, many of the most infamous outlaws rested their heels in its saloons and walked the streets of El Paso looking for trouble. As it happens, the city had another nickname before Sun City. It was fondly called the Six Shooter Capital and it was in San Jacinto Plaza that some say it earned its name when one particular individual rode into town on a mission that would end with countless dead from his bullets and lead.
The man was El Paso’s most legendary lawless figure– none other than Billy The Kid. The notorious outlaw visited the area during his journey to bust his friend, Melquiades Segura, out of the San Elizario jail and the event became the only documented case of a prisoner being free from the famous El Paso jail.
His journey to the western Texas city wouldn’t have been right without the crimes he was best known for, and in addition to the jailbreak included robbery, murder, and worse. Inevitably, the darkness he carried with him that night continues to manifest itself in this very park.
Locals whisper that the spirits of the Mexican guards continue to patrol the jail, continuing their eternal vigil with lights flickering on and off. If you happen to be in the area at night, you might just see Billy The Kid and his friend riding off into the night.
No Rest For The Wicked
The wickedness of Billy The Kid is only rivaled by the evil that inhabits the Desoto Hotel, one of the most haunted locations in El Paso. The century-old hotel draws fans of the unearthly from all over as it’s rumored the basement of the Desoto was a place of rituals and Satanic worship.
At best, a run-in with one of the Desoto spirits will leave you feeling uneasy. There are those who didn’t have the good fortune to leave unscathed, reporting physical attacks that included pinches, punches, and even bites. Other reports include sightings of a shadow figure as well as a little girl named Sara, both of whom have unknown origins leaving us to wonder not who, but what they are.
At Daves A Pawn Shop, evil takes the form of a demonic-looking doll of JuJu. The out-of-the-ordinary pawn shop was brought a terrifying possession by a customer who found it in an extremely rare item: a reliquary. Locked away for generations, the doll was released and, with it, its terrifying past and energy. Beware staring into the doll’s eyes as there may be no looking back.
A Tragic Past of Unresolved Ends
Tragedy and untimely deaths have lent a hand in creating El Paso’s ominous past. Built in the 1920s, The Reagan once served as a pediatrician’s office with the basement being used to perform surgeries. In the middle of a series of surgeries for one young patient, the attending physician Dr. Pickett suddenly died, leaving the surgeries to be completed by his partner. It’s said the doctor continues to roam the (now) restaurant, with a look of urgency, worrying about what became of his young patient. The spirit of a weeping boy has also been spotted in the restaurant, his soul unable to rest following his unfortunate demise.
Once a building of luxury and opulence, the infamous Hotel Paso Del Norte now houses sadness and despair in the form of the soul of a jilted bride. The former lively and vibrant woman leaped from the balcony to her death after she discovered her husband left her for her bridesmaid, leaving her forever tied to the building, described to be roaming the halls in agony.
Conjurings Created By The Undead
From lights flickering on and off, items moving with no one near them, menacing sounds, and unexplained sightings, El Paso is no stranger to the events of the great beyond. The malevolent occurrences that have shaped the horrific landscape that is downtown El Paso continue to reveal themselves in mysterious and spooky ways.
Discover the El Paso Public Library’s disturbing history, one that includes being built on a civil war burial ground. Sightings of civil war-era soldiers in the library’s basement continue to be reported as well as unexplained activity such as books, papers, magazines, and various objects repeatedly flying off shelves and tables.
For a truly unhinging experience, it doesn’t get much more sinister than the Plaza Theater. Hear the terrifying true account of the employee who caught a glimpse of an unusual guest that turned out to be otherworldly, proclaiming “we all have our time to die” and then repeatedly jumping from the balcony reenacting his demise.
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
