Ten Most Haunted Places in El Paso

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Ten Most Haunted Places in El Paso - Photo

El Paso, meaning “ The Pass,” is a city at the westernmost tip of Texas. The region itself has been active for over 10,000 years.

Natives from countless tribes worked on the land for generations. It was established as a Spanish colony in 1680 and, in the 19th century, was incorporated into Texas, initially as Franklin but renamed El Paso just a few years later.

It should come as no surprise that an area that has been populated for so long is haunted. Considered one of the most haunted cities in Texas, El Paso is home to some of the creepiest places in the country.

The city streets are teeming with supernatural energy and paranormal activity. US Ghost Adventures offers walking tours for those visiting this West Texas city, and for those who are not, we present here, The Ten Creepiest Places in El Paso.

10. El Paso High School

El Paso High School (El Paso, Texas) football arena

El Paso High School 2018. Source: Flickr 

Anyone who’s watched a horror movie already knows how creepy high schools can sometimes be.

EPHS was founded over a century ago, in 1916, and has seen its fair share of death and ghosts. The most famous and tragic ghost story here involves a young girl and a suicide.

As the legend goes, a cheerleader was dumped by the quarterback. Her reaction went far beyond normal depression; she violently slit her wrists, threw herself from the balcony on the fourth floor, and plummeted to her death before she could bleed.

Staff reports an odd mist and residue that now covers the hallway leading to the balcony.

While some insist that this was a suicide, others claim she was pushed or that her death was an accident. Either way, many students and faculty members today claim to see the girl’s apparition falling from the balcony on a somewhat regular basis.

However, hers is not the only spirit that haunts the high school grounds.

A High School Haunting

There was an incident with the track and field coach who heard what sounded like a pep rally in the auditorium, but no one was there. Supposedly, if you sit quietly in the hall when no one is inside, you can see and hear the chairs flipping.

There was a tragic incident with a football player who died on the field in the 1950s, and many claim to have seen his ghost on the field just before games.

Suffice it to say this high school is haunted and entirely too creepy.

Why is El Paso High School haunted?

Tragedy and sorrow flood the halls of this busy high school. Untimely, brutal deaths have made former students permanent, bound within the building’s four walls.

Ghosts of El Paso High School

  • A cheerleader doomed to forever relive her manner of death
  • A football player from the 1950s

9. Concordia Cemetery

The first burial at this cemetery took place in 1856. There are 60,000 and 65,000 graves, and Concordia is the only place in Texas with a Chinese cemetery.

Concordia is the final resting place for many Texas rangers, Buffalo soldiers, former city officials, and others with a prominent status. Visitors have seen shadowy figures and child-sized apparitions lurking around the cemetery for years.

There are both outlaws and law enforcement officers of The Old West buried in Concordia. While any cemetery could be considered creepy, this one is particularly so, and not necessarily because of all the ghosts.

During the 1980s, serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka “The Night Stalker” would break into the cemetery late at night and perform seances. For those with an interest in true crime and the macabre, the cemetery office offers more information on this disturbing time.

Home of The Dead

Concordia Cemetery has some strange and spooky activity, especially at night. The area is infamously known to be a hot spot for the paranormal.

One of the most curious haunted stories is that of a ghostly figure captured in photos over the last few years at the cemetery. This same dark, mysterious figure has been popping up on tours and in pictures in recent years.

There are several theories on who or what it is.

One view is that it is the ghost of notorious gunslinger John Wesley Hardin. There are unexplained noises in addition to countless ghosts that haunt this cemetery every night, making it one of the creepiest places in town.

Why is the Concordia Cemetery haunted?

One would think the 60,000-plus individuals buried here would be reason enough for the cemetery to be haunted. However, there’s much more to this creepy location.

The area was originally the site for a ranch whose co-owner was horrifically killed by a deer and buried right onsite. It would go on to serve as a cemetery for the poor before adding sections for various groups of people, including infants. Disturbed graves, forgotten loved ones, and witchcraft have only added to the paranormal activity of the Concordia Cemetery.

Ghosts of Concordia Cemetery

  • Several children from the infant section
  • Soldiers
  • Gunslinger John Wesley Hardin
  • Undetermined entities

8. Magoffin Home

Beautiful sunny treelined homestead in El Paso

The Magoffin Homestead in El Paso, Texas. 2009. Source: Wikimedia Commons

This home was built in 1875 for former El Paso Mayor Joseph Magoffin though now functions as State Historic Site and tours upon appointment. 

The building is considered to be equally beautiful and haunted as there are two known ghosts that haunt the building. The first is Charles Richardson, Mayor Magoffin’s cousin, best friend, and brother-in-law.

Charles married his first cousin, Josephine Magoffin, Joseph’s sister. Despite their blood relations, the two were in love and lived happily together.

When Josephine passed away in 1886, Charles was heartbroken and moved into the home with Joseph and his family. The widower spent the rest of his days in his room, rocking back and forth in his rocking chair.

Today guests and staff have reported seeing a ghostly figure in a rocking chair rocking back and forth, just as Charles did.

A Home For The Departed

The other famous ghost here is Jose Sierra, a servant at the home. Historians have disputed his birth and formative years, but we know he came to the Magoffin Home as a boy and remained there until he died.

The Magoffin grandchildren told historians that Sierra did the work of ten men, carrying and chopping wood. He was listed as a coachman and servant.

His 1921 obituary states, “Funeral services for Jose Sierra, 70, Indian servant in the Joseph Magoffin home for half a century, who died Saturday morning, were held at the Peak-Hagedon undertaking establishment yesterday afternoon”.

Many have reported seeing a full-blown apparition chopping wood on the old grounds, most like the spirit of Jose Sierra still working like he did every day of his life. 

There have been other, less commonly seen spirits at this haunted house. It’s believed the ghosts of Joseph and Octavia Magoffin come to check on their descendants.

Whoever they may be, this home is considered one of the creepiest in El Paso.

Why is the Magoffin Home haunted?

Heartbreak and unwavering loyalty are two of the primary factors that shaped the paranormal activity that dominates the Magoffin Home.

Ghosts of the Magoffin Home

  • Josephine Magoffin
  • The family servant, Jose Sierra

7. The Plaza Theater

One of the most well-known landmarks in El Paso, the Plaza Theater, was built in 1930. It is the oldest theater in the city and has earned a prestigious reputation over the years.

The theater has become known not only for its phenomenal performances but for its paranormal activity as well. At nearly one hundred years old, the building has accumulated several ghosts and phantoms.

The Show Must Go On

Theater staff over the decades have reported seeing the spirit of a little girl sitting in the back row and giggling. A security guard claimed that she saw these human silhouettes running up and down.

She would see them on that wall and be pretty creeped out by it. There’s another story of an obese man who had a heart attack on his way to the water fountain and still haunts that same hallway today, most likely unaware that he has died.

Objects are often found out of place in the building. Additionally, stories shared include a man in uniform during the 1940s who fell off the rail on the mezzanine level. Some theatre-goers reported seeing a red light, otherwise suggested as a cigarette lighter, on that level of the theatre.

The unexplained occurrences in this building seem to have no end, making this one of the most haunted places in Texas.

Why is The Plaza Theater haunted?

While there are no records of death occurring at The Plaza Theater, there are various theories on the otherworldly apparitions that inhabit the theater. Some believe they’re residual hauntings from the theater’s surroundings. One theory includes the suicide of a man inside the theater. One thing’s for certain, The Plaza Theater is definitely a place where ghosts like to put on a show.

Ghosts of The Plaza Theater

  • A little girl who can be heard giggling
  • The Smoking man
  • Human silhouettes

6. De Soto Hotel

Located in downtown El Paso, the De Soto Hotel is over 115 years old and is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in the city. In fact, the activity that occurs within the hotel is so profound it’s gained a haunted reputation on a national level.

The De Soto has been a frequent stop on local ghost walking tours and was featured in a 2017 episode of the Travel TV channel’s ghost-hunting series “Ghost Adventures”.

Unruly Guests

Visitors claim to have been bitten and scratched, and paranormal investigators have captured multiple videos of objects inexplicably moving and recordings of creepy voices coming through during investigations.

It was rumored to be haunted for years by the spirit of a little girl in the basement.  

In February 2022, the old haunted hotel went up in flames. The unexplained fire gutted the vacant 116-year-old De Soto Hotel, and the building has since been demolished.

However, the ghosts that called the hotel home still haunt the grounds to this day. The building was due for renovations before the fire, and the hotel ownership decided to rebuild.

With the amount of strange and unexplained happenings that once filled the building, there is no doubt the entities will make sure the building’s reputation for being one of the most haunted places in town remains intact.

Why is the De Soto Hotel haunted?

Though no one cause is given for the hauntings, local tales include stories of witchcraft and Satanic worship taking place in the basement. Combined with the colorful cast of guests and residents that once inhabited the hotel, it’s easy to see why the De Soto Hotel has a history of supernatural happenings.

Ghosts of the De Soto Hotel

  • A possible demon in the basement
  • A young girl named Sara
  • A shadow figure that lingers in the hallway

5. El Paso Fire Station No. 9

This El Paso Fire Station was built back in 1925 and has long been known as the most haunted station in the El Paso Fire Department. Battalion Chief and EPFD historian Cristopher Hoggard explained that while each fire station has its own unique history, Station 9 has one that’s for the books. 

The crews believe an old captain is still lurking around and looking over the station. Firefighters working from Station 9 consistently report unexplained occurrences such as objects moving of their own accord, TVs and lights turning themselves on and off in the middle of the night, and various other anomalies.

However, the leading theory going around for generations is that the spirit of Captain Woodard Bloxom haunts the station. Bloxom was stationed at “9” back in the 30s. In 1934, a massive fire broke out across the street from the station at a furniture warehouse.

Bloxom and his men rushed to the scene. There was a flashover, all the contents in the fire got hot enough, and everything caught fire simultaneously. Captain Bloxom collapsed, and his men dragged him from the building.

Keeping Watch

He was sent to the hospital where he died the next day of smoke inhalation, but the crew of Station 9 believe he is still watching over the men and women that work there.

Stories of paranormal activity at Station 9 have reached national levels and have even attracted ghost-hunting professionals.

Ghost hunters agree there is something strange going on at “9”, however, exactly who or what is causing it is still unknown. With that in mind, this fire station is undoubtedly haunted and easily makes our top ten creepiest places in El Paso.

Why is El Paso Fire Station 9 haunted?

There are some so passionate about their jobs they have no intention of abandoning their post, even in the afterlife. For El Paso Fire Station 9, that person is a captain who’s not yet ready to retire from his position just yet.

4. Old Southwest General Hospital

The old Southwest General Hospital was originally constructed in 1905 for the Albert Baldwin Health Resort, serving as a sanatorium to help with El Paso’s spreading tuberculosis crisis. Today, it operates as a rehabilitation hospital.

During its time as the Southwest General Hospital, it was known for housing more than just patients. The building alone exudes an ominous presence, sitting atop the corner at Cotton and Murchison in a menacing way, looking down upon the city.

Paranormal investigators have come from all over to examine this building and see for themselves what lurks in the darkness. What they’ve discovered has been more than they bargained for.

The Dark Saga of Southwest General Hospital

One hospital legend involves a nurse who mysteriously died while working at the hospital in the 1950s. Allegedly she was murdered by a doctor she was having an affair with. She still roams the hallways today, perhaps in search of her murderer and seeking revenge.

Another spirit confirmed by ghost hunters is a maintenance worker that died in the elevator after an accident. He’s still riding the elevator today, quite possibly to no end.

Further, a respiratory therapist was also killed in an elevator accident in the 1970s when she became pinned between two floors. Many hospital staff has reported hearing her screams while using the employee elevator.

This building has been connected to public health for over a hundred years, subjecting it to countless deaths. It is undoubtedly one of the creepiest and most haunted sites in El Paso and a must-see for ghost hunters and seekers of the supernatural.

Why is the old Southwest General Hospital haunted?

The patients who never physically left the hospital and the workers who lost their lives unexpectantly in the building have created a restless ball of energy from which the spirits thrive.

Ghosts of the old Southwest General Hospital

  • A nurse murdered by her former lover
  • The spirits of 2 employees killed in the building
  • Various spirits of former patients

3. Fort Bliss Pershing House

The Fort Bliss Pershing House located on Sheridan Road was initially created as ‘Army Plan Number 243, Field Officers Quarters’. The post is just outside town, while the headquarters are in El Paso. The Fort was established in 1910 and has long since been said to be haunted.

Several areas of Fort Bliss are rumored to have their own spectral inhabitants, including Building 4, Building 13, and Building 117. The Pershing House, built for former General John J. Pershing in 1914, is reported to have the most on-site paranormal activity.

The Remnants of War

Guests and commanders who have lived in the home since the 1940s have said strange events like a levitating salt shaker and phantom cooking smells.  Bldg 4 was built in 1914 as an isolation ward for sick and dying soldiers and is allegedly the most haunted building at Fort Bliss.

In June of 1919, there was an alleged suicide at Building 13. As the story goes, a soldier hanged himself a day before he was getting out of the Army. Many soldiers that have stayed in Building 13 over the last century have seen the ghostly image of a soldier hanging from a wire on the porch.

Additionally, Building 117 is said to have poltergeists that have locked MPs in the copy room on multiple occasions.

Whatever the reason be, the grounds at Fort Bliss, especially the Pershing House, are haunted.

With full-bodied apparitions, objects moving on their own, and devices turning themselves on and off in nearly every building, Fort Bliss is truly one of the creepiest places in the city.

Why is Fort Bliss Pershing House haunted?

While various buildings are inhabited by soldiers who continue to serve in the afterlife, the Fort Bliss Pershing House is home to only one spirit who now serves military otherworldly duties.

Ghosts of Fort Bliss Pershing House

  • General John J. Pershing
  • Spirits of soldiers in various buildings

2. Seamon Hall

At the University of Texas at El Paso campus, geology professor David LeMone claims to have seen a ghost, specifically at Seamon Hall. It was about 30 years ago when LeMone was standing outside the Hall, and noticed a light in one of the windows.

When he looked up, he saw a man cleaning inside the building wearing a Mackinaw coat.

LeMone inquired about who the person was and was told about a legend of a ghost at the residence hall. As the story goes, a longtime UTEP janitor died and supposedly hid his money in the building. Seamon Hall is now used as a storage building for the geology department.

Dark, dusty, and filled with tons of boxes and rock samples, the site seems inviting to ghosts. “Today, you can’t get any janitors to go over there in the evening,” according to LeMone. However, English professor John West, who teaches a folklore class at UTEP, has a different take.

Tragedy at UTEP

The rumors about ghosts at Seamon Hall prompted West to do some research. He discovered an interesting tale about a metallurgy student and a young lady who met at a soiree at Seamon Hall in the 1940s.

They began dating but the relationship took a dark turn and the young lady was murdered, presumably by the student. It’s said that around 3 or 4 in the morning, an old 30s-style car drives up to Seamon Hall.

The apparition of a woman gets out and wanders around the hall, possibly looking for the student who took her life.

It’s a good thing this building is only used for storage nowadays. The tragedy that’s occurred here has created a creepy atmosphere not ideal for living.

Why is Seamon Hall haunted?

The tragic murder of a woman who was also believed to be pregnant floods Seamon Hall with a darkness that is still felt, and sometimes seen, to this day.

Ghosts of Seamon Hall

  • A janitor believed to be searching for his hidden wealth
  • The spirit of a murdered woman

1. Gravity Hill

El Paso’s haunted Gravity Hill on Thunderbird Road is said to be the creepiest and most haunted spot in the city. There’s no end to the unexplained phenomena that occur in this haunted part of town.

According to urban legend, the ghosts of four small children and their mother haunt a section of the road. Because of the nature of their deaths, it’s believed they are unable to crossover. Rather, they appear as a warning, helping drivers avoid a similar fate.

However, that’s only one version of the story.

A Touching Tale Turns Dark

Another version tells a darker story. As it goes, the children die in a tragic bus accident, but unlike the mother and her children, these ghosts push cars and occupants to their death, forcing others to join them in the afterlife.  

According to locals, one must drive on Thunderbird Road toward Mesa. By putting the vehicle in neutral between Twin Hills and Singing Hills, the children’s ghosts will push your car, forcing it up the hill.

While some believe these ghost children intend passersby harm, and others think they’re benevolent, science explains this bizarre phenomenon better. A magnetic hill, common in mountainous areas, creates the illusion that your vehicle is rolling up the hill despite being stationary.

Scientists call this phenomenon a “gravity” or “magnetic hill,” hence the name Gravity Hill on Thunderbird Rd. Whether there are ghosts here or not, Gravity Hill remains the creepiest place in El Paso, especially at night.

Whether you’re a paranormal enthusiast or an outright skeptic, it’s hard not to get spooked in the city of El Paso. This west Texas city has emerged from the “ Wild West” days as a destination ghost town and hub for supernatural activity.

US Ghost Adventures is happy to be your guide as you make your way through the haunted buildings and pass ancient burial grounds.

Further, US Ghost Adventures researches, explores, and attempts to uncover the hidden truths and authenticity behind the nature of these hauntings, revealing why specific locations have secured their place in history as El Paso’s Most Haunted.

Featured Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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