Top Ten Most Haunted: Fort Worth, Texas
While it may not be the most well-known city when one thinks of the “ Old West,” Fort Worth has a colorful and haunted past. Officially incorporated as a city of Texas in 1874, the town’s conception started as one of ten forts proposed by Major General William Jenkins Worth.
It was established as an Army outpost overlooking the Trinity River in 1849 but was abandoned in 1853 after a destructive flood hit the area. Today it is the fifth biggest city in the state and the thirteenth most populated city in the country.
Several of the better-known buildings in this city are said to be haunted. According to experts, this town is a hotspot for supernatural energy, from Thistle Hill to the Stockyards to the Longhorn General Store.
While nothing can replace a good walking tour, we here at US Ghost Adventures have compiled a list of Fort Worth’s ten most haunted sights for your enjoyment.
To learn more about haunted locations in Texas, book a tour with Cow Town Ghosts in Fort Worth today!
1. Miss Molly’s Hotel
Established in 1910, Miss Molly’s is a well-known bed and breakfast in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. However, Miss Molly’s hasn’t always been the respectable hotel it is now.
Over the last century, this place has operated as a boarding house for sick children from wealthy families and then a speakeasy called Oasis from the 1920s-1940s before becoming a high-class brothel. Today it is a BNB teaming with supernatural energy.
Miss Molly’s Dead and Breakfast
The hotel is now home to a slew of spirits that haunt the grounds, many of whom don’t seem to know they are dead. Some of the more famous ghosts at Miss Molly’s include a cowboy whom mediums have determined is named Jake.
In fact, the hotel’s manager is one of many to claim they have seen Jake as a full-bodied apparition walking about the hotel late at night.
There are several “working girls” that were murdered there in the 1930s that still haunt the second floor, in utter denial of their own deaths.
A small boy is often seen in the twilight hours, presumably one of the sick children that died here when it was a boarding house. Travel writers have reported beds being shaken in the middle of the night in room 3, and other guests have reported unexplained phenomena in the building for nearly a century.
The seven themed rooms in the hotel all share stories of paranormal activity, with the Cattlemen’s and Cowboy rooms having some of the more famous sightings of apparitions. Visitations have also occurred in the current owner’s private room, numbers eight and nine, of a young girl who was once a resident.
Miss Molly’s is still open today and is a must for any visiting ghost hunters in Fort Worth.
Why is Miss Molly’s Hotel haunted?
For decades, Miss Molly’s operated as one of the most sleazy, dangerous establishments of its time. Sinister behavior, lawless acts, and copious amounts of death continue to disturb the living that visits Miss Molly’s.
Ghosts of Miss Molly’s Hotel
- A cowboy named Jake
- Various “working girls”
- A young boy
- Former madam Josie King
2. The Castle of Heron Bay
THE CASTLE OF HERON BAY. Image source: Flickr
That’s right – there’s a castle right in the middle of Texas.
Or at least there used to be.
Built-in 1860, The Castle of Heron Bay was constructed by a groom as a gift to his bride. Records of the couple’s identity have been lost over time, but their story is tragic.
According to legend, the couple was engaged, and the estate had been an engagement present. Unfortunately, on the wedding day, the bride-to-be was found drowned face down on the nearby Lake Worth shore.
To this day, her death remains a mystery. Was it a suicide? Did someone kill her? Was it an accident?
What is known is that the man married his late fiance’s sister just a month or two later.
Not long after, locals began reporting an apparition of a young woman in a wedding dress. They claimed to have seen her running from the house and disappearing once she got to the shores of the lake.
Tragedy Consumes the Castle
She’s not the only ghost of this creepy castle.
The house was acquired in the 1920s in a high-stakes poker game, with the Whiting family promptly moving in as their patriarch won that game.
Tragically, the Whiting’s son committed suicide within their first year at the castle. The suicide was followed by a fire that devastated the building and property.
What remains stood almost 150 years later and was eventually sold to the city to make way for the Lake Worth project. It’s now boarded up, fenced off, and entirely spooky for all who pass it.
Why is The Castle of Heron Bay haunted?
What was designed to be a loving gesture turned into a token of sheer horror. The deaths that have occurred in and on the grounds of this grandiose castle have created a home for tortured souls.
Ghosts of The Castle of Heron Bay
- The fiancé of the man who commissioned the building of the castle
- The Whiting Family’s son
3. The Fort Worth Stockyard Hotel
The Stockyard Hotel. Image source: Flickr
This 116-year-old hotel is another haven for ghosts and unexplained occurrences. Known for its celebrity suite that has housed legends such as Chuck Norris and Garth Brooks.
The Stockyard Hotel’s haunted history dates back to the “Roaring Twenties.” Its decor stays true to the hotel’s roots, with an “Old West” charm, with Cowboy boots and hats, saddles, and artifacts on display.
The notorious bank robbers Bonnie & Clyde once stayed in room 306 ever since the faucet in that room has turned on and off of its own accord.
Bonnie and Clyde’s Fort Worth Legacy
That suite (now known as the Bonnie & Clyde room) has become a memorial to the infamous couple with a .38 revolver that Bonnie owned on display alongside newspaper clippings and a surprising artifact: one of Bonnie’s poems.
Bonnie was a talented poet that was even published once before she and Clyde became outlaws. Her poetry is easily accessible online.
There are reports of ghosts of former hotel guests on the second floor. The hotel elevator is also said to be haunted; it will occasionally ascend or descend of its own accord.
Women staying alone in the hotel have reportedly felt the presence of someone next to them or getting into bed with them that isn’t there. TVs and radios turn on by themselves. There have even been prank calls from within the building, mostly believed to be from an old employee, who most likely doesn’t even know he’s passed.
Why is The Fort Worth Stockyard Hotel haunted?
The Fort Worth Stockyard Hotel was constructed and operated during a time when outlaws ruled the area. The debauchery that ensued left a mark on every place that encountered it, and a trail of malevolent souls left to wander their former stomping grounds.
Ghosts of The Fort Worth Stockyard Hotel
- The spirits of Bonnie and Clyde
- Rodeo Cowboy “Junior”
- A weighmaster named Jasper Lawson
4. The Double Eagle Steakhouse
Built-in 1890, this Steakhouse was originally a bathhouse for the upper class. The bathhouse was conveniently located near the stockyards in the business district, now the historic district.
It was a place weary travelers could wash the dust and grime of the road off themselves and relax. Over time that area developed a reputation for being the “ Hell’s Half Acre” or “ Sin City” of the late 19th/early 20th centuries.
Murder and Mayhem
Legend has it back during the bathhouse days, a cowardly murder took place here. It’s believed that a gentleman gambler won a large sum of money while playing poker one night in 1899.
Afterward, he came to the bathhouse but was followed by a lurking thief. The murderous thief found the gambler in his tub and shot him in the back of the head.
According to steakhouse staff, that man has been haunting the building ever since; he is frequently spotted in the kitchen just after closing by line cooks and dishwashers.
Another murder victim haunts the upstairs banquet halls and bar. He appears as a full-blown apparition in 1890s gentleman’s attire. From all accounts, he seems to be forever searching for his killer, whomever they may be. Occasionally, one can even hear his footsteps.
The building has long since been a fine dining establishment, but diners agree the place is haunted; ghosts, unexplained voices, and objects that move independently are commonplace at the Double Eagle.
Why is The Double Eagle Steakhouse Haunted?
Like many establishments developed in the old Western days, The Double Eagle Steakhouse was subjected to unfavorable acts and characters known for making it a time of depravity. Callous murders were all too common, resulting in unforgiving entities that were determined to make their presence known.
5. Forth Worth – Sundance Square
.jpg)
Sundance Square. Image source: Wikimediacommons
Formerly the Jett Building, this establishment at Sundance Square is now famous for its 1985 Richard Haas mural depicting a Chisholm Trail cattle drive.
It’s also known for a slew of ghosts.
Originally the building housed the terminal and ticket office of Northern Texas Traction Co., which operated the first intercity rail line between Fort Worth and Dallas.
Today it operates as a Jamba Juice, but many businesses have rented out the space over the years.
In a span of six years, at least four different restaurants occupied the space.
The reason?
As one of the owners explained to a local newspaper: “ghosts.”
The Spirits Run Sundance Square
Among the spirits that haunt this place is a woman in mirrors, frightening guests as she appears behind them in the mirror but is gone when they turn around.
A small boy is said to push a ball around on the third floor late at night. Workers have experienced the typical signs of haunting: freezing spots where no drafts exist, mysterious footsteps, and lights flicking on and off.
In addition to apparitions, the building has some other potentially supernatural attributes. Allegedly, when it was known as the Jett Building, a wealthy woman wanted to buy and live there.
She was particularly fond of the view from an upper-floor window, to which the owner assured her the windows had been boarded up for some time.
The woman insisted they go upstairs to the floor and corner she was referring to, believing the owner needed clarification.
They did, and sure enough, there were no windows in that part of the building. The woman was convinced she had experienced something supernatural.
Whatever the case, Sundance Square is a hub of paranormal activity today and a popular meeting place for ghost hunters.
Why is Sundance Square haunted?
Though a historic piece of architecture that attracts hundreds of tourists a year, the former Jett Building of Sundance Square was, and still is, a conduit to the other side. Slaughters in the streets, inexplicable suicides, and the operations of an undertaker continue to attract supernatural spectors, both pleasant and malevolent.
Ghosts of Sundance Square
- A woman who periodically cries for help
- A pale cowboy
- Various unexplained anomalies
6. Fort Worth – Catfish Plantation Restaurant
Haunted houses and supernatural experiences aren’t limited to city limits. About thirty miles south in Waxahachie lies a building wrought with unsettled spirits.
The building was built as early as 1895, but detailed records have been lost, and it could potentially be even older.
In 2003, a fire destroyed part of the building, including the roof. An employee working at the time claims that a ghost named Elizabeth tried to warn her.
A Warning from The Other Side
She told the employee to check the attic as something was very wrong. The owners at the time paid no heed to the phantom warning, but according to current co-owner Shawn Sparks, three days later, an electrical fire started in the attic.
The ghost in question is undoubtedly the spirit of Elizabeth Richards, who died in the dining room of old age around the turn of the 20th century and appeared in a wedding dress, sometimes accompanied by the smell of roses. She’s joined, Sparks says, by the ghosts of Caroline Jenkins, who died in the house of natural causes in the early 1970s, and Will Byers, who died in the 1940s of pneumonia.
Recently an additional ghost was discovered at The Catfish Plantation Restaurant. An apparition supposedly spoke to paranormal investigators through a piece of equipment they had.
She said her name was Lola Roller.
Research uncovered a woman by that name was murdered about three blocks north of the restaurant in the 1930s.
With the building already housing several spirits, Lola decided to move in and enjoy some company.
Why is the Catfish Plantation Restaurant haunted?
In its previous life, the Catfish Plantation Restaurant was the former home of several residents that still inhabit the building. From the murder of a jilted lover to those that passed away in their beloved former home, the building is known for its permanent ghostly residents.
Ghosts of the Catfish Plantation Restaurant
- Caroline, an entity known for her dislike of alcohol
- Elizabeth, the murdered fiancé
- Will, a former farmer who occupied the home
7. Six Flags Over Texas
Just twenty minutes down the road from Fort Worth in Arlington is one of the most significant supernatural finds in the country.
Six Flags Over Texas harbors more than family-friendly amusement, as some ghost hunters consider it to be the most haunted site in Texas. This amusement park has a plethora of urban legends attached to it, and despite being an active park, it is allegedly home to multiple ghosts.
Spirits and apparitions have been spotted at the Music Mill, The Palace, The Candy Store, and in open areas of the park like the Log Ride.
A Playground For the Living…and the Dead
One ghost is a little girl named Annie that haunts the candy store near the Texas Giant. It’s believed that in the early 1900s, the eight-year-old drowned in Johnsons Creek.
It’s said that her spirit wanders from the creek to the historic on-site home to the candy store. The store employees have reported a problem keeping the doors locked at night, lights going on and off, and the upstairs curtains opening and closing.
Although some staff members take it in stride and see it as Annie being playful, she has brought attention to the park as a paranormal hub.
In the 1980s, a ghost named Angus, thought to be one of the men building The Palace, fell to his death. An employee retold that story one evening as she closed down The Palace but returned to get something to find the popcorn machine on and full of hot popcorn.
Other employees claim that doors are slammed, and lights are turned on and off while they’re alone.
Six Flags Over Texas is one of the scariest places on Earth. It stands on land haunted for over a century and is where more urban legends are created yearly.
Why is Six Flags Over Texas haunted?
Don’t let the roller coaster rides and amusing characters fool you. The park has a dark past that includes unimaginable accidents and tragic deaths, leaving these poor, unfortunate souls to wander the park for eternity.
Ghosts of Six Flags Over Texas
- Annie, the spirit of a young girl
- Spirits of those lost at the park
8. Lost Cemetery of Infants
_Dedication_Service.jpg)
Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls. Image Source: Wikimediacommons
Another Arlington location is one that may be the creepiest of all.
In the nineteenth century, society shunned single mothers and treated them like pariahs. Reverend James Tony Upchurch responded by creating the Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls.
The school taught women employable skills and encouraged their development into productive members of society. By 1935, however, the school had morphed into an orphanage.
Today, all that remains of Reverend Upchurch’s vision is a well-hidden graveyard right by the UT Arlington campus.
Known as the Lost Cemetary of Infants, this graveyard is most likely the resting place for stillbirths and deaths caused by birth complications.
According to researchers, the area is active with the paranormal.
Shadowy figures seen darting between the trees, the sensation of being watched, the sounds of children’s voices, and small toys appearing and disappearing on graves have been reported over the years.
Some ghost hunters have reported having felt their hair being stroked while investigating the cemetery, making this place one of the spookiest in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Tui Snider seems to be the leading authority on this mysterious graveyard. She suggests bringing small toys to trigger paranormal activity in the area.
Based on the fact that the gravesite would have been used for babies and children, her logic stands to reason.
What is the Lost Cemetery of Infants?
This cemetery has a backstory as heartbreaking as the grounds are eerie. Deceased children of single mothers were buried here, all without last names and many without a name at all.
The playful spirits of these young children are said to roam the grounds and will interact with those that bring them toys.
9. Grand Prairie Ripley’s Believe It or Not Location
Grand Prairie and its Ripley’s wax museum is about a 20-minute drive east of Fort Worth. In a case of life imitating the bizarre, this Ripley’s location has been the site of some horrific events.
Strange things started happening at this Grand Prairie wax museum nearly forty years ago. By 1991 there had been not one but two unexplained deaths and a multi-million dollar fire.
Co-owner Patricia Bolton Wright was poisoned with strychnine in 1987. She’d purchased over-the-counter cold medicine that was later found to be laced with enough poison to kill a horse and, according to authorities, random tampering had been ruled out.
Eleven months later, the wax museum was engulfed in flames to the tune of roughly $4 million in damages, including the loss of one-of-a-kind wax statues. Authorities concluded beyond a doubt that it was arson.
Stranger Than Fiction
A year after the fire, Wright’s husband and sister hired private investigators to look into both tragedies. While investigating Wright’s death, investigators discovered another mysterious death.
Wright’s secretary, Lori Ann Philips Williams, was a 23-year-old aspiring model who checked into a hospital with abdominal pains in 1984. When doctors removed her appendix, they found it was a healthy organ. She died days later, according to autopsy reports, from viral pneumonia.
Private investigator William Dear had his doubts and had the body exhumed for toxicology tests. Dear theorized that Williams was murdered in an attempt to scare Wright into doing something she didn’t do, leading to her own murder.
Speculation over who would be after Mrs. Wright and why has been rampant for years.
Perhaps she was in deep with the mob or loansharks. Maybe a competitor was set on shutting her down.
We may never know for sure.
What we do know is this building has seen some dastardly deeds and is one of the creepiest places in the Fort Worth area. Haunted by the spirits of the murdered and home to wax sculptures, it is a must-see for ghost hunters and tourists alike.
Why is Ripley’s Believe It or Not haunted?
It’s almost hard to believe that reality could be any stranger than the figures and exhibits that occupy Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Yet the events that transpired and claimed the lives of a co-owner and employee still have investigators scratching their heads, and the building itself flooded with unexplained activity.
10. Fort Worth Zoo
As the oldest continuously running zoo in Texas, the Fort Worth Zoo came from humble beginnings.
The zoo was founded in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock, and a few rabbits. Today, it operates as a nationally ranked facility, housing more than 7,000 native and exotic animals.
The Fort Worth Zoo is one of five locations in the world to shelter two of the five rhino species in captivity: black and greater one-horned Asian rhinos.
It’s also a location that houses at least two different ghosts.
The Co-existing of Spirits and Animals
One is believed to be a former elephant trainer that tragically met his end while attempting to move a particularly territorial bull from one pen to another. The incident occurred in 1987, and since then, staff members and guests have seen the ghost of a man walking near the elephant and zebra areas of the zoo, just as the elephant trainer used to do as he made his rounds.
The other Zoo-bound spirit is a woman dressed in 19th-century garb. She carries a parasol and paces back and forth in front of the zoo’s cafe until someone notices her. Once she is spotted, she seems to get embarrassed and run away.
This century-plus-old zoo has collected multiple lost souls; visitors get a double dose of entertainment, enjoying the exotic animals and the friendly phantoms.
Why is the Fort Worth Zoo haunted?
When someone is passionate about what they do, leaving it behind becomes a near impossibility. Just ask the ghosts of the Fort Worth Zoo. Though both met tragic ends, they never lost their passion for the animals, continuing their work in the afterlife.
Ghosts of the Fort Worth Zoo
- Alice Imhoff, the zoo’s first animal trainer
- Michael Bell, a former elephant caretaker
Fort Worth is one of the country’s best cities for ghost hunters. This Greater Metro area has lingering spirits, ghostly figures, haunted amusement parks, and cemeteries.
US Ghost Adventures will guide you safely through the most haunted parts of town, leaving you an expert on local legends.
Sources:
Featured Image Source: Wikipedia
Link 2: https://www.arlington.org/plan/blog/post/18-of-the-most-haunted-spots-in-dfw/
Link 3: https://www.arlington.org/plan/blog/post/18-of-the-most-haunted-spots-in-dfw/
Link 4: http://hauntedhouses.com/texas/del-frisco-steakhouse/
Link 7: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dfws-most-haunted-places/
Link 8: https://tuisnider.com/arlington-lost-cemetery-of-infants-a-surprisingly-cheery-tale/
Link 10: https://www.arlington.org/plan/blog/post/18-of-the-most-haunted-spots-in-dfw/
.jpg){kind=link}
_c_1907.png){kind=link}