The Top 10 Haunted Places in Galveston

Enduring the destruction of the most tragic natural disaster in the United States, Galveston has long reflected hope and perseverance for the state of Texas. But as with most locations with dark pasts, this historic town is riddled with hauntings within many of its historic buildings.

Are you ready to learn all about the dark and haunted history of Galveston? Book your ghost tour with Galveston Ghosts today and prepare for a spine-tingling adventure!

What is the Most Haunted Place in Galveston?

The city of Galveston in Texas has been ranked by USA Today and other reputable sources as one of the most haunted cities in the United States. 

When the tragic hurricane of 1900 struck the island, it took thousands of lives with it while also destroying multiple homes and businesses, many of which were located in the popular downtown district known as The Strand. Some of the historical sites have been rebuilt, but the haunting history of these locations lingers still.

Hendley Market

The eclectic shopper’s paradise known as Hendley Market is a treasure among the businesses on The Strand. The shop opened in 1979 and has a unique atmosphere, selling everything from vintage toys and old postcards to collectible coins and sparkling geodes. But this interesting store with all its whimsical trinkets has a dark past that welcomes various entities inside its doors.

Like many of the old buildings that survived the great storm of 1900, Hendley Market was used as a temporary morgue to house the dead bodies that didn’t survive the disaster. There are many ghost stories associated with Hendley Market, including The Lady in White. This elusive spirit is often seen going up and down the stairs as well as outside the building on the street, frantically searching for lost loved ones.

Another ghost that haunts the market is the spirit of a little boy, who is more often heard than seen. When residents do catch a glimpse of him, he’s a static figure, running back and forth from one end of the room to another. He often appears soaked as if he was caught out in the storm and very disheveled.

Tremont House Hotel

The original Tremont House was built the same year Galveston was founded in 1838. This lavish building shined as a constant reminder of the town’s southern elegance. Known as the Belle of the South, the house was tragically destroyed in a fire that raged throughout the Strand district for several days.

A brand-new Tremont House Hotel was built in 1872 and has attracted many elite guests from around the world. But this highly refined location also has a very shadowy past.

It is said that the hotel is haunted by several spirits. One is a salesman who stayed there for a short time. One night he returned to the hotel after a successful night of gambling. 

As he counted his winnings, there was a knock at the door. An intruder barged in and killed the salesman before running off with his money.

Another ghost that haunts The Tremont is a little boy named Jimmy. The young boy was killed in an automobile accident many years ago. 

It has been said that he haunts the back alley of the hotel as well as the elevators inside. According to legend, whenever you knock on the elevator doors, you will get three knocks back from Jimmy.

Butterowe Building

The Butterowe Building has been a part of the downtown Galveston area since 1885. It is another location that was used as a temporary morgue for the victims of the 1900 storm.

Today the 12-room mansion is home to one of Galveston’s most popular tourist attractions, the Haunted Mayfield Manor. The manor is a year-round haunted house featuring plenty of gore and psychological thrills for the bravest horror enthusiasts. 

It features a fictional backstory about Dr. Horace Mayfield, a scientist who conducted dubious experiments on mental illness. He lost his wife and family, as well as his life’s work, during the 1900 storm, which led to him going insane.

While The Mayfield Manor is a work of fiction and solely exists for entertainment purposes, many locals believe the building is actually haunted by the spirits of those who died during the tragic storm. One visitor stated that they felt the presence of an adult man and a mischievous teenage boy. 

Staff members have noticed the lights often flicker on and off. Overall, the general feeling of fear and unease helps to enhance the experience for those taking a tour of the haunted manor.

Shark Shack

The Shark Shack Bar & Grill is a popular restaurant in Galveston with great seafood, burgers, and drinks on the menu. Located just a block away from the cruise ships, it’s a great place for tourists to stop in for some local cuisine. 

But this well-liked hangout also has a dark history tied to it from the days when the building was used as a bank. According to legend, in the 1920s, a police officer was chasing down a suspect through the Strand district. He finally caught up with him at the bank, and the pair got into a fight. 

The suspect and the cop shot each other, and the officer died. It is believed that the ghost of the police officer now haunts the restaurant, making this establishment one of the most haunted stops for local ghost tours and pub crawls.

Galveston Railroad Museum

The Galveston Railroad Museum is home to the largest collection of restored railroad memorabilia in the Southwest. It is also one of the five largest railroad museums in the country. 

The museum owns a mile of track, allowing visitors to enjoy a fun ride on the caboose. While it is an enjoyable place to visit, the museum is also home to one of Galveston’s most sinister ghost tales.

While several ghost encounters have been reported by visitors and staff members of the museum, the most popular story is about William Watson, the headless ship mechanic. While on a trip to Galveston from New York in August of 1900, just a week before the tragic storm, Watson was in a hurry to catch a train. 

He lost his balance near the tracks, falling on them just as a train was passing through. Visitors of the museum claim they have seen a headless man walking near the tracks located in the back.

Ashton Villa

The historic Ashton Villa is a mansion located in Galveston, built in 1859. It was the first brick mansion on the island and one of the first private all-brick residences in town. The mansion was built by James Moreau Brown as a gift to his wife, Rebecca Ashton Stoddard. 

It was headquarters for both Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Today, the house is available for special events such as weddings, luncheons, and business meetings.

There are several ghosts known to haunt the historic mansion, but one of the most popular is the ghost of the famous Galveston socialite Bettie Brown. She was the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Texas during the 1860s. 

Bettie was well known for having extravagant tastes. She loved to throw lavish parties and collect valuable keepsakes from her travels all over the world.

Bettie can often be seen in the window of the house late at night. Visitors have mentioned experiencing several odd occurrences, such as alarms going off for unexplained reasons. 

There are also rumors that the ghost of Bettie’s younger sister Matilda haunts the home, playing the old piano that sits inside the villa. Piano music can be heard within the walls at all hours, day and night.

St. Mary’s Orphanage

Perhaps one of the most tragic stories from the 1900 storm was that of the St. Mary’s Orphanage. Early in the morning of September 8th, 1900, the winds blew in strongly from the north, and the tides of the southern gulf waters rose, sending enormous waves crashing upon the beachfront town.

The orphanage consisted of two large, two-story dormitories. It was located just off the beach behind a wall of sand dunes. According to the three surviving members of the orphanage, the rising tides eroded the sand dunes as if they were made of flour.

The sisters brought the children into the newly built girl’s dormitory since it was the strongest section of the orphanage. To calm the children, the sisters led them in a song “Queen of the Waves” as the waters continued to rise.

The sisters instructed the children to go to the second floor as the storm raged on and water filled the first floor. Soon there was a crash from the boy’s dormitory as it collapsed and was carried away in the storm. The sisters then began to cut the rope from a clothesline into sections to tie the children to cinctures that they wore around their waists. Every sister tied herself between six to eight children in a valiant effort to save them.

Survivors of the Storm

Eventually, the orphanage was lifted from its foundation. Three of the boys, William Murney, Frank Madera, and Albert Campbell, managed to climb a tree outside and escape the waters. 

The next day, they were able to finally make it into town. One of the boys recalls a sister tightly holding onto two small children as the water kept rising. She promised not to let them go.

The story of this tragedy lives on in legends, as some locals have mentioned they have proof the spirits of the lost children hover over the area and will appear from time to time to people who pay attention.

Maison Rouge

Maison Rouge is another historic location in Galveston that saw a tragic end, but it was not destroyed by water. Translated as the “Red House,” Maison Rouge was home to the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. He settled in Galveston in 1817 along with his ships and buccaneers.

The home was lavishly furnished with booty stolen from captured ships. In 1821, upon being ordered to leave Galveston by the United States government, Lafitte burned down his home, his fort, and the entire village before he sailed to Yucatan.

Today, the site is known for many haunting occurrences. Since before 1900, residents of the area have reported seeing a pack of dogs believed to have belonged to the pirate.

The black dogs, referred to as hellhounds, have a disturbing presence and flaming eyes. Many feel seeing them is an omen or a warning of a pending disaster. There are reports that Lafitte’s ghost haunts the area, keeping the treasure hunters at bay away from the gold he hid somewhere on the island.

Grand Galvez Hotel

The Grand Galvez Hotel was established in 1911 and honored esteemed guests from around the world for more than 110 years. Recognized today as an AAA 4-diamond property, it is the only historic beachfront hotel and is renowned as the Queen of the Gulf.

While it is one of the finest places to stay in Galveston, guests should be warned that the Grand Galvez is also one of the most haunted locations in town.

The hotel has been featured on many popular TV shows, including the Discovery Channel’s Ghost Lab and The Travel Channel’s Ghost Stories. The hotel is said to be haunted by a creepy Ghost Bride seen mostly in room 501 as well as in the west tower.

According to legend, the bride took her own life by hanging herself in the west tower during the mid-1900s after hearing that her fiancé died at sea. Tragically, her fiancé returned to the hotel looking forward to a marriage that would never be.

Stewart’s Mansion

The Stewart’s Mansion is a historical Spanish Colonial Revival mansion that has long been abandoned in Galveston. It is one of the earliest known residences on the west side of the island, serving as a campsite for the Karankawa people, who were a Native tribe known to be cannibalistic. Allegedly, they would engage in practices of eating their enemies.

The Karankawa Indians went into battle with pirate Jean Lafitte, owner of the aforementioned Maison Rouge. Lafitte’s crew stole the Karankawa chief’s daughter, and the warriors retaliated by attacking and killing four of Lafitte’s men. 

He struck back by sending a few hundred men along with two cannons to attack the Karankawa tribe. The Stewart’s Mansion sits where the epic and bloody three-day battle took place.

There are many tales of hauntings at the Stewart’s Mansion. Stories of hearing disembodied voices and footsteps, as well as seeing ghostly apparitions have been reported by visitors. There is also a mysterious bloody handprint on the south wall of the east wing.

Haunted Galveston

Hundreds of curious ghost enthusiasts and historians alike travel to Galveston every year to learn more about the spirits of this seaport that linger near the harbor. The ornate Victorian mansions give the haunted town a gothic appeal as visitors roam the downtown area in hopes of catching a glimpse of one of Galveston’s lost souls.

Be sure to book your next ghost tour with us at Galveston Ghosts for a spooky good time. To learn more about the most haunted places in Galveston, check out our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to learn about other haunted locations across the country.

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