Dallas’ Eerie Origins
Dealey Plaza:
What entices a spirit to reject passage to the next world and linger in this one? What mystical concoction of fear, terror, and remorse is present to help a ghost exist on our side of the spectral divide when others cannot? Does it take violence or tragedy so extreme that it leaves a mark on the place it occurred? If so, then what place is more likely to be haunted than Dealey Plaza? From the sniper’s nest in the Texas School Book Depository to the spot – marked with a white X – on the street where the young, vital president was struck down, Dealey Plaza was home to one of the most traumatic events in human history. The assassination of President Kennedy changed the course of the nation. When JFK died so tragically and suddenly and violently, he took with him the dreams and innocence of a generation. If spirits are drawn to spots of great trauma, the soul of the president, his assassin – or assassins – and all the witnesses, then the plaza and the Grassy Knoll might be the kind of place where the phantoms of history might linger.
But Dallas’ paranormal story doesn’t start or end with the Kennedy assassination. A city that grew to prominence during and after the American Civil War saw its share of trauma and terror before even the turn-of-the-century. It is – however – in the wake of the promise of the early 1900s that two of Dallas’ most historic haunted landmarks began their journey.
The Adolphus Hotel:
Named after St. Louis beer magnate Adolphis Busch, who built the glittering, extravagant tribute to a German Castle in 1912, the Adolphus is surrounded by the glittering giants of the Dallas skyline. The 22-story hotel no longer dwarfs its neighbors in height but remains peerless in architecture and elegance. It shines, if you will, both in a literal sense and with the touch of the supernatural. And it is home to what may be the most haunted elevator shaft in the world.
Why is an elevator shaft haunted, you might ask? Several times over the years, distracted workers stepped into the shaft only to find the elevator was on another floor and fell to a gruesome death. Others, who let impatience overrule good judgment, stuck their head into the shaft to see how far the elevator car was away, only to find it was much, much closer than they had expected.
Guests today – especially those who find themselves riding the elevator alone – are known to hear moans and screams. Others hear words of caution from spectral watchmen determined to help future generations avoid a similar fate. They report shades and spirits that join them briefly for the ride.
They might even hear the final words of one of the shaft’s victims, who was asked if the elevator was there yet.
“Yes, it is,” he said, looking back and stepping into the void where he met a grisly demise.
The Adolphus Hotel has another turn of the century peer, the Sons of Hermann Hall.
Sons of Hermann Hall:
Built in 1910 to house meetings for a society of descendants of Germany, the Sons of Hermann Hall is Dallas’ oldest free-standing wooden structure. Today, it is a bar, a ballroom, and a former bowling alley in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. Unlike the Hotel or Dealey Plaza, the Hall doesn’t seem to have been the home to any great tragedy. But maybe its spirits were imbued with an excessive fondness for the gathering place. Maybe it’s a place where spirits can continue to gather even after their membership has expired, so to speak. Reports of paranormal activity include ghostly footsteps, the opening and closing of doors, and objects moving or disappearing. The ghosts of former members roam in the halls.
Still, the Hall isn’t entirely without tragedy. There’s reportedly the ghost of a woman that remains near the grand staircase where she reportedly fell to her death while attending a dance in the ballroom.
The Scariest Spots in Town
The Cutting Edge Haunted House:
Voted the best in the nation in 2021 and 2023 in a USA Today Readers’ Choice poll and located in Fort Worth, the Cutting Edge can put chills down the spine and terror in the hearts of even the most jaded Haunted House enthusiast. Located in a 100-year-old former meat-packing facility, the Cutting Edge features multi-story, multi-themed action with “terrifying live actors, amazing special effects, and incredible monsters.” Open weekends in October and select dates in September and November, the Cutting Edge (it’s kind of a double pun, get it?) is nearly an hour of maddeningly terrifying fun. A word of warning: if you are not a serious fan of haunted houses, if you’ve got a bad heart or are pregnant, or if you have phobias of any kind (like spiders or snakes), you’re probably going to want to pass on the Cutting Edge. It is for hardcore enthusiasts only.
The Dark Hour Haunted House:
The Dark Hour Haunted House makes any paranormal tourist trip to the Big D worth it. Are you brave enough to face your worst fears? The Dark Hour will test you as it taunts guests to experience this technological, theatrical terror. USA Today touts The Dark Hours’ Broadway-worthy sets, professional actors, and technological achievements in praising this mansion located in nearby Plano, Texas. Open from the middle of September into early November, the Dark Hour even offers a VIP experience that allows you to go behind the scenes and do a little scaring yourself, becoming a monster for a minute and terrorizing other guests.
Walking with the Dead in Dallas
If you’re looking for scares of a more cerebral kind, Dallas offers several ghost tours that take guests to some of the city’s most haunted locations. Led by knowledgeable guides who lead the way on foot, these tours might not have the heart-attack-inducing terrors of a haunted house, but they just might make you want to sleep with the lights on when you return to the bespoke elegance of The Gaston for your evening’s rest.
Nightly Spirits:
Have you ever walked a lonely city at night, your footsteps echoing through a canyon of buildings that become sinister, even terrifying simply, in the absence of people? Well, there’s safety in numbers, and you can find a group that shares your passion for the supernatural with The Dallas Chapter of Nightly Spirits which offers a pair of haunted tours that mix the scary stories of Dallas’ metaphysical past with a deep knowledge of the city’s history as well as access to legendary ghost-ridden buildings and pubs. These tours are perfect for those interested in the paranormal or regular old history buffs who want to learn more about one of the most historic cities in the nation, Nightly Spirits offers two basic tours – both available in private and group options. One is an all-ages-friendly ghost walk, and the other is a Booze and Boos tour and/or pub crawl. Either way, be prepared for a Dallas Ghost Tour featuring frightening stories of encounters with spirits from the great beyond.Dallas Ghost Tour:
The Dallas Terrors Ghost Tour takes guests to eight haunted locations (12 if you buy the extended package), like the Adolphus Hotel and Dealey Plaza. Led by a team of guides who take guests deep into the paranormal history of Dallas, tour groups learn about the history of places like the historic Majestic Theater, which was built in the 1920s and is haunted by the spirit of its former director who has been seen hovering above the balcony as if waiting for the next show.
The tours do not go inside the buildings, but guests can revisit many of the locations for tours – including the exceptionally haunted MIllermore Mansion – during normal business hours.
Dallas Terrors also offers a haunted pub crawl option which is designed to take guests through the mystic heart of downtown Dallas, visiting poignant landmarks and the spirits who dwell there while enjoying a few spirits of another kind.
Uncover Dallas’ Dark Secrets
Goatman’s Bridge:
While the more famous of Dallas’ many ghost stories gather the most attention, we hear no shortage of ghastly tales to be told by locals of lesser-known haunted locations. The haunted history of Dallas extends past the typical ghost brides and aggrieved souls clinging to the world of man. Old Alton Bridge – a Truss Bridge in Denton County – is also known as the Goatman’s Bridge, possessed by an evil demonic force that manifests in part-man, mostly goat form. Built in 1884, the bridge is another location on the National Register of Historic Places. The Goatman – with the hindquarters and head of a goat and the torso and arms of a man – reportedly sleeps under the bridge but can be summoned by those brave enough to call his name, Beetlejuice style. The Goatman may be accompanied by a crying young woman whose baby was stolen by the satyr.
Another legend surrounding the bridge involves a local African-American goat farmer and businessman was attacked by Klan members who attempted to hang him at the bridge but failed.
The Lady of White Rock Lake:
Another lesser-known spirit – with a familiar tale – is the Lady of White Rock Lake. Her story begins in recorded history in a book of folk tales from the ’40s. In that version, a couple parked at the shores of the lake. A woman dressed in white and soaking wet approached the car. She begged for a ride home, explaining her boat had overturned. The others were safe, but she’d been left behind. The woman climbed into the car’s rumble seat, saying she didn’t want to get the inside of the car wet, giving the couple her address. However, when the couple looked away, the woman was gone. They went to the given address, where a man explained his daughter had drowned in the lake three weeks prior.Is Dallas Truly Haunted? You Be the Judge.
Do you have what it takes to explore Dallas’ haunted side? Would you like to find out? What better way to explore paranormal Dallas than starting – and ending – your day in the far-less-scary bed and breakfast Dallas?
While we at the Gaston don’t have any ghosts to claim, we do offer an elegant and comfortable location from which to start your unforgettable Dallas paranormal adventure.
Built in 1912 – the same year as the Adolphus – The Gaston is a contemporary of many of Dallas’ historically haunted destinations. Our boutique hotel and wedding venue (we do prefer human brides to ghost ones) offers five bedrooms and five and a half baths as well as a formal dining room, sunroom, and speakeasy – the perfect place to calm your spirit with an intoxicating spirit after a night chasing spirits.
And if ghost-hunting is only part of your itinerary while in town, let us recommend a variety of things to do in historic Dallas that may or may not have anything to do with the supernatural.
