Most Haunted Places in San Antonio

As one of the oldest cities in the U.S., San Antonio is filled with ghost stories that have been floating around for hundreds of years. As a city filled with a tragic history, and full of culture The River City is the place to be for anyone interested in the paranormal!

The Alamo

This cultural icon is not only known for the infamous Battle of the Alamo but as one of the most haunted sites in San Antonio. Days after the Battle of Alamo, General Santa Ana decided that the historic church was to be burned to the ground so he sent his field commander General Andrade to bring a group of cavalrymen to see that the whole place would be in flames. However, once the troops had arrived - they were quick to turn around.

Shaken and white-faced the men told a furious Ana that once they had arrived there were six ghosts standing in front of the Alamo, each holding a flaming sword, protecting the Alamo. General Andrade, not believing the men, set off toward the Alamo and once they had arrived they did not see the flaming sword-wielding ghosts, but rather a tall, male spirit rising up from the barracks with a flaming ball in each hand - the men feared their lives and hightailed it out of there - never returning to the Alamo again.

Years later in 1846, there were plans to demolish the church yet again, however, shortly after the announcement in newspapers of the dismantlement of the church, sightings of ghosts wandering the grounds were reported with people claiming to see spirits marching up and down the path of the Alamo, dark figures roaming the corridors at night and the distinct sounds of moaning that would awake the staff and prisoners from their slumber - the church was not dismantled.

Today, guests claim to spot numerous spirits including the most common - a blond-haired little boy often seen in the upstairs left window which is where the gift shop currently stands.

It is said that the boy was evacuated during the Siege of the Alamo, though he survived it is believed his parents did not so his spirit returns to the site he last saw them.

Another figure commonly spotted is one of a Mexican soldier, seen wandering the outer walls of the Alamo. He is believed to be the ghost of General Manual Fernandez de Castrillion, one of Santa Ana’s commanders who refused to lay siege to the Alamo - he is often seen with his chin tilted down, shaking his head somberly and hands clasped behind his back.

Haunted Railroad Tracks

Located on Shane Road, close to the San Juan Mission is the haunted Railroad Tracks, the site of a notorious urban legend for San Antonio locals. The story is said to take place in the 1930s or 40s when a bus was carrying children home from school stalled on the tracks and despite the driver using his best efforts to get the kids out safely - a train barreled down and tragically killed all 10 kids including the bus driver.

The story does change based on who is telling it, with some saying that the driver was a nun and that she had survived, only to return days later guilt-ridden and parked her car on the tracks in an attempt to go the same way the kids had - however she heard familiar voices and her car was then moved forward, saving her from an oncoming train. When she had exited her car she had expected to see a good Samaritan but instead saw children-sized handprints on the back of her trunk.

She was then blessed with a newfound purpose and opened a school for orphans. It is now said that to this day if anyone parks their car on or near the tracks the children will push them to safety to ensure no one meets the same tragic fate they had suffered. The tracks bring in tourists from all over who place the baby powder on their trunks in hopes to catch the children. Other locals have claimed to hear the rumbling sounds of a train nearing followed by the screeching of wheels - only to see nothing.

Whether or not this incident occurred is debated with both residents and law enforcement weary of the legend as despite countless reports of cars appearing to move on their own - there are no records of any accidents occurring on the tracks.

It is believed that the legend may have been inspired by a fatal accident that had occurred in 1938 in Salt Lake City Utah where a school bus carrying over twenty students during a snowstorm had stalled on the tracks and was hit by a train leaving no survivors.

The Ghost of La Llorona

In Texas, there is a heavy influence of Latin culture which has spawned stories of the phantom banshee La Llorona.

Legend says that a widow fell in love with a wealthy man who unfortunately had no interest in her two children and refused to marry her because of them. Sadly, she was so desperate for his love and marriage that she grabbed her children and brought them to the river to drown them. When she had gone to reunite with her lover the man was horrified at what she had done and wanted nothing to do with her.

Once she had realized what she had just done she ran down to the river but her children were nowhere to be found. It is said that God then struck her down for her actions and damned her to walk the Earth forever, always looking for her murdered children.

The story was inherited by Texan culture back in 1500 and has been shared many a time with people claiming to see her ghost walk along the river. She is described as a figure with hair as dark as the night, swishing at her back with a white dress on.

Her head, however, is not a human’s but rather one of a horse, and she is often seen kneeling on the ground with her arms submerged in the water, searching for her children.

Cadillac Bar

The Cadillac Bar & Restaurant is a great place to get delicious food and fresh margaritas but doesn’t be alarmed if you happen to witness something skirt past you, or if you feel like you are being watched.

The structure itself sits near the courthouse which served as the site for many hangings and is also built on top of a burial ground which may explain the activity that supposedly took place in the basement.

For reasons never specified, the bar has sealed their basement off permanently, it is claimed that the reason why is, because there were countless bodies buried beneath the basement which lead to relentless paranormal activity from the ghosts, said to be buried there.

There are also reports of the ghost of a former owner described as a thin man with a white handlebar mustache seen near the basement claiming to be protecting patrons and ensuring the spirits stay trapped in the basement.

There are also accounts of Beatrice an angry spirit seen walking up and down the stairs in an old tattered white dress known to throw objects at staff and patrons.

La Villita

La Villita (The Little Village), is the city’s oldest neighborhood, around even before the Alamo, and a former Native American settlement.

The Chamade Jewelry Store, located in La Villita has reported its fair share of paranormal activity including objects that have moved at their own will, disembodied voices arguing, and cold spots felt within the store. There are also witnesses who claim to have seen a ghostly woman in an apron. Another shop the River Art Gallery has reported a “Woman in White”.

Majestic Theatre

Located in the heart of San Antonio, the Majestic Theatre, once the second-largest theatre in the United States is now home to a few ghosts.

There are several ghosts that seemingly refuse to leave the theatre including that of Zoroastro - an illusionist and entertainer who captivated the audience at the Majestic Theatre with his magic tricks and unbelievable acts. He is often seen on the stage as though he is still performing for his fans.

There is a legend that on one fateful night, as a ballet troupe spun around the stage during a rehearsal, the overhead lights somehow fell and killed some of the dancers - where there is no concrete evidence that this incident took place it is said that you can see ghostly apparitions of ballet dancers twirling around on stage.