Haunted Austin: Inside the City’s Most Famous Haunts

Austin is known for music and nightlife, but when October comes around, the city’s haunted history takes the spotlight. This is the season when old stories come alive and Austin’s past feels closer than ever. Historic hotels, cemeteries and mansions tell their own version of the city’s history, filled with legends that locals still talk about today. These places are part of what makes Austin unique. They carry mystery, tradition and a sense of wonder that blends perfectly with the city’s spirit. If you want to experience Austin beyond the stage lights, haunted Austin is where the stories never fade.

Haunted Austin: Inside the City’s Most Famous Haunts

The Driskill Hotel

Opened in 1886, The Driskill still feels like stepping back in time with a grand staircase, marble columns and gorgeous stained glass. But ask around and you hear about the little girl who never left. While chasing her ball down the stairs, Samantha fell and died. Guests claim they still see her playing in the halls. People talk about cold spots in the lobby, lights flickering and the feeling of someone right behind you. It is the most famous haunted spot in Austin for a reason. In a past survey conducted by Mashable, The Driskill Hotel was voted the second most-haunted hotel in America, coming in behind New Orleans’ Hotel Monteleone.

Texas State Capitol

The Capitol looks beautiful during the day but at night it feels different. Staff and guards talk about footsteps that echo through the marble halls when no one is there. The ghost most often mentioned is Robert Love, a comptroller from the 1800s. People say they see him in a top hat, walking the halls as if still at work. Visitors also describe shadows that move out of sight, the kind you only catch in the corner of your eye.

Oakwood Cemetery

Oakwood is one of Austin’s oldest cemeteries. Some of the graves date back to the 1850s. Civil War soldiers are buried here along with early settlers and well known politicians. Locals say not everyone rests. People talk about voices that carry through the night air and glowing lights between the headstones. Others tell of figures that appear and vanish in an instant. Oakwood is one place in Austin where the past still feels close.

Scottish Rite Dormitory

On the University of Texas campus stands a dormitory with its own legend. A young woman is said to have leapt into the elevator shaft decades ago after heartbreak. Students still tell each other the story late at night. Some claim they hear noises when the hallways are empty. Others describe the feeling of being watched in the stairwells. The dorm is definitely part of the city’s ghost folklore.

Littlefield House

George and Alice Littlefield built their home in 1893. George was a wealthy banker and a Civil War veteran. Alice lived in the mansion until her death and some say she never left. People talk about piano music playing when no one is inside. Windows close on their own. A woman in white has been seen walking the rooms. Today the house belongs to the UT campus, but it still feels tied to another century.

Buffalo Billiards

Before it became well known Sixth Street spot, the building had a more complicated past. It served as a brothel and a boardinghouse. Employees over the years described glasses moving on their own and jukebox music playing with no one near it. Some claim they saw figures upstairs after hours. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, it feels heavy with history. Sadly, the building is now closed, so who knows what’s currently going on inside!

Austin’s Haunted Side

These places aren’t staged attractions. They are woven into the city itself. The stories come from people who lived, worked and walked through them, and they’ve been told for generations. Haunted Austin adds a spark of mystery to the season and makes the city feel alive in a different way. If you want to see another side of Austin, take an evening to visit these spots and experience the history for yourself.