San Antonio’s Rich Paranormal History

Jared Wright takes us on a tour of San Antonio’s haunting places.

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Photo By: Jared Wright

The San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest standing structure in Texas, and thought of as one of the most haunted.

San Antonio is an old city filled with rich history and interesting stories. Tragedies and strange occurrences all across San Antonio have led to the Alamo City being one of the most paranormal cities in the nation. There are many places around town with real evidence and sightings of ghosts, spirits, and unexplainable events.

Many of these places are locations many of us have been to before and may not have even known they were haunted. Unsurprisingly, one of these is the Alamo, where the ghosts of fallen soldiers have been seen guarding the grounds at night and even features a ghost tour on certain nights. Witnesses also reported seeing an entire army marching from the Alamo in 1871 from the nearby and also haunted, Menger Hotel.

The San Antonio Botanical Gardens also have their fair share of ghosts. All of the garden’s employees know the stories of Miss Sullivan, the ghost of a little girl seen running around the gardens. There is also a mysterious headless soldier seen riding a horse through the gardens walls to neighboring Fort Sam Houston.

Somewhere many of us have been to as a kid, The Witte Museum, also has its own spooky spirit. Ellen Quillin began the funding and treated the museum as her own child so the city would let her keep it, is said to roam the halls and staircases of the Witte. The museum even has a show featuring the life and afterlife of Ellen Quillin.

Many other lesser known places around San Antonio have very interesting histories that have led to haunting tales today. These places are well known for their paranormal visitors and several offer ghost tours and employees will know of or experienced the spirits themselves.

There is Comanche Lookout Hill in the Northeast side where the Spanish and Comanche’s fought for control of the valuable location. Today, a tower still stands and people have had feelings of being watched or hearing chanting from the forest when near the tower. One woman reported to have the trail go dark and seeing two Indian men chanting and charging toward her. This can only be explained as the ghosts of the Indian’s defending the tower that once belonged to them.

Wolfson Manor
Jared Wright
Wolfson Manor

Wolfson Manor, once a church, but was first a house built by the husband of Emelia Wolfson. Church employees have reported seeing objects moves or hearing footsteps, along with one incident of a portrait of Emelia Wolfson being moved around the house. This spirit is believed to be Emelia herself who loved the house so much she never left.

The San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest standing structure in Texas and was literally built with people’s tombs in the walls. Visitors report seeing the faces of those buried appear to them through walls. Apparitions have also been said to appear on the ghost tours the cathedrals holds.

Near Salado Creek and the marker for the Battle of Salado Creek the Black Swan Inn is nationally famous for the paranormal events that have occurred there. In the late 50’s, a man’s wife died of cancer in the house and later he committed suicide. Today, guests have been frightened by the face of a demonic man staring at them through the second story window. There is also a woman in white spotted just outside the house along with the noises of mysterious parties the home once held.

Emily Morgan Hotel, former hospital
Jared Wright
Emily Morgan Hotel, former hospital

In downtown San Antonio, there is a spooky looking gothic building that used to be a hospital and morgue. Now a modern day hotel, you can still see signs of it’s past with gargoyles and there is no elevator button for the thirteenth floor, going back to former superstitions. Perhaps the most striking part of the past that still dwells in the building is the spirits. Friendly apparitions have been seen in mirrors and passing through the building’s walls.

San Antonio has long history and conflicts have led to the city being dotted with paranormal places. It isn’t hard to walk into somewhere with a haunted history and employees who have experienced the spirits.