ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?
The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is home to lots of spooky places and we don't just mean the various haunted houses and other attractions. Here are some of the area's most hair-raising haunts.
DALLAS
PHOTO CREDIT: Li.ME
Flag Pole Hill
You're driving alone at night around a certain part of East Dallas and, out of nowhere, a rock seems to hit your car. You look around and there's no one in sight. Welcome to Flag Pole Hill. Plus, the legendary Lady of The Lake is nearby, making the area around White Rock Lake one of the most paranormal activity-heavy in town.
10th Street & Patton Ave
Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit was famously shot & killed at this intersection by Lee Harvey Oswald before he was arrested at the nearby Texas Theatre.
Lake Highlands High School
The spirit of Elizabeth has supposedly taken up residence in the school's auditorium since tragically falling to her death from the catwalk in the 1970s.
photo credit: The adolphus hotel facebook
The Adolphus Hotel
Back in 2016, D Magazine dared asked "how haunted is The Adolphus Hotel on a scale of 1 to 10?". Between elevators opening & closing on their own, this tale of a jilted bride wandering the 19th floor halls, and a whole bunch of general creepy/eeriness, our answer is 10+!
Coombs Creek Trail
One of those places with a vibe that instantly makes you uneasy, there are reports that the spirit of a little girl who drowned in the creek can be seen riding her bike at night.
PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest
Millermore Mansion at Dallas Heritage Village
The Millermore is the largest remaining historic mansion in Dallas and was completed at the dawn of the Civil War. Staff & visitors report feeling like someone is watching or following them and a female spirit is said to hang out around the master bedroom & nursery.
Hotel Lawrence (Now Holiday Inn)
At least 3 spirits are said to inhabit this nearly 100 year old hotel; a woman, a gambler, and a murder victim. If you're unlucky enough to stay in room 807 (some versions say 1009), the ghost of Jack "Smiley" Jackson might not let you in until you say "Move over, Smiley!". Read more about the hotel's past & potentially present inhabitants here.
Laurel Land Memorial Park
This cemetery is home to a handful of celebrities including Stevie Ray Vaughn and "When The Saints Go Marching In" arranger Virgil Oliver Stamps. J.D. Tippit (remember him from earlier) is also laid to rest there.
photo credit: majestic theater facebook
Host to movie premiers during Hollywood's "Golden Era", legends like Harry Houdini, Bob Hope, and Cab Calloway graced the Majestic stage back in the day. With such a storied past, it's no wonder folks have reported strange occurrences like footsteps, flickering lights, and an old man who mysteriously disappears when approached.
FORT WORTH
PHOTO CREDIT: Strange State
The Castle of Heron Bay
Overlooking Lake Worth, this castle goes by many names (Inverness, Lake Worth Castle, Whiting Castle) and has a sordid past that begins in the1860s with a pair of newlyweds and a drowned original bride to be and only gets stranger from there.
W.E. Scott Theatre
This theatre is said to be home to several spirits including its builder & namesake, William Edrington Scott, who has been known to straighten his own portraits on the wall when they're crooked.
photo Credit: Miss Molly's Hotel facebook
Stockyards & Miss Molly's Hotel
Fort Worth's historic Stockyards are a veritable treasure trove of ghostly activity. Water randomly turns on & off in room 305 of the Strockyards Hotel "AKA the Bonnie & Clyde Suite", former employee turned spirit Jake continuing his duties, guests reporting feeling someone crawl into bed with them in the middle of the night, and more. You can even still book a spooky stay at Miss Molly's, one of the first bed & breakfasts and former speakeasy.
Thistle Hill
According to stories, Thistle Hill was ghost-free until undergoing renovations in the 1970s. Now, phantom music can be heard coming from the ballroom, a woman sometimes appears on the grand staircase, and a handlebar mustache clad gentleman hangs around.
Fort Worth Zoo
Boo & The Zoo gets real when the ghost of zookeeper Mr. Bell who met his untimely fate under a four-ton bull elephant makes his appearance around the zebra & elephant exhibits.
ARLINGTON
PHOTO CREDIT PintErest
Screaming Bridge & Hell's Gate at River Legacy Park
This may very well be the most haunted spot in all of DFW. The original bridge (reachable via a short walk from the park) was the site of a fiery car accident that tragically killed everyone involved. It's said the victim's names can be seem glowing in the river at night and their screams can be heard. There have also been reports of strange fog & lights on the bridge. If that wasn't scary enough, a nearby trail leads to a pair of old fence posts said to have been a gate that was the last thing captured soldiers saw before being hung near the site during the Civil War. Some report seeing a uniformed man standing guard and hearing soldier's sobs as they approach "Hell's Gate".
Lost Cemetery of Infants
If you were to visit Doug Russell Park on the UTA campus, you'll find a tiny cemetery with a big story. Originally home to Berechah Industrial Home For the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls until being converted into an orphanage and eventually closing in 1950, the 80ish gravestones that remain only bear a first name or, in some cases, simply "infant" and a number. Paranormal activity has included visitors feeling the sensation small hands stroking or petting their hair, shadowy figures, and small toys appearing & disappearing around the cemetery.
Artisan Center Theatre
This Hurst theatre is reportedly haunted by several spirits including a little girl, a former employee who died of a heart attack while working the projectors, and Neil, the most menacing entity who gets his kicks wandering throughout the joint and scaring visitors.
Arlington Music Hall
Check out this video the City of Arlington created on the ghost in their music hall then go say hello to Fred yourself next time you're over in Agg-Town.
photo credit: six flags over texas facebook
Six Flags Over Texas
While masked ghouls & goblins take over the park every year for Fright Fest, the spirit of a young girl named Annie who passed away in the early 1900s is said to inhabit a yellow house near the Texas Giant's entrance all year long and perhaps for all eternity.
OLD ALTON BRIDGE
PHOTO CREDIT Jeff Stephens
aka Goatman's Bridge
This historic iron truss bridge connecting Denton & Copper Canyon was built in 1884 to carry horses, and eventually cars, over Hickory Creek and remained in use until 2001. The story Oscar Washburn & family is as heartbreaking (and downright enraging) as they come, creating one of the area's most famous paranormal legends that has been covered by Ghost Adventures, BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural, and more.
Know of a hauntingly spine-tingling spot we missed?
