The Driskill Hotel

In the heart of downtown Austin, Texas, stands a Romanesque Revival masterpiece that has hosted cattle barons, presidents, and ghosts for nearly 140 years. The Driskill Hotel—built by a larger-than-life colonel who lost it in a card game—is considered the most haunted hotel in Texas, possibly in the American Southwest. Within its elegant walls, a child forever chases a bouncing ball down the grand staircase, brides have hanged themselves in the same cursed room across different decades, the scent of cigars drifts through halls where no one smokes, and the old colonel himself still checks on his guests. The Driskill doesn’t hide its ghosts; it welcomes them, and the guests who come to encounter them.

Colonel Jesse Driskill and the Hotel’s Origins

The story of the Driskill begins with Colonel Jesse Lincoln Driskill, one of the most colorful figures in Texas history.

The man: Jesse Driskill made his fortune driving cattle up the trails to Kansas during the post-Civil War boom years. By the 1880s, he was one of the wealthiest cattlemen in Texas, known for his flamboyant personality, love of gambling, and outsized ambitions. Though the title “Colonel” was honorary (common in the South for men of prominence), Driskill carried himself with military bearing.

The vision: Driskill conceived of a hotel that would be the finest in Texas—a monument to Austin and to himself. He invested $400,000 (approximately $12 million in today’s currency) in the project, an enormous sum that represented much of his fortune. According to documented history, the hotel opened on December 20, 1886, to great fanfare, and was immediately recognized as one of the most luxurious hotels in the Southwest.

The loss: Within months of the opening, Driskill’s cattle business suffered devastating losses. Forced to sell, he lost ownership of his beloved hotel in 1887—reportedly in a high-stakes card game, though the exact circumstances vary by account. He regained partial control briefly but never fully recovered his fortune.

The death: Jesse Driskill died in 1890, just four years after his dream hotel opened. He was found in one of the hotel’s rooms under circumstances that some found suspicious but were officially ruled natural. Many believe he never left—that his attachment to the building he created was strong enough to bind his spirit to its halls forever.

The Ghosts of the Driskill

Multiple distinct spirits are believed to haunt the Driskill, each with their own story and territory:

Colonel Driskill Himself

The founder’s ghost is the hotel’s most frequently reported apparition:

Appearance: A large man in late 19th-century formal attire, sometimes described in a dark suit, sometimes in the cattleman’s clothing of his working years. He has a substantial build and an air of authority.

Behavior: The colonel seems to be inspecting his property—walking the halls, checking rooms, watching the lobby. He appears most often on the upper floors and in the mezzanine areas. Some staff members report feeling a presence looking over their shoulders during evening shifts.

Signature: The smell of cigar smoke is strongly associated with the colonel’s presence. Guests and staff frequently report the odor of fine cigars in non-smoking areas, particularly near elevators and in hallways where no source can be identified.

Samantha Houston

The most heartbreaking ghost of the Driskill is a little girl:

The story: According to hotel legend, in 1887, a young girl named Samantha was staying at the hotel with her father, a state senator. While playing on the grand staircase, she was chasing a bouncing ball. She either fell down the stairs or tumbled over a railing, suffering fatal injuries.

The manifestation: Guests have reported hearing a ball bouncing where no ball exists, childish laughter near the staircase, and seeing a small girl in period dress playing in the hallways. The sounds of running footsteps too light to be an adult have been heard on multiple floors.

The portrait: A painting of a young girl hangs in the hotel. While not definitively identified as Samantha, some guests report that the girl’s eyes seem to follow them, and the painting has been associated with cold spots and feelings of sadness.

The Suicide Brides of Room 525

Perhaps the most disturbing pattern in the Driskill’s haunted history involves Room 525 (room numbers have changed over the years; the specific room is what’s significant):

The first bride: In the early 20th century, a young bride reportedly hanged herself in the room. She had come to Austin for a shopping trip and used her new husband’s money to purchase an expensive trousseau. Overcome by guilt, depression, or circumstances unknown, she ended her life in the room.

The pattern continues: Decades later—some accounts say in the 1990s—another bride died by suicide in the same room. The similarities were striking: both were young women, both newly married, both died by hanging.

The haunting: Room 525 is considered one of the most actively haunted spaces in the hotel. Guests report feelings of overwhelming sadness, difficulty breathing, sensations of being watched, and—most disturbingly—compulsions they cannot explain. Some guests have asked to change rooms in the middle of the night, unable to articulate why.

The Houston Suite and LBJ

The Driskill has a significant connection to American political history, particularly through Lyndon Baines Johnson:

Historical connection: LBJ used the Driskill as his Austin headquarters for decades. He watched the election returns for his controversial 1948 Senate race from a room at the hotel—the election decided by the infamous “Box 13” scandal, where 202 votes appeared at the last moment in alphabetical order.

The haunting: The suite where Johnson watched those returns is reported to be active. Televisions turn on by themselves. The channel changes without human input. Some guests report feeling a heavy, authoritative presence—a sense that someone powerful is still watching and waiting for news.

Documented Paranormal Phenomena

Beyond the specific ghost stories, guests and staff have reported numerous unexplained experiences:

Elevator anomalies: The elevators frequently travel to floors not selected, stop at floors where no one is waiting, and their doors open and close without apparent cause. The phenomenon is so common that staff treat it as normal.

Phantom scents: Beyond the colonel’s cigars, guests report smelling perfume (old-fashioned, floral varieties not commonly worn today), flowers (particularly in winter), and occasionally less pleasant odors associated with illness.

Temperature variations: Sudden cold spots appear and disappear throughout the building, most notably on the upper floors and near the grand staircase.

Apparitions: Full-bodied apparitions are reported regularly—figures in period clothing who appear solid until they vanish, shadowy forms in hallways, faces in mirrors that don’t match the viewers.

Physical contact: Some guests report being touched—a hand on the shoulder, pressure on the bed as if someone sat down, or the feeling of being tucked in at night.

Objects moving: Small items in rooms are found in different positions than where guests left them. Pictures have been found hanging crooked or facing the wall.

Paranormal Investigations

The Driskill has been investigated by numerous paranormal research groups:

Television features: The hotel has appeared on programs including Ghost Adventures, Unsolved Mysteries, and various Travel Channel productions.

Evidence collected: Investigators have recorded EVP (electronic voice phenomena), captured photographs showing apparent anomalies, and documented electromagnetic fluctuations throughout the building.

Staff testimony: Hotel employees have been generally forthcoming about their experiences. Many long-term staff members have their own stories and treat the ghosts as coworkers rather than threats.

The Hotel Today

The Driskill has been extensively renovated over the years but retains its historic character:

Current status: The hotel operates as part of the Hyatt family of properties, featuring 189 rooms and maintaining its position as one of Austin’s premier addresses.

Embracing the haunted history: Unlike many haunted properties that downplay their reputation, the Driskill celebrates its ghosts. The hotel offers ghost tours, provides guests with information about the building’s spectral residents, and has made peace with its supernatural reputation as part of its charm.

Room 525: The infamous room remains available for booking, though some guests specifically request it and others specifically refuse it. The hotel does not hide its history.

Staff training: Employees are reportedly briefed on the hotel’s haunted history and are encouraged to share their own experiences with interested guests.

Theories and Skepticism

Various explanations have been proposed for the Driskill’s phenomena:

Building age: A structure nearly 140 years old produces many unusual sounds, temperature variations, and settling patterns that might be interpreted as supernatural.

Suggestion: The hotel’s celebrated reputation may prime visitors to interpret ordinary experiences as paranormal.

Historical weight: Some researchers believe certain locations accumulate emotional residue from intense events—the Driskill has certainly witnessed its share of drama, triumph, and tragedy.

Genuine haunting: Believers point to the consistency of reports, the variety of witnesses (including skeptics), and the specific, identifiable spirits as evidence of genuine supernatural activity.

A Living Legacy

The Driskill stands as proof that a haunted reputation need not be a liability. The hotel has transformed its ghosts into attractions, its tragedies into stories, and its history into atmosphere. Colonel Driskill, who lost his beloved hotel while alive, seems to have reclaimed it in death—checking the rooms, watching the guests, ensuring that his creation remains the grandest hotel in Texas.

For visitors seeking elegant accommodations with a supernatural edge, the Driskill offers both. The staff will point you toward the most active rooms, share the stories of those who came before, and wish you a pleasant stay—while noting that you may not be sleeping alone.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “The Driskill Hotel”
• Society for Psychical Research — SPR proceedings, peer-reviewed psychical research since 1882
• Library of Congress — American Folklife Center — American folklore archive
• Chronicling America — Historic US newspapers (1690–1963)