Texas’s Most Haunted Hotel

The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas has been haunted since shortly after its 1886 opening. Two little girls died on the grand staircase decades apart, and their tragic echoes—along with the hotel’s founder—create one of America’s most haunted hotels.

The Hotel

Historic landmark:

• Built 1886
• Jesse Driskill
• Austin, Texas
• Romanesque architecture
• Luxury hotel

Jesse Driskill

The founder:

• Cattle baron
• Built the hotel
• Lost everything
• Died bankrupt
• Still here

His Ghost

Where he appears:

• Lobby area
• Smokes cigar
• Distinctive smell
• Seen by staff
• Regular presence

The First Girl

Samantha Houston:

• 1887 death
• Chased ball
• Down grand staircase
• Fell to death
• Senator’s daughter

The Second Girl

Unknown child:

• 1930s death
• Same scenario
• Chased ball
• Same staircase
• Decades later

The Coincidence

Two girls:

• Same staircase
• Same cause (ball)
• Decades apart
• Both haunt
• Tragic pattern

Their Ghosts

What’s heard:

• Girls’ laughter
• Bouncing ball
• Running footsteps
• Grand staircase
• Regular occurrence

Room 525

Most haunted room:

• Suicide bride
• 1990s death
• Her presence
• Frequent activity
• Guests report

The Suicide Brides

Two women:

• Different decades
• Same room
• Both suicides
• After breakups
• Tragic connection

Houston Bride

First suicide:

• Fiancé didn’t appear
• Killed herself
• Room 525
• Still there
• Sad presence

Staff Experiences

Employees report:

• Seeing children
• Smelling cigar
• Cold spots
• Voices
• Daily occurrences

Guest Reports

Visitors experience:

• Children laughing
• Figures seen
• Electronics malfunction
• Touched
• Consistent accounts

Investigation History

Paranormal teams:

• Regular investigations
• Ghost tours
• Evidence captured
• EVP recordings
• Active location

The Ballroom

Also haunted:

• Elegant space
• Evening activity
• Figures dancing
• Period music
• Beautiful and eerie

Ghost Tours

Current offerings:

• Regular tours
• Historical content
• Paranormal focus
• Popular attraction
• Well-documented

Significance

130+ years of tragic deaths creating Texas’s most documented haunted hotel.

Legacy

The Driskill embodies Southern Gothic haunting—gilded luxury masking tragedy, where two little girls still chase balls down the staircase that killed them.