4. While we will never know the particulars of William Brownes death, its safe to say that his siblings were once again in control of his finances. San Antonio is home to the nations first all-digital library. The designation was made in July 2015. Some are thought to be places of ritual and sacrifices; others are said to be the place where living beings go to die. . Well, we've put together a list of the most haunted hotels in San Antonio. And it is rich with death. New Braunfels (either a suburb or satellite city of San Antonio, depending on how you look at it) has the largest Buc-ee's on the planet. . This time it was for good. If the dirt wasnt recycled it would cost nearly $25,000 to purchase new dirt every year. Military City, USA. Read more 0 Country Spirit - La Mansion Boerne, Texas 75 miles from Uvalde, TX Perhaps, hazing the new guy, or maybe the spirit is trying to scare off any non-union operators. Spurs Nation. Tall spires reach for the sky and the architecture is beautiful no matter what time of day you strolled by. William's body also had third-degree burns, as his son Patrick had attempted to electrocute him prior to the stabbing. It's a history filled with hardship, corruption, scandal and death (much like our nation's capital). All over the world, some of the most haunted places are old bridges. Library membership is free to all Bexar County residents. Heck, Salem, Massachusetts is known for its infamous witch trials during the seventeenth century, and no one can visit Chicago without hearing about the gruesome mobs, whose equally gruesome deaths have spawned countless ghosts stories throughout the Windy City. With spiders that jump 25 feet, massive reptilian birds possibly flying overhead and a whole host of other strange and delightful things, San Antonio is a fun, adventurous place to live and work. And in the many years following their deaths, the Hospital continues to play host to the ghosts of both the mentally ill as well as the people who were wrongfully checked in. That the grounds directly in front of the Alamo church were once a burial ground in the eighteenth century probably doesn't help matters either. Its altitude is approximately 662 feet (202 m) above sea level. As of April 2019, the population of San Antonio is about 1.5 million people. Grocery store chain H-E-B's answer to Whole Foods, Central Market, is often called Gucci-B," a San Antonio fact. Get a glimpse of the dark underbelly of San Antonio history as each haunted location ratchets up the tension of the tour. 9. 6. Residents call them Jumping Spiders because they jump up to 25 feet! Throughout South Texas, there is nothing more terrifying that the shrill cry of a woman - the weeping is a premonition, for those who hear it are often doomed to a series of grave misfortunes. When authorities showed up days later after reports had surfaced that the family had not been seen, the officers not only found the dead bodies of the women, but also the notes which had been etched in blood, and the scratch marks dug into the walls as though the women had tried to claw themselves out of their very existence. Twelve years prior, Browne, alleged to be a heavy-weight drinker, was consigned to the asylum based on the recommendation of one Dr. Miguel Braragon. Sometimes, it's simply that the ghost prefers the land of the living to anything else. The spinning room is an absolute must do. Technically, the bird itself is a San Antonio rumor, not a San Antonio fact, but people do claim to see this strange bird. 149 reviews of Ripley's Believe It or Not! It officially became a public park in 1852. After expansion in the 1920s, the original Southwestern Insane Asylum (now the San Antonio State Hospital) continued to grow ever larger. Way to up the bar, San Antonio. A concerned mother commented. No doubt all have resulted in heightened paranormal activity in San Antonio, but there's also the fact that San Antonio's history is rich. According to local lore, it has been home to Satanists practicing rituals, as well as brave individuals hoping to take on the dark energies within the Mansion. If you're interested in living in Countdown City," you can find lots of great apartments for rent in San Antonio. facts. 22. 18. +. WHERE: Meet at the Sisters Grimm Tours & Gift Shop located at the back of the Menger Hotel down Blum Street located at: 204 Alamo Plaza Suite #T San Antonio, TX 78204. Local Adventures Explore, shop, drink and dine like a local. 15. This popular area has been around since the 1700s. If she had to choose between gambling in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, shed skip the gambling and see a show in Vegas and go to the beach in Atlantic City. One of these poor souls was Chuauhtemco "Chino" Garcia, just nineteen-years-old, but a big boy, weighing in between 180-190 pounds. The hospital was built on 640 acres, and had the capacity to hold up to 500 patients. ), 11. Some of these locations have become so notorious that they have appeared on TV shows likeGhost HuntersandGhost Adventures. Not long after the Battle of the Alamo took place, stories about ghosts and hauntings started to be told by the people of San Antonio. Plain and simple. In the dead of night, she grabbed her children and brought them down to the river. San Antonio is home to America's second oldest park San Pedro Park is the oldest park in Texas and the second-oldest in the nation. She scrambled back to the river, but her children were nowhere in sight. Most commonly, spirits may remain on the earthly plane for a few various reasons. From prestigious and historic palaces holding a number of grizzly ghosts, to cathedrals where darker things roam at night. Bonus: Its computer lab comes with iPads and Xboxes. Another man from Brownsville, Texas, who according to newspaper accounts was a sane man, was Stephen S. Aldridge, who happened to be a veteran of World War II. There is no evidence to suggest whether William Browne won or lost his particular trial. It doesn't seem to matter if you're downtown, out at one of the Missions, or in the out-laying areas, you're never far from somewhere haunted. An award-winning disc jockey, Mark Louis Rybczyk started his career at KXZL, WOAI, and KJ-97 in San Antonio before moving to 96.3 KSCS in Dallas, where he had the longest-running morning show in the DallasFort Worth area. Fortunately, they aren't after humans and if they bite you, it's usually not serious. The four abandoned buildings near the site of the hospital actually belonged to the Bexar County Juvenile Home for Boys. Whether you're looking to stay in a Hotel which was built upon the battlefield of the Alamo, or one that used to be one of the most notorious jails in Texas, you'll find a haunted hotel to suit your taste, in San Antonio. O'Brien was arrested by the police for murdering his parents, William and Mary, who were reportedly stabbed so many times that they looked like they had each been blasted with a shotgun. app for Android and iOS. Tragedy underlies the history at this haunted location, and the stories which have emerged from previous owners tell us only one thing something exists here, at this abandoned property, and it's more than likely that it is not a spirit but something much darker. Since the tragic night in the 1920s, rumors of hauntings have kept neighbors up night to the sounds of screaming emanating the house. Charles Doolin invented Fritos in 1932 and his mother Daisy reportedly invited Frito pie also in the 1930s. or if that uncomfortable sensation of being watched kicks up. However, his brothers, Albert and James I. Browne, and sister Mrs. Caroline de San Roman took control of his share and also other property that William had himself owned. In 2014, Shaq came back to the Texas state basketball tournament for a reunion with his former high school teammates, still towering over them like he did 25 years ago. Households with a computer, percent, 2017-2021. He was close to a Ph.D. in mathematics. Racial desegregation began at the hospital in 1964, as the first African-American patient was admitted. For locals of this historic city, which sits at the foot of the Texas Hill Country, know that San Antonio is not only one of the most paranormally active in the States but perhaps also in the entire world . It was only then that the widow realized that she had drowned her children for nothing. After spending over a decade in the asylum, William Browne, was once again free to live his life. Churchs Chicken first opened in San Antonio and the first location used to be across the street from the Alamo. 19. 41.7%. In addition to experiencing other apparitions and ghostly sounds, such as footsteps and ethereal voices, many people to this day see a ghost guard who stands on the roof of one of the Alamo buildings, especially on rainy, cold evenings. This man who fought in WWII, said of the hospital, "Never again do I want to experience the sight of such cruelties." 24. Both scorpions and spiders like the Brown Recluse like to hide out in shoes. They're hairy and have two large obvious eyes on the front (in addition to their other eyes) that watch you. He should have never been out on the streets. Sitting on more than half an acre and built in 2005, a Terrell Hills home recently listed for nearly $2.9 million features, Charles Haarmann paid just $1,000 for a half-acre lot in what's now the King William Historic District. 12. He adds We are now down to a sinking lifeboat. Adrenaline-seekers will want to map their day at SeaWorld around the many thrill . Hot Wells Hotel & Spa Ruins. Adults. Below are just a few tales from the past. Or, are you new and want to get the lay of the land? 1) The Menger Hotel. The oldest cathedral in the state in San Fernando Cathedral. You probably know the Alamo it was a mission and fortress compound established in the 1700s and the site of the infamous Battle of the Alamo in 1836. . This thriving city in the heart of Texas has its own unique culture and a ton of great things to do and experience. Dallas was more well-known as the second-biggest big city in Texas (thanks to that old TV show named "Dallas"), but San Antonio is actually the second-largest city in Texas after Houston with almost 1.5 million residents. The San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo reuse the same dirt every year. At 750 feet, San Antonio's Tower of the Americas is taller than the famous Seattle Space Needle, making it the perfect place to get a panoramic view of the city. 2.64. The cathedral was founded in 1731 by a group of families from the Canary Islands. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is home to four of the citys five Spanish missions outposts that date back to the 17th century. Grunch. They say that museums are sometimes the most haunted places in the world--and San Antonio's very own Institute of Texan Cultures is no different. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar. A woman left a comment on their facebook page, saying the her beloved brother was is in the facility, and that she was not able to get a hold of him. All over the world, former "insane asylums" have considered to be some of the most paranormally active locations. He suffered from maniacal-depressive type of mental-illness. (To be fair, Central Market is a bit pricier than H-E-B but is a little cheaper than Whole Foods.). San Antonio's most iconic spot is said to still hold the spirits of the men violently killed while trying to defend the Alamo. He told her that she was mad, insane, and that he would have nothing to do with her. SAN ANTONIO When it comes to the top 20 most haunted places in Texas, San Antonio makes up 35% of that list, according to Yelp. It is technically regarded a city park and is most-loved for its walking path. There is one house more beautiful, it's said, more elegant than all the others: The Terrell Castle, which also goes by the name of the Lambermont House. . Flickr/brianmoranhdr 3. The largest Mexican market outside of Mexico is the Historic Market Square. The attendants then cornered him. Yet, some locals pronounced it waterburger" when they were kids and still can't break the habit as adults. But the Terrell Castle has secretsghostly secrets. The share holdings would have made William a fantastically wealthy man. The Train Tracks Legend has it, back in the 1930s or '40s, a bus filled with school children was crossing the tracks at Shane and Villamain Roads when it stalled. A ghostly hearse, bathrooms that bleed blood, and the spirit of a poor soul only account for some of the paranormal phenomena which occurs regularly at the Institute. Like New Orleans, San Antonio's roots were heavily Catholic, where the concept of death and heaven always loomed overhead. DICE Dental International Congress and Exhibition. Countdown City" is the nickname of Antonio, TX, because of its main area code of 210, but Orlando, FL, can also claim the name due to the area code 321. However, if you are a stickler about it, San Antonio got their area code first in the early '90s and 210 actually counts down to zero instead of just one, so San Antonio wins! The doctor then hollered at the attendants, "Lay off that boy, he's not crazy.". Flash forward and its easy to see why the city has kept this bold nickname: With 133,000 people hitting town each year to attend the graduation of students from military training, the USAF Airman Heritage Museum being right here, Fort Sam Houston being one of the Armys oldest posts, and over 300 years of military history, this is one city you really dont want to mess with. 1. Shaquille ONeal, star of Kazaam (oh right, and also 15-time NBA All-Star), went to Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio. 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Aside from the Alamo, the Riverwalk is San Antonio's most famous attraction. . After the Alamo fell, General Santa Ana of Mexico tried to have the Alamo burned down so it would not become a shrine to the fallen soldiers. Rhett Rushing, a folklorist at University of Texas San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures, told the online newspaper, mySA, a few years ago that "San Antonio [is not only] predisposed to ghost stories because of its cultural history, but the large mix of cultures over hundreds of years makes this a ghost lover's paradise.". San Antonio has its own Stonehenge! 16. Influenced by Roman Catholicism, Santera had passed through the Caribbean into southern Texas by slaves from Yoruba, Africa. 24 Haunted Hotels in America - Most Haunted Hotels in the US. Go on a ghost tour to learn about the city's haunted history and hear some spooky stories. Putting your car in park, you wait, hoping to feel your car be shoved up and over the tracks. Nah, it's actually (maybe) worse. If you run across a group of women hiking in San Antonio without shirts on, don't ogle. Do you want to experience the ghosts of San Antonio's most haunted places? Odditorium, the exciting movies that you ride at Ripley's 4D Moving Theater and our larger-than-life Louis Tussaud's WaxWorks. 210-223-4361. In 1928, the 21-story Milam Building in downtown San Antonio became the first air-conditioned high-rise in the US. There was further progress in the 1970s with the San Antonio State Hospital (SASH) becoming accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals; outreach clinics becoming established in other nearby towns, (which helped in reducing the hospitals population to 1,836); and with renovations and additions that modernized the hospital. Over 100 locally-owned businesses provide a unique shopping experience. It was purchased from near Charolotte, TX in 1988. Cade was a professor of medicine and nephrology at the University of Florida when he was doing research about the football team and why players didnt urinate after a game. Once you've gotten some fudge and jerky at Buc-ee's, stop by Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum to gape and awe at this amazing collection of decorated toilet seats. Apparently communication hasn't gotten any better at the SASH over the years. Two years prior to the nursing shortage, there was another sign of trouble, when a lawsuit was brought by a disability group, rightfully arguing that mentally ill prisoners were sitting in jail rather then being placed at SASH. 1. It was no long after this time that Williams father died. It's not uncommon to hear that New Orleans is haunted, or that Savannah is teeming with paranormal activity. Like the French Quarter that rests alongside the Mississippi River, the King William District also lays along a river (the San Antonio River). San Antonio is the oldest city in Texas and celebrated its 300th anniversary on May 1, 2018. About 7% more of San Antonio's population are veterans than in the rest of the state of Texas, totaling about 9% of the city's residents. 34. Unfinished business at the time of death tends to be the most common, along with unrequited love or a tragic ending. Erica Hernandez, Digital Journalist/Courthouse Reporter. In 1993 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The hospital was now able to administer modern treatments for the patients, but just a year later the hospital became overcrowded yet again, surpassing capacity at 2,308. 5. But don't worry, you're more likely to be killed . The term O'Niner" refers to residents of the exclusive 78209 ZIP Code that includes the upscale neighborhood of Alamo Heights. Mission Concepcin closes its doors beginning Sunday, January 5 for a restoration project. In 1925, the state asylums decided to drop terms such as "insane" and "lunatic" from their names, and so, the Southwestern Insane Asylum officially became known as the San Antonio State Hospital. she exclaimed in delight, just before she explained what she had done. 8. The driver tried to get the children off the bus, but a train soon crashed into it, killing all of the students and the bus driver. He lunged for a chair, grabbing and positioning it before him to protect himself from their attack. Her name is Beatrice, and it's known about the restaurant that she isn't the kindest of spirits. Robert Pugh, the head of the Bexar County Mental Health Department, said of Patrick, "He is a very, very sick man. Those who are admitted may have done so voluntarily, but more often than not the choice was not theirs to make. Still, we tell you all about its less than respectable past. All alert the living that they are not alone. Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. See the haunted side of San Antonio on this ghost-themed bus tour. She's created the segments 'Creating Black History in S.A.' and 'New Week. Stepping into this museum is definitely a step back in time. Something to Remember. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the 21-story building was opened in Jan. 1928. Anticipating a reunion with her lover, the widow turned her back on her children floating down the river, and hastened to the wealthy man's house. If you've lived in San Antonio for a while, you probably don't call it San Antone.". Either way Frito pie is a famous concession stand food at most high school football games in South Texas. Raul's physician, Dr. G. S. Bremont, said of his passing, "I was surprised when I learned Raul Chapa was dead." . 30. Its official: Lanier HS sets tamale-making record. Follow thislink!). Early Spring Flowers Will Combat the Winter Blues. It certainly seems to be the most haunted place in San Antonio. 25. While the Alamo City has a lot of charm there are also a lot of wacky and unknown facts about the 7th largest city in the nation. San Antonio is considered one of the most haunted places in the United States, according to Yahoo Travel. . Geoquono. The hospital officials may want to forget the "long train of abuses," but the souls of these departed patients will never let that happened. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in San Antonio, but with a diverse population, German, Polish and Czech are also popular languages in the region. Shaq played high school basketball at Cole High School and his team went 68-1 in two seasons and won the 1989 state championship.