Plenty of local haunts make the weirdest city in Texas even weirder.

Story by Lauren Weik

If you are looking to experience some spooks this Halloween or film your own “Blair Witch Project,” visit these haunted spots.

The Oakwood Cemetery                      

Honestly, a place teeming with this much history is bound to be haunted. Located at 1601 Navasota St., one of Austin’s oldest cemeteries has burials dating back to the 1850s. The graveyard spans over 40 acres and several state governors have been laid to rest here. Legend has it that the first burials were victims of a Comanche attack, and many paranormal ghost sightings have been recorded here late at night.

The Driskill Hotel

Built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the Driskill is known as one of the most haunted hotels in America. The ghost of a young girl who died in 1887 has been seen playing on the staircase with a ball. The tale of the “suicide brides” haunts room 525 where two brides died in the bathtub on the same day twenty years apart. Located at 604 Brazos St., this eerie hotel still hosts weddings and large events.

The Texas Governor’s Mansion  

Rumor has it that many famous ghosts roam the halls of the Texas Governor’s Mansion at 1010 Colorado St. – most notably, Sam Houston has been known to hang around from time to time in his old bedroom. During Governor Pendleton Murrah’s term, a young man who was courting the governor’s niece came to visit and died in a guest room. The room in which he died was sealed up but then reopened forty years later. Strange noises have been reported ever since.

The Forgotten Coxville Zoo

Check this place out if you like abandoned structures that make you want to spray paint everything. This abandoned zoo once owned by Alvin Cox from 1942 to 1969 sits in the middle of Walnut Creek park. The Coxville zoo was home to many exotic animals, including lions, alligators, foxes and even Cox’s pet monkey. Due to neighborhood complaints and humane society concerns, the zoo was forced to close in 1969. Now, remnants of the abandoned zoo rust in the woods, waiting for strangers to stumble upon them.

Shoal Creek Indian Massacre Site

Despite warnings from his neighbors, a man named Gideon White decided to build his log cabin close to the springs near Shoal Creek in 1839. After a few years of peace, Native Americans attacked and killed White in 1842. His body, along with many others, is buried near the Gideon White Marker on 35th and Lamar.  

The Littlefield House

This Victorian style home that sits on the edge of the University of Texas at Austin’s campus at 24th and Whitis St. was built in 1893 for Civil War veteran George Littlefield and his wife Alice. Littlefield was also a businessman who gave significant amounts of money to UT. The house was left to UT after Alice’s death, and her ghost is said to restlessly roam the house. Employees claim a sense of uneasiness when inside, and eerie music has been reported coming from the piano. Although the house is not open to the general public, student organizations and school events can be hosted here.