The Rio Grande Valley holds a ton of history. Spanish settlers arrived centuries ago, and battles throughout the Mexican-American War and the Civil War found thousands of soldiers converging on this part of Texas. That history has helped shape the area into what it’s become today.
Many would also argue the lengthy history is responsible for the Valley’s paranormal activity, with spirits looking to find some much-needed solace. Here are some of the most haunted spots across the Rio Grande Valley, starting with a nearly 200-year-old battleground.
Fort Brown (Brownsville)
One of the oldest settlements in the entire Rio Grande Valley, Old Fort Brown (established in 1846) was the site of the first battle of the Mexican-American War. It was a U.S. military fort for a century as well. Soldiers died from battle, but there were also epidemics including malaria and yellow fever. An estimated 3,500 graves once stood on the peninsula.
In 1909, the soldiers’ bodies were dug up to be moved to a military cemetery in Louisiana. Ask any spiritualist, and they’ll tell you that separating headstones from graves—as the military did in the early 20th century—can lead to a whole lot of haunting.
The morgue is perhaps the most haunted of all, to the point that even night watchmen won’t check on it. It was the home of those who had recently died before they were buried in coffins, and there are stories of men disappearing when a light was flashed at them. Other visitors have claimed to hear arguments and see books falling off the shelves at the TSC Olivera Library. Meanwhile, soldiers and nurses float around the former Post Hospital that’s now called Gorgas Hall, perhaps while having a smoke.
Address: Old Morgue: 1821 Gorgas Dr, Brownsville, TX 78520
Colonial Hotel (Brownsville)
Not having enough towels or being roomed next to noisy neighbors can feel like a scary situation, but that’s nothing compared to the haunts the Colonial Hotel has in store. Opened in 1915, the hotel has hosted its share of paranormal activity. The Texas Hauntings Society has documented spooky occurrences, with Room 101 being the most “infected” place in the building.
The room has been linked to multiple suicides; other occupants report being grabbed, threatened, and having their bedsheets pulled by hands that appeared from under the bed. Still others have seen a phantom baby shedding tears in the bathtub. One theory suggests the site is home to an Apache warrior who died there before the hotel was built; his soul goes around haunting guests.
Address: 1147 E Levee St, Brownsville, TX 78520
La Borde House (Rio Grande City)
French immigrant and merchant Francois LaBorde (also spelled La Borde or Laborde) built this extravagant Parisian-style home for his family in 1899. The family never lived in the home full time, and LaBorde soon realized the building had good business potential as a hotel. In 1917, the same year the hotel opened, LaBorde died from a single gunshot to the head. No one ever found out if it was intentional or an accident.
Considering the La Borde House website has an entire “paranormal” page to explore, you’ll almost certainly experience something during your visit. Hotel staff and guests have claimed to have witnessed full-body apparitions and heard the sounds of footsteps. Two children drowned in a nearby well many years ago, leading to freezing cold spots and Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs), as well as physical contact from spirits. Sometimes, you need to shove someone out of the way to hurry back to your room, even if you’re a ghost.
Address: 601 E Main St, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
Fort Ringgold (Rio Grande City)
Any trip to the La Borde House should also include a stop at Fort Ringgold, which has stood since 1848. The fort was built on the banks of the Rio Grande shortly after the Mexican-American War to create a U.S. military presence along the Mexican border. During the Civil War, the fort was occupied by both Union and Confederate troops, with control shifting between the two sides. Fort Ringgold was also a key battle site in the Indian Wars and the Mexican Revolution, and it hosted the Buffalo Soldiers in 1899.
Despite standing for nearly two centuries, many of the site’s original buildings still remain intact. That means there are plenty of places to haunt, from the parade grounds to the barracks to the former site of the fort’s hospital. Workers, tour guides, and visitors have all reported eerie experiences. Lights flicker, doors open and close on their own, and unexplained shadows appear through windows. Others have found themselves becoming queasy or dizzy in certain spots.
A “Lady in White,” a woman who reputedly fell in love with a soldier before drowning in the river, roams the parade grounds while wearing a wedding dress. The entire fort has several areas of eerie atmosphere, and don’t be surprised if you hear an apparition encouraging you to leave.
Address: Ringgold Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
San Juan Hotel (San Juan)
David Bowles, an associate professor who authored the book “Ghosts of the Rio Grande Valley,” says the San Juan Hotel is the most haunted building in the entire Valley, with between “a dozen and hundreds” of souls wandering the hotel. One of the more notable spirits belongs to Tom Mayfield, who committed brutal acts of violence against Mexican-Americans in the early 1900s, including the murder of over a dozen victims.
Mayfield was caught and stood in front of a firing squad. He somehow escaped, only to have his vocal cords severed by an attack in a cantina. With his voice reduced to a soft, low murmur, Mayfield gained the name “Whispering Tom.” He became a Texas Ranger and worked a few other jobs before returning to San Juan, where he lived out the rest of his life alone in the San Juan Hotel.
Reports of paranormal activity have included a woman wailing and crying for help from the second story, where she was reportedly murdered by Mayfield and an accomplice. Other visitors have experienced chills and sudden temperature drops, EVP and distant voices, papers floating around the room even with no source of wind or air conditioning, and shadowy figures drifting around the halls.
Address: 125 W 5th St, San Juan, TX 78589
Port Isabel Lighthouse (South Padre Island)
Any good haunted location has a lot of history to draw from, and the area around the Port Isabel Lighthouse saw several battles during the Civil War. Those battles included fights between opposing sides as well as struggles between soldiers and diseases, notably a cholera outbreak. As a result, the lighthouse, which has been out of commission since 1905, is rumored to be haunted by the ghosts from those conflicts. There’s also a persistent legend of a Lighthouse Angel, who would illuminate the lighthouse with a halo during particularly bad storms.
It’s the only lighthouse you can climb along the Texas coast, though you might hear whispers from the Lighthouse Angel warning you to turn around. If you visit the lighthouse, you’re just a stone’s throw away from the Port Isabel Cemetery, which has graves from as early as the 1880s. Some visitors have said they see the ghost of a little boy wandering around the headstones.
Address: 421 E Queen Isabella Blvd, Port Isabel, TX 78578
Old Hidalgo County Jail (Edinburg)
The Hidalgo County Jail is over a century old, though it has only one execution on record. Abram Ortiz, convicted of rape and murder, was hanged from the jail’s second-story gallows in a public execution in 1913. Ortiz’s last recorded words were, “There is no heaven and hell,” and he wouldn’t allow prison guards to put a bag over his head. He wanted to maintain eye contact with everyone watching until the very last second.
Visitors today can explore the jail as part of the Museum of South Texas History. It’s largely intact from how it looked in 1910, including the gallows trapdoor that still appears ready to spring into action at any moment. If you step into Ortiz’s jail cell, you just may feel chills and hear a boisterous laugh, similar to the chuckles the criminal would let out while he was imprisoned.
Address: 200 N Closner Blvd, Edinburg, TX 78541
La Lomita Chapel (Mission)
Meaning “the little hill” in Spanish, La Lomita Chapel was built in 1865, then reconstructed using local sandstone in 1899 after a flood destroyed the original. Today, it’s a Texas historic landmark, nestled in a protected area along the Rio Grande River. La Lomita Chapel was part of a battle earlier this year, when the federal government proposed seizing the land to build a border wall. The plans have since changed to build the wall further behind the chapel.
From a spooky perspective, there are countless rumors of terrifying acts that have taken place on the chapel grounds. Among the most prevalent: Priests and nuns having secret love affairs and then killing their babies in shame before burying them on the property. When their secret was discovered, local residents raided the church and killed two clergymen.
While there’s not strong evidence that such acts ever happened, paranormal enthusiasts say they’ve encountered ghostly figures wearing clergy or nun robes. Other visitors say they’ve seen a spirit of a woman—who may well be a vision of the Virgin Mary—floating in the air and praying, even in the middle of the day.
Address: 3601 Old Military Hwy, Mission, TX 78572
Old Hidalgo Pump House (Hidalgo)
The Hidalgo Pump House was built in 1909 and has operated using steam, coal, and electricity as energy sources over the years. The pump house drew water from the Rio Grande and distributed it to thousands of acres covered in crops. It was retired after an all-electric pump house went up in 1983. With more than 100 years of history under its belt, er…irrigation equipment, several reports describe activity such as human-like shadows crossing the street and the sounds of children laughing maniacally.
You can still visit the site today at what’s now the Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum and World Birding Center. Depending on your fear level of large groups of birds, the latter part of that name might also feel terrifying. To its credit, the museum leans right into the mystery, hosting regular “Nights of Terror” haunted houses around the Halloween season.
Address: 902 S 2nd St, Hidalgo, TX 78557
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Related: 10 can’t-miss fall events in the Rio Grande Valley, from Sandcastle Days to Fiesta de Palmas
