Looking for some spooky vibes this fall? Tour these haunted cemeteries in Texas, which are full of EMF anomalies, eerie sightings, and scary tales.
The Halloween season can bring plenty of frightening vibes, but cemeteries take them to another level. They hold ghostly, off-kilter spirits and stories that come to life year-round. And there are plenty of cemeteries in Texas that will raise the hair on your neck and send a chill down your spine.
Here are some of the most haunted cemeteries in Texas to check out…if you dare! *Insert maniacal laugh that goes on for just a bit too long.*
1. Brownsville City Cemetery
Brownsville residents (or at least those interested in the paranormal) are likely familiar with the story of Daisy Starck. In 1879, the young girl reportedly tried to chase a ball that rolled into the road. Her path took her in front of a carriage or horses during a parade, and she became the first traffic fatality for the city. Daisy Starck is one of many people interred at the Brownsville City Cemetery, which also goes by Old City Cemetery or Campo Santo Viejo.
Visitors to Brownsville City Cemetery have reported seeing or hearing Daisy. One paranormal investigator said he captured her singing “Ring Around the Rosie.” Others say they’ve felt tugs on their chests or energy pulling them towards certain tombstones. A cemetery security guard said a little girl who looked like Daisy warned him, “Be careful. They’re coming.” When he asked who, she laughed and ran away.
You’ll also find lots of toys at Daisy’s gravesite. You’re welcome to drop one off, but this isn’t a take-a-penny, leave-a-penny situation. Daisy gets upset if anyone tries to walk off with her toys. Legend has it she’ll pinch your toes in the middle of the night to get the toy back.
Location: 955 E 5th Street, Brownsville, TX 78520
2. Port Isabel Cemetery
The Rio Grande Valley is full of haunted places, including the Port Isabel Lighthouse. If you’d rather stay closer to the ground than ascend toward the heavens, the Port Isabel Cemetery might be more your speed. And don’t worry. It’ll give you similarly spooky vibes.
Port Isabel’s cemetery first housed workers on the El Fronton de Santa Isabel Ranch in the 1840s. While those markers have been lost, you’ll still find gravestones dating back to the 1880s, nearly a century and a half of departed souls. Visitors report eerie feelings while walking the cemetery grounds, as well as the apparition of a young boy wandering between headstones.
Location: 301 Harbor Light St, Port Isabel, TX 78578
3. Martha Chapel Cemetery (Demon’s Road)
Quite a few haunting stories have come out of Martha Chapel Cemetery. You can get to it by driving down Bowden Rd. However, the more common name for that road is Demon’s Road because of the horrors supposedly lurking within the cemetery’s fence. As a result, people consider Martha Chapel to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in Texas.
People have described seeing faceless creatures, or the apparition of a child with red eyes riding a tricycle around. The KKK also reportedly holds ceremonies in the vicinity. Other guests recount hands emerging from graves, handprints on vehicles, or bright red lights shining eerily. Legend has it that ghosts sometimes follow visitors all the way home, and at least one visitor recalled being unable to make the turn into the cemetery because of all the creepiness they encountered.
Location: End of Bowden Rd, Huntsville, TX, 77340
4. Concordia Cemetery
El Paso’s Concordia Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 60,000 people, with a mix of famous folks and unmarked graves. Originally known as Rancho Concordia, the Chihuahua trader Hugh Stephenson lived here with his wife, Juana. When she died in 1856, they buried her in what is now Concordia Cemetery. Other residents include gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, Florida (Lady Flo) Wolfe, and numerous Buffalo Soldiers, Texas Rangers, and Civil War veterans.
The people buried at Concordia Cemetery have a rich history that’s deeply ingrained in the greater El Paso community, so it’s no surprise visitors have experienced haunted moments here. Many gravestones are modest; some appear to be homemade, which only adds to the eerie feel. There is a nursery section full of children and babies. Women who had C-section deliveries have detailed feeling a pull at their surgery scar.
Another section is known as “The Vortex.” As the name implies, it’s a whirlwind of spookiness, from witchcraft to satanic forces to ghostly sightings. Other visitors have chronicled feeling Lady Flo’s presence. Wolfe lived a glamorous, eccentric, and mysterious life. People often feel that energy when they stand near her grave.
Location: 3700 E Yandell Drive, El Paso, TX 79903
5. Glenwood Cemetery
Calling itself “Houston’s Historic Garden Cemetery,” Glenwood Cemetery is a stunning site. Live oak trees, rolling hills, impressive horticulture, and Victorian-style architecture and headstones are plentiful across the 88 acres. The cemetery is visually eye-catching and will stop you in your tracks while you take in the beauty all around you.
Glenwood Cemetery also happens to be among the most haunted places in Houston, with over 150 years of people and their stories. Electromagnetic field (EMF) abnormalities are frequent occurrences, which are often tied to the presence of spirits. There are several famous spirits here, too. Howard Hughes, the focus of the movie “The Aviator,” is buried in Glenwood Cemetery. The actor Glen Tierney is buried there, along with former business tycoons, governors, and mayors.
You’ll also want to see the “Avenging Angel” sculpture of William Dunovant, who was killed by his former business partner, William T. Eldridge. The two Williams had founded the Cane Belt Railroad but had a falling out. Dunovant’s brother-in-law, W.E. Calhoun, tried to shoot Eldridge in retaliation. Eldridge survived the attack and later killed Calhoun, who’s now buried next to Dunovant.
Location: 2525 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007
6. Baby Head Cemetery
Baby Head, a ghost town with one of the strangest names in Texas, has a history even more sinister than you might expect. In 1990, the town had about 20 residents. With the area all but abandoned, that’s the last time its population was ever updated. But Baby Head Cemetery still lives on.
Baby Head got its name from an actual baby’s head. Settlers in the town found an infant’s skull on a mountain, which they believed was placed by a group of angry Native Americans. The cemetery has dozens of graves, including some burials as recent as this century. People also sometimes hang baby heads off the cemetery’s sign, because the name apparently isn’t creepy enough. If you need a palate cleanser after visiting one of Texas’s more haunted cemeteries, head about half a mile north to collect llanite rocks, which contain cool blue quartz.
Location: TX-16, Llano, TX 78643
7. Smiley’s Grave at Mills Cemetery
Everyone wants to leave a positive legacy, but what if that legacy gets twisted over the years? That’s what’s happened with Oscar Smiley, who died a century ago in Garland. Various tall tales have cropped up over the years. He murdered his wife and children in a fit of rage, then hung himself. He didn’t want the city to build a road through his farm, so he burned the entire barn down while his family was inside. The real story is more straightforward: Smiley and his family were among the victims of the Garland Cyclone that passed through town in May 1927.
Still, knowing the real story hasn’t stopped people from feeling creepy vibes in Mills Cemetery, particularly around Smiley’s Grave, which bears the names of Smiley and his family. People report hearing moaning, twigs breaking, and a bobbing orb near the gravesite. One investigator recorded Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) of Smiley admitting that he was upset over the false claims about what happened to his family, which some believe is why Smiley haunts the cemetery. An old urban legend also says anyone lying down on Smiley’s grave won’t be able to get back up. I’ve never tried it, but would you take that risk?
Location: 500 Mills Rd, Garland, TX 75040
8. Oak Cliff Cemetery
Oak Cliff Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Dallas, having been established as a burial ground in 1846. The cemetery has a ton of fascinating history. A fire destroyed most of its records, and it’s the final resting place for three former Dallas mayors. It also technically has no owner, with community members volunteering their time to help maintain the area.
Most other entries on this list focus on paranormal presences you can hear or feel. Oak Cliff Cemetery has a highly visual deathly characteristic: You can sometimes see the bones of the buried. After heavy rain, the ground shifts, and people walking through puddles and mud only further disrupt the earth. That disruption includes the bodies buried beneath the surface. Occasionally, when the ground is still settling, you might see bones peeking through. Just leave them be, though. They’ll return to their resting place eventually.
Location: 1300 E 8th St, Dallas, TX 75203
