The Haunted Driskill Hotel
Austin’s Most Historic Hotel
Austin, TX is fairly well-known today for being an ultra-modern hub for business and tech, but nestled among the skyscrapers and stylish tech offices sits a rich history that the city has gone to great lengths to preserve. Plenty of buildings from Austin’s past still stand today, all with their own intriguing stories to tell. The most prolific among them, however, is the haunted Driskill Hotel.
The hotel was commissioned in 1885 by a man named Jesse Driskill, and it then saw its grand opening on Christmas Eve 1886. The hotel was a monument to the fortune Driskill had amassed in his career as a cattle baron during the Civil War, built to satisfy his dream of building “the finest hotel south of St. Louis.” And even today, the Driskill stands as one of the most well-known hotels in the state, attracting tourists from all over excited to experience its mix of modern luxury and old-fashioned Texas flair.
The Tragedy of The Driskill
However, Driskill’s dream would become his ruin. The financial cost of running the hotel proved to be more than he could handle, especially after a harsh winter and drought that killed most of his cattle stock. Less than three years after opening it, Driskill would lose ownership of the hotel (some stories say he bet it all in an ill-fated gambling match) and die shortly afterward, a broken man.
Is The Driskill Austin’s Most Haunted Hotel?
The hotel would endure without Driskill, but would continue to face a host of tragedies and death in its many years of operation. A 7-year-old girl named Samantha Houston, granddaughter of former Texas President Sam Houston, would meet her end there after an accidental fall down the Grand Staircase. Her spirit is said to now haunt a painting on the 5th floor.
Also on the 5th floor is Room 525, which is known to have been the site of the suicides of two separate women several years apart, both young brides. Apparitions of ghostly brides or the sounds of a woman wailing and crying are frequent accounts from those brave enough to stay in that room.
Jesse Driskill himself is also known to still roam around the hotel, messing with the electricity and plumbing, likely fascinated with the hotel’s modern conveniences.
Join A Ghost Tour For More Spooky Tales
Join our five-star guided Ghost Walk Tour for a firsthand look at the Driskill and its deep history. Or, if you would like to enjoy the hotel’s bar, why not join our Pub Tour? We recommend the specialty drink, aptly named “Samantha’s Ghost!”