Yes, we know Houston doesn't boast the famous haunted places some of our sister -ists do — London, for example, where you can hardly turn around without running into some long since beheaded spirit (or, for that matter, spirits). But still, in the spirit of the season, we combed the Interweb and found some local haunted sites, some of which you might have heard of and some you might not know about. So steel your courage, gather your ghost-huntin' equipment and check these out — you never know what you might find.
Julia Ideson Building, Houston Public Library
It's said the Ideson Building is haunted by the ghost of Mr. Cramer, a janitor and night watchman who lived and worked in the building for years after it opened in 1926. The story goes that Cramer enjoyed roaming the halls of the library practicing his violin, and you can still hear the strains of violin music today — especially in the rotunda and the Texas Room, where we're sure it annoys the heck out of the librarians. | 500 McKinney Ave.
Spaghetti Warehouse
The Spaghetti Warehouse is located in an old produce warehouse, and it's said that at least one employee died when he fell down an elevator shaft inside (some accounts say several people died the same way, which makes us wonder just how reckless they really were). It's long been claimed that the building is haunted, though we're not sure whether it's by the people who were clumsy enough to fall down an elevator shaft or their fellow workers laughing at them. Reports have included objects being moved, apparitions, orbs and mists. The lasagna isn't bad, either. | 901 Commerce Ave.
La Carafe
The second floor of this tiny, ancient Market Square bar is reportedly haunted by shadowy figures who drag heavy-sounding objects across the floor. Employees have said they've seen ghostly figures looking out the second-floor windows, and at least one guest reported seeing an apparition of a black man in ragged clothes standing near the stairs. | 813 Congress Ave.
The Rice
John F. Kennedy spent his last night at the Rice, so it's little wonder that there are rumors that the president occasionally returns to his hotel room to cause cold spots and balls of light and rattle the doors and beds. You can't visit that room — it's now part of someone's loft — but you can check out the lobby, where apparitions have been reported on the mezzanine, and the Crystal Ballroom, where people have said they've seen ghostly dancers. | 909 Texas Ave.
Slainte Irish Pub
We figured the only thing haunting Slainte would be the ghost of a formerly cool pub, but apparently not: The story goes that a woman was murdered in the building (before it was a pub, we imagine), and now a woman's silhouette sometimes appears behind a textured glass wall toward the back of the first floor. The spirit is also said to keep women company when they're using the second-floor ladies' room alone — which, let's face it, is just plain odd. | 509 Main St.
Old Jeff Davis Hospital
This is one of Houston's best-known haunted spots, and it seems to have the history to back that up: What was once a county charity hospital was built on top of an old cemetery in the early 1920s (we've heard that's why it has a raised basement, but who knows?) — FYI, this is the same cemetery that was in the news earlier this year when the city re-buried some bones dug up during construction of an HFD facility a while back. Jeff Davis has been restored as artists' lofts, so you can no longer trespass and get accosted by crackheads inside. Sorry. | 1101 Elder St.
Patterson Road
Rumor has it that the land alongside Patterson Road, which runs between Eldridge and Highway 6 in the Addicks Reservoir, was the site of a Civil War battle, so there are soldiers' ghosts running around. We're not convinced of that, but whatever the cause, the bridge closest to Eldridge is reportedly haunted. The story goes that, if you park in the middle of the bridge and turn your engine and headlights off, there'll be tapping noises all over your car, and handprints may appear on the windows. For the record, no, we don't recommend parking in the middle of an extremely dark road with your headlights off. | Patterson Road between Eldridge and Highway 6
Battleship Texas
Houstonist has somehow managed to make it through lo these many years of life without setting foot on board the Texas, which is apparently a hotbed of ghostly activity: Reports include a red-headed sailor who appears, smiling, on the deck and a break in the space-time continuum that send folks back to the ship's days of service in World War II. No word on whether it's haunted by the tortured souls of generations of elementary school students on field trips. | 3523 Highway 134, La Porte
Know about any other hauntings? Leave us a comment ...
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