Top 15 Haunted Schools In Texas (2026)

Texas is home to a rich collection of haunted schools, from universities and colleges to historic high schools and abandoned campuses where spirits are said to linger long after classes have ended. These locations are steeped in tragic histories, unsolved mysteries, and decades of student folklore, making them some of the most notoriously haunted sites in the Lone Star State. Whether it is a murdered student’s restless spirit, a jilted lover’s ghostly screams, or the echoes of children who never left the playground, these schools offer a spine-tingling education in the supernatural.

Top 15 Haunted Schools In Texas

1. El Paso High School (El Paso)

Known as “The Lady on the Hill,” El Paso High School is often called one of the most haunted schools in the United States. In the late 1980s, custodians heard a woman screaming from the locked auditorium late at night. Police broke the chains and searched but found nothing, except fresh wet footprints that appeared across the stage and stopped abruptly mid-stride, with no one there.

The screams are believed to come from a student who threw herself from a balcony after a broken engagement in the 1920s. Staff and police filed independent reports on the incident, confirming its credibility and making it one of the most documented hauntings in Texas school history.

2. Odessa High School (Odessa)

Odessa High School is haunted by Betty Williams, a senior who was tragically killed in the famous “Kiss and Kill” case in 1961. Her ex-boyfriend shot her after a brief relationship, and the case gained national attention at the time. Since her death, students and staff have reported strange occurrences in the school’s auditorium, where Williams loved to perform on stage.

Flickering lights, objects moving on their own, distant voices, and strange sounds have all been attributed to her restless spirit. To this day, students joke “That must be Betty” whenever something odd happens in the building.

3. Central High School (San Angelo)

Central High School was built on land that was once San Angelo’s first cemetery, a fact that has haunted the school since its construction. In 1921, workers were paid one dollar per grave to dig up remains and move them to a mass grave, but not all were moved.

In 2006, workers discovered human remains protruding from the ground during water main repairs, and archaeologists found a soldier and a woman holding a baby. Students report ghostly faces in photos, smelling cigar smoke, hearing whispers, lights turning on by themselves, and the sound of a piano from a locked room that no one is supposed to enter.

4. Salado College Ruins (Salado)

This college was founded in 1860 and destroyed by a series of suspicious fires, with the final one in 1924 leaving only the limestone walls standing as a haunting reminder of its past. The ruins are open to the public at Salado College Park, and locals have reported light anomalies, shadows, and inexplicable sounds among the crumbling stone walls.

The town of Salado is known for its broader haunted reputation, with the Stagecoach Inn just blocks away adding to the area’s ghostly lore and making it a popular destination for paranormal enthusiasts.

5. Angelo State University (San Angelo)

Hardeman Hall at Angelo State University is haunted by the ghost of Leandra Morales, a freshman who was brutally murdered in Room 200 in 1978. A student confessed to stabbing her but claimed she was already dying, leaving many questions unanswered about the case.

Employees have reported footsteps in empty hallways, faint arguing between a man and a woman, and a ghostly female figure with dark hair in a white dress. Unplugged radios have turned on by themselves, and elevators have moved with no one operating them, creating an unsettling atmosphere in the building.

6. Sam Houston State University (Huntsville)

Austin Hall, the oldest university building west of the Mississippi, is haunted by multiple spirits including a maid seen watching from a third-floor window, a small boy in the same spot, and the ghost of Sam Houston himself.

The Peabody Library is considered the most haunted building on campus, where an archivist reported seeing the same apparition repeatedly, a woman in a long black dress whose face was never visible. Dorm legends include a female student suicide and a young woman’s murder at other campus buildings, adding to the university’s rich paranormal history.

7. St. Edward’s University (Austin)

The Mary Moody Northen Theatre is haunted by a female spirit on the catwalk above the stage, while the main building is home to the ghost of a brother who fell to his death trying to catch a painting from an open window. Students also tell stories of a mischievous little girl named Danielle who roams the dorms asking if you want to play, creating both fear and curiosity among residents. The campus has survived fires, tornadoes, and a rich history of paranormal activity that has been passed down through generations of students.

8. Texas State University (San Marcos)

Old Main, built in 1903, is haunted by a young woman who either jumped or was pushed from its balcony more than a century ago, leaving her spirit to wander the halls forever.

Students report flickering lights, cold spots, and the sound of rustling skirts in empty hallways, creating an eerie atmosphere after dark. Sterry Hall, nicknamed “Scary Sterry,” has tales of doors opening on their own and shadowy visitors wandering the corridors. A spirit named “Stella” is also said to haunt Butler Hall, adding to the campus’s ghostly reputation.

9. University of Texas at Austin (Austin)

The Littlefield House, built in 1894, is haunted by Alice Littlefield, who reportedly suffered disturbing visions after her husband’s death and never fully recovered. Staff and visitors report phantom piano music and soft weeping from upstairs, creating a mournful and eerie atmosphere in the historic mansion. The house is a popular stop on campus ghost tours and is considered one of the most haunted locations on the UT Austin campus, drawing both curiosity and fear from visitors.

10. Texas A&M University (College Station)

The ghost of Roy Simms, a meat lab foreman who died in a grisly elevator accident in the 1950s, is said to still check the faulty equipment in the old Animal Industries Building. Students report the smell of meat, strange noises, and equipment turning on by itself, creating an unsettling experience for those who enter the building. There is also a woman in white spotted near Francis Hall and phantom nips from Reveille, the university’s canine mascot, adding to the campus’s rich paranormal folklore.

11. Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce)

Talbot Hall, once the campus library, is home to flickering lights, footsteps in empty hallways, and the laughter of a boy who fell through the skylight in the 1930s. It is one of the most haunted locations on campus, and students and staff have reported eerie laughter echoing through the stacks late at night. The building’s dark history and persistent paranormal activity have made it a favorite subject of ghost stories and campus legends.

12. University of North Texas (Denton)

UNT’s Bruce Hall is famously haunted by multiple spirits including “Wanda,” a pregnant student who died in the attic, the “Elevator Repairman,” and “Boiler Room Bill,” a Black student allegedly killed in the basement. Students report slamming doors, objects moving, and an unsettling feeling on the upper floors, creating a genuinely frightening atmosphere.

Paranormal investigators captured an EVP of a whisper saying “Yeah” near an unused elevator. Other spirits include “Brandy,” who haunts the student union, and the “Crumley Hall Screamer,” adding to the university’s extensive ghost lore.

13. Southwestern University (Georgetown)

The oldest university in Texas has multiple haunted locations across its historic campus. In Mabee Hall, a student heard a whispered “Goodnight, Lori” and found her Ouija board reset itself after being packed away, a chilling experience she never forgot.

Mood-Bridwell Hall has doors that creak open and slam shut on their own, while Brown-Cody Hall has reported a tennis ball bouncing at 3 a.m. each night. Clark Hall has a glowing woman in a white nightgown who wanders the halls, creating a truly haunting atmosphere.

14. Baylor University (Waco)

Baylor has several haunted buildings, most notably the Carroll Science Building, where the spirit of a former student reportedly haunts the upper floors and the basement. Burleson Hall is known for the sound of a piano playing despite the room being empty, a phenomenon that has baffled students and staff alike.

These stories have been part of Baylor’s campus folklore for decades, passed down through generations of students who have experienced unexplained events.

15. Summit Elementary School (Amarillo)

This abandoned elementary school has some of the most unusual hauntings in Texas. A former janitor who abused children is said to haunt the building, and a boiler room stays impossibly dusty no matter how many times it is cleaned, draw a stick figure on the ground and it will erase before your eyes.

A swing on the playground never stops swinging, even on the calmest days, and people who knock on the front door hear a loud boom from inside. The sound of a mop sloshing echoes through empty halls, making this one of the most unsettling locations in the state.

Comparison Table

Tips for Exploring Haunted Schools

Start by researching which schools are open to the public and what areas you can access, as many universities allow daytime visits to campus grounds and academic buildings while dorms and restricted areas are off-limits.

For abandoned locations like Salado College Park, check for public access and safety conditions before you go, as some sites may be unsafe or closed to visitors.

Consider joining a guided ghost tour, especially around Halloween, when El Paso High School and other sites offer special events with knowledgeable guides.

Bring a camera or audio recorder, as many visitors have reported capturing unexplained images or EVPs at locations like UNT’s Bruce Hall and other haunted campuses.

Be respectful of the history and the victims of tragedies, such as Leandra Morales, Betty Williams, and the remains beneath Central High School, and remember that these are often active campuses with students and staff present.

Maintain appropriate conduct and do not disrupt school operations, and always follow any posted rules or guidelines for visitors.

Closing

Texas is rich with haunted schools that offer a fascinating blend of history, tragedy, and paranormal intrigue across the state’s educational institutions. From the “Lady on the Hill” at El Paso High School to the restless spirits of university campuses like UNT and Texas State, these locations prove that the past is never truly gone. Whether you are a paranormal investigator, a history enthusiast, or just curious about ghost stories, Texas’s haunted schools provide a compelling and often chilling journey through the state’s educational history.

Note that all information, including public access and tour availability, is subject to change, so it is essential to verify current details directly with each institution or local tourism office before visiting to ensure a safe and rewarding experience.