The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas

Jefferson is the most haunted small town in Texas, and proud of it. Visitors to this tiny community, tucked away in the pine forests of East Texas, will find plenty of ghost stories to thrill them. Locals and tourists alike are eager to share their haunted tales with others. If you listen long enough, you'll notice that many of the ghost stories take place in the most haunted location of all: the Jefferson Hotel.

Built in 1851, the Jefferson Hotel is a lovely two-story building that originally served as a cotton warehouse. The hotel foyer is bright and welcoming, filled with bright, overstuffed chairs, and cabinets full of antiques. But the foyer's most striking feature is the old wooden staircase that leads up to the second floor. It creaks obligingly when stepped on; an appropriately eerie sound for such a haunted place.

Guests at the Jefferson Hotel have their choice of twenty-three rooms, and each room in the hotel has its own ghost story. Some involve mysterious writing that appears on steamy bathroom mirrors. Others involve phantom men, taken at first to be hotel staff, who vanish under direct scrutiny. Still others tell of faucets that turn themselves on, hot and cold spots where none should be, malfunctioning electrical equipment, and the strong sense of a "presence" in the hotel rooms. Past visitors have logged their experiences in a ledger that can be borrowed from the front desk. This book is very entertaining to read, if you enjoy being scared. Some accounts come from guests who didn't manage to stay the night. Whatever your reading preference, the ghostly guest book can certainly prepare you for your own brush with the paranormal (or just set the mood for some spooky fun).