Every city has its stories of haunted, spooky and paranormal places. These spots live on in legends and whispers passed down from generation to generation.
El Paso’s reputation as a tiny, dusty, western town full of gunslingers and pioneers has given way to many of these great haunted stories.
Concordia Cemetery
Perhaps the most well-known “haunted” spot in El Paso. The iconic cemetery is the final resting place for many former El Pasoans including John Wesley Hardin, Buffalo soldiers, Texas rangers, John Selman and Jesuit priests.
It’s rumored to be haunted by the spirits of the over 60,000 people who have been buried there since the 1880s.
Southwest General Hospital
The Old Southwestern Hospital, located at the corner of Cotton and Murchison is now home to a rehabilitation hospital. But for years, it was the Southwestern General Hospital. It opened as the Albert Baldwin Health resort in 1905 as a sanatorium to help with El Paso’s spreading tuberculosis crisis.
There have been several stories of paranormal activities in the hospital, including a story that a former respiratory therapist. The worker didn’t like to wait on the service elevator designated for employees and preferred taking the public elevator instead. One day, the nurse was pinned between two floors. Another paranormal story involves a maintenance worker who also reportedly died in the elevator.
Plaza Theatre
The Plaza Theatre opened to the public in 1930 and has been rumored to be the home of several ghosts. There’s a story of the spirit that sits in the back row of the theater and a girl who is seen giggling in the mezzanine.
The most disturbing story is of the ‘smoking man’ who reportedly sits on the balcony. Rumors have it that he talks to staff and has been seen plunging head-first over the balcony.
El Paso High School
It’s been called the “scariest school in America.” Alumni and visitors to famed El Paso High School — built by Trost & Trost in 1916 — have retold ghost stories throughout the years.
KTSM toured the school’s basem*nt several years ago and can confirm the existence of ‘secret’ passageways that have been bricked–in and closed off since the school was initially built. Some say the ghost of a girl who jumped from a balcony at the school can be seen wandering the hallways.
Fire Station 11
The Downtown fire station is located in the heart of Duranguito – on Leon St. The station is rumored to be home to several ghosts and even firefighters are reportedly frightened by some of the bumps in the night.
There is one bed that is so haunted that firefighters refuse to sleep in it. According to the legends, the bed shakes in the middle of the night and covers fly off without explanation.
DeSoto Hotel
The DeSoto Hotel in Downtown El Paso has been in operation for more than a century and is home to paranormal activity. This may be El Paso’s version of Hotel California. It’s rumored that guests have checked in, but never left.
People have claimed they’ve been bitten, scratched and touched while in the hotel. Paranormal researchers claim they picked up the presence of a spirit in the basem*nt in an audio recording. We might recommend finding other accommodations — or else.
Ft. Bliss Pershing House
Fort Bliss is rumored to have several haunted spots, including Building 4, Building 13 and Building 117. The Pershing House, built for former Fort Bliss General John J. Pershing in 1914, is one of the places rumored to have paranormal activity.
Guests and commanders who have lived in the home since the 1940s have reported strange events like a salt shaker that levitated and phantom cooking smells.
Magoffin Home
The home was built in 1875 for former Mayor Joseph Magoffin and his family. The home — and its spirits — were later acquired by the City of El Paso and the State of Texas as a historic site.
As the story goes, Charles Richardson, who was Joseph Magoffin’s best friend and brother-in-law died in a rocking chair. Charlie’s ghost is seen rocking in his chair at times. Lights are turned on and off and doors are opened and closed randomly.
Gravity Hill
There are variations of the same story. Maybe you heard the one where a school bus stalled at the bottom of the hill and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. Some say you can put baby powder on your bumper and see hand prints of children “pushing” your car uphill.
The Thunderbird Dr. phenomenon is one of the most unexplained experiences in El Paso. KTSM’s Daniel Marin will look into the legend and science behind this spooky spot Monday at 10 p.m.
*Disclaimer: KTSM does not encourage or condone trespassing on any private property. Please respect the owners of these historic and spooky sites.
