Most Haunted Places in America: The Alamo

The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas is a national landmark oozing with intense history of passionate battles, brutal deaths and heroic deeds throughout the 1800’s. Today, it is a sight of historic wonder, local educational field trips and a tourist attraction for visitors from around the country and beyond. It is also the home of countless ghosts and frequently documented paranormal activity.

The Alamo was built in the late 1700’s as an educational mission in an effort to Christianize the local Native Americans. At that time, it was called the Mission San Antonio de Valero. By the 1830’s it had become a station, home to numerous regiments of rebels and revolutionaries. The Alamo was extended during this time as a fort, including added on buildings and outer walls for defense.

General Santa Anna, leader of a massive Mexican Army numbering over 1,000, marched his soldiers towards The Alamo in 1836, resolute on capturing the fortress. The Alamo was held by a grand total of 145 Texan refugees when Santa Anna arrived on February 23, 1836.

One of the most famous battles of the 19th century took place over the next 13 days as those 145 men, under the combined leadership of William B. Travis and Jim Bowie. The Mexican army continued to fortify its troops over the two week campaign, up to 4,000 soldiers bombarding the walls all at once. The Texas Army was also attempted to increase its numbers, but only raised them to a total of 189, including the original 145.

The Texans fought bravely and though incredibly outnumbered, held their ground for a tremendous amount of time considering the odds. Alas, they were defeated on March 6, 1836 as Santa Anna’s troops finally stormed The Alamo, killing Jim Bowie, William Travis, Davy Crocket and every other man who attempted to defend The Alamo .

Santa Anna ordered all of the Texan bodies disposed of. All remains were looted before the soldiers got rid of them; some dismembered, some tossed into the river, others burned, but most buried in mass graves outside the walls of The Alamo.

Today The Alamo is not just one of the most notable landmarks in US history, it is one of the most haunted as well. Accounts of apparitions in and around the old mission have been pouring in for nearly two centuries now.

The Alamo Plaza that now surrounds the structure was once a burial ground from 1724 to 1793, and when you add in all of the soldiers who died there – more than 1,800 including both sides – it only adds to the number of possible ghostly spirits haunting The Alamo today.

One of the first paranormal sightings at The Alamo, now legend throughout the plains of Texas, occurred just after the famous battle at The Alamo. Santa Anna left about 1,000 men to fortify The Alamo while moving another 1,500 on to San Jacinto (now known as Houston, Texas). Sam Houston captured Santa Anna there and, in retaliation, the Mexican general ordered The Alamo completely obliterated. A group of his soldiers marched to The Alamo to fulfill their duty, only to be thwarted by 6 full-bodied apparitions waving flaming sabers and proclaiming, “Do not touch The Alamo! Do not touch these walls!”

The soldiers turned tail and fled, never to return again despite the vehement orders of their superiors. When the report was given, it was said that six “Diablos” (Devils) guarded The Alamo. It is not certain who the apparitions were. Some claim it was the monks of the original mission, while others believe the Texan defenders were still holding their posts.

There were a multitude of reports claiming paranormal activity at The Alamo by the late 19th century, but the city of San Antonio was determined to make use of the building as its police headquarters. The original barracks became the jailhouse, and immediately the prisoners held there complained of ghosts, shadows, disembodied voices and moaning.

From 1894 to 1897 the San Antonio Express News published a number of articles detailing the paranormal activity at The Alamo. Apparitional sentries were said to walk the rooftop at night. Both prisoners and staff members at the police station recounted tails of the ghostly activity. It seemed that the spirits were much more active at night, and soon guards began refusing to work between the hours of sunset and dawn. Soon after, due to lack of staffing, the use of The Alamo as a police station ceased.

Reports of ghostly phenomenon continue to be a regular thing in and around The Alamo from grounds workers and tourists alike. The activity is still more prominent at night, but also occurs during daylight hours.

Visitors at nearby hotels have looked down from their room windows to see ghastly apparitions walking through the walls. Explosions have been heard, resounding from the battle of nearly two centuries ago. Muffled trumpets playing “El Deguello” (Spanish for “No Quarter”), ordered to be played by Santa Anna during the final attack, have been heard.

Wandering ghosts from the ancient burial grounds have caused more than a few of the night guards to quit their jobs patrolling The Alamo after hours. A “cowboy”, donning full duster and cowboy hat, is always reported seen in the gardens outside The Alamo, dripping wet as if drenched from a thunderstorm. He is believed to be one of the 22 men William Travis dispatched to seek aide.

Another entity is often seen sticking his head and arms out the window above The Alamo’s main entrance, as if scouting the area. In what is today the gift shop, a young blonde boy is regularly seen in the left upstairs window. The upper-body apparition of a woman appears next to the well outside the church at night. The basement is home to a tall Native American who sneaks up on people, then when the person turns around – feeling a presence upon them – he either disappears just after being seen, or turns and walks straight through the brick wall that was once an underground tunnel to the Menger Hotel across the road.

General Manuel Fernandez de Castrillon is believed to wander the grounds of The Alamo with a mournful expression. He was one of Santa Anna’s top generals, and the only one said to have opposed the final attack on The Alamo, stating it would be a “bloodbath”. Whoever it is, the Mexican soldier is seen walking the grounds, hands clasped behind him and shaking his head slowly.

The transparent ghost of Davy Crocket has been seen in numerous locations around The Alamo, sporting his famous coonskin cap and a flintlock rifle. The ghost of James Allen is also believed to reside at The Alamo, making his presence known every year in early March right about the time he was dispatched by Travis. Allen was the last Texan to leave The Alamo alive, the day before the battle ended. The distinct sound of horse’s hooves galloping across the pavement can be heard, supposedly James Allen’s ghost returning to report to Travis.

The reports of paranormal activity at The Alamo go on and on, from apparitions of men, women and children, some full bodies, some partial, some terribly wounded. Even the ghost of John Wayne is believed to haunt The Alamo, Wayne having become obsessed with the history of the structure when he directed and starred in the 1960 film “The Alamo”. Reports of people seeing John Wayne’s ghost wandering the site, sometimes speaking with other ghosts at The Alamo, started coming in shortly after his death.

The plethora of whispers, voices, screams and visible apparitions are so prominent that there is little doubt The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas is truly one of the most haunted locations in the country, if not the entire world.

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