“Were they solid? Did any of them brush up against you at all?” I asked.
“They looked solid, but no. None of them touched me at all. They just ran by me and then it was over. They were gone. At first, I thought they were practicing something dramatic for a re-enactment, but it was over so quickly and I didn’t see them again so I wasn’t sure what happened.”
The experience seemed to be more residual than any other type of paranormal phenomenon. It was as if she was seeing a moment in the past play out right in front of her.
Residual activity on the Lexington is a common occurrence. The ship’s historian, Judith Whipple, has heard several accounts from visitors who have seen apparitions of sailors walking through doorways that are no longer there but that used to lead into other passageways in the past.
Mechanical parts that are no longer operational have been heard as if they were up and running. When volunteers or staff members have gone to inspect the equipment, nothing appears to have changed.
Not every paranormal experience aboard the ship has been residual. Another popular story is that of a painting crew hard at work restoring part of the ship. After having taken a short break, the crew returned to their work area only to find that their job had been completed for them in their absence. People have heard disembodied voices in nearly every section of the ship without seeing anyone around that might be responsible for them.
One of the biggest mysteries to me is the manner in which paranormal specters sometimes appear. Some apparitions seem more fluid and translucent, as if they are floating through the air. Most people believe this is what a ghost would typically look like if they saw one. I know from my own past experience that a ghost can look just as real and solid as you or I, and can even be mistaken for a living, breathing person. Some visitors and staff at the Lexington have seen both transparent apparitions and solid ones.
I wonder if it is a matter of choice. In other words, does the spirit of a deceased person decide how he or she will appear to the living? Is it like picking out what outfit to wear, or is it simply a matter of the energy or other resources available to them to manifest? I wonder if we as human beings can even fully perceive them in their entirety to begin with. We have very limited senses, and our physical and biological make up might have a lot to do with how we see and experience the paranormal.
I know that, as investigators, we sometimes become frustrated with the inconsistency and lack of a phenomenon’s longevity. I think we have a long way to go before we can even partly understand what is going on around us at any given moment. I have dreams that one day, we’ll be able to pick up the phone and call our late relatives as if they had their own direct line, or ask them to come by one afternoon to sit on the couch and talk about how things are in their world.
How I would love to walk along the deck of the USS Lexington with a sailor who fought in WWII and hear all of his stories of hardship and camaraderie. I’d like to shake his hand and thank him, along with every other military veteran, for their dedication to their country. History would have no holes, and ghosts would not be the feared phantoms in our closets or under our beds. Instead, they could heal our hearts and keep the ones we love accessible to us. I am a dreamer, but it is thoughts like these that keep me searching for answers that have yet to be found, and to turn the “unknown” into the “known.”
The USS Lexington is one of my favorite places to visit. Whether or not I will ever have the opportunity to experience the phenomena so many others have while aboard, I’ll keep on believing that Charlie and the other spirits attached to this amazing piece of U.S. naval history will be there to welcome me upon my return.
Ghosthunting Travel Guide
AMERICA’S HAUNTED ROAD TRIP
Visiting Haunted Sites
North Texas
Amarillo Natatorium/The Nat Bookstore
2705 W. Sixth Avenue
Amarillo, TX 79106
Phone: (806) 220-0251
Website: www.myspace.com/thenatbookstore
Bookstore is open Wed.-Sat. noon to 7 P.M.
For a visit to the ballroom, ask to speak with Branden.
Motley County Jail
709 Main Street
Matador, TX 79244
Phone: (806) 347-2234 (County Courthouse)
Please contact the county courthouse to schedule a visitation time.
Fort Phantom Hill
Located on the east side of FM 600, in Jones County.
Follow FM Road 600 and exit I-20. Go 11 miles north.
Phone: (325) 677-1309
Website: www.fortphantom.org/fort/ftphantm.nsf/home?openpage
Open daily to the public from dawn until dusk.
Lonesome Dove Inn
225 West Main Street
Archer City, TX 76351
Phone: (940) 574-2700
Website: www.lonesomedoveinn.com/index.html
Please call for nightly rates and availability.
Hill House Manor
Located on N. Denton Street
Gainesville, TX 76240
Website: www.hillhousemanor.com
Please e-mail linda@pdslab.com for reservation times and rates.
Exact address is given when a reservation is confirmed.
Old Alton Bridge
No exact address listed.
Located over Hickory Creek on Copper Canyon Road in Denton
GPS Coordinates: 33°07‘46” N, 97°06‘15” W
Common area / Open to the public
Bull Ring
112 E. Exchange Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76164
Phone: (817) 624-2222
Website: www.fortworthstockyards.org/business_page.aspx?fwsy_id=5&sort=59
Open Wed.-Fri. 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Sat. and Sun. 8:30 A.M. to varying closing time
Closed Mon. and Tues.
Majestic Theatre
1925 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 880-0137
Website: www.liveatthemajestic.com
Please contact box office for performance dates and times.
Millermore at Dallas Heritage Village
1515 S. Harwood Street
Dallas, TX 75215-1273
Phone: (214) 428-5448
Website: www.dallasheritagevillage.org/VisitorInformation.aspx
Open daily at 1:30 P.M. for public tours.
Admission prices to the park vary by season.
The Iris Theatre/Books & Crannies
209 W. Moore Avenue
Terrell, TX 75160
Phone: (972) 563-5481
Open Mon.-Thurs. 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Sat. 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Closed Sun.
Catfish Plantation
814 Water Street
Waxahachie, TX 75165
Phone: (972) 937-9468
Website: www.catfishplantation.com
Open Wed.-Sat 11 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Sun. 11 A.M. to 8 P.M.
West Texas
Plaza Theatre
125 Pioneer Plaza
El Paso, TX 79901
Phone: (915) 534-0600
Website:www.theplazatheater.org
Please visit the online calendar for schedule of events.
Gage Hotel
101 Highway 90 West
Marathon, TX 79842
Phone: (432) 386-4205
Website: www.gagehotel.com
Please call for nightly rates and availability.
Cental Texas
Old Fort Concho
630 S. Oakes Street
San Angelo, TX 76903
Phone: (325) 481-2646
Website: www.fortconcho.com
Museum open Mon.-Sat. 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Sun. 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
Admission for adults is $3.00; seniors and military $2.00; students $1.50,
children under 6 are free.
Oakwood Cemetery
2124 S. Fifth Street
Waco, TX 76706
Phone: (254) 754-1631
Grounds are open daily to the public from dawn until dusk.
Dead Man’s Hole
No exact address listed.
Located 2 miles south of Marble Falls on US 281.
Travel a half mile east on RM 2147 and another half mile south on CR 401.
Common area / Open to the public
Driskill Hotel
604 Brazos Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 474-5911
Website: www.driskillhotel.com
Please call for nightly rates and availability.
Caldwell County Jail Museum
315 E. Market Street
Lockhart, TX 78644-2750
Website: www.lockhart-tx.org/web98/history/caldwellcountymuseum.asp
Open to the public for tours Sat. and Sun. from 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
Von Minden Hotel
607 Lyons Avenue
Schulenburg, TX 78956
Phone: (979) 743-3716
Website: www.myspace.com/vonmindenhotel
Please call for nightly rates and availability.
East Texas
Oaklea Mansion Bed & Breakfast
407 S. Main Street
Winnsboro, TX 75494
Phone: (903) 342-6051
Website: www.oakleamansion.com
Please call for nightly rates and availability.
Crystals Rock Shop
2136 Roy Road
Tyler, TX 75707
Phone: (903)581-7750
Website: www.freebirdjewelry.net
Open for business Fri. and Sat. from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Dabbs Cemetery
Located in Frankston, TX 75763
Directions: In Frankston, turn on TX 19 and travel southeast toward Neches.
Travel 3 miles and turn right at the green Dabbs Cemetery sign. Continue 2.2
miles to a “Y” in the road. Take the left road and travel 0.8 miles to another
“Y.” Take the right road and continue for 0.9 miles. This road will change from
blacktop to dirt. Turn right and after 0.3 miles you will see the cemetery on the
right.
(Directions courtesy of Monetta Alexander Lockey.)
Grounds are open daily to the public from dawn until dusk.
The Grove
405 Moseley Street
Jefferson, TX 75657
Phone: (903) 665-8018
Website: www.thegrove-jefferson.com
Please call for tour times and information.
Admission is $6.00.
Children under the age of 8 are not permitted.
Ghost Train of Jefferson
400 E. Austin Street
Jefferson, TX 75657
Phone: (866) 398-2038
Website: www.jeffersonrailway.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=3&chapter=1
Tickets are $10.00 for adults; $8.00 for seniors (62+); $8.00 for children (3 to
12); children under 3 ride free.
Scottsville Cemetery
Located on the north side of FM 1998
Scottsville, TX 75688
Grounds are open daily to the public from dawn until dusk.
Spaghetti Warehouse
901 Commerce Street
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 229-9715
Open Sun.-Thurs. 11 A.M. to 10 P.M.
Fri. and Sat. 11 A.M. to 11 P.M.
USS Texas
3527 Battleground Road
La Porte, TX 77571
Phone: (281) 479-2431
Website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/battleship_texas
*Texas Park Wildlife Department employees are instructed not to discuss
paranormal activity aboard the ship.
South Texas
Grey Moss Inn
19010 Scenic Loop Road
Helotes, TX 78023-9209
Phone: (210) 695-8301
Website: www.grey-moss-inn.com/index.html
Open 5 P.M. to 10 P.M. daily, closed on major holidays.
The Alamo
300 Alamo Plaza
San Antonio, TX 78299
Phone: (210) 225-1391
Website: www.theaalamo.org
Open Mon.-Sat. 9:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.
Sun. 10:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.
Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Admission is free.
USS Lexington
2914 North Shoreline
Corpus Christi, TX 78402-1116
Phone: (361) 888-4873
Website: www.usslexington.com
Open 7 days a week from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M., Memorial Day through Labor Day
Open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Labor Day through Memorial Day
Admission for adults is $12.95; seniors (60+) and active or retired military are
$10.95; children 4 to 12 are $7.95; children under 4 are free.
Additional Haunted Sites
Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site
340 E. Main Street
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Shadows have been seen walking around the site. Lights go on and off on their own and footsteps are heard when no one is around.
Airy Mount Bed & Breakfast
1819 Polk Street
Burnet, TX 78611
Ghostly sounds of children playing on the property are often reported. Guests have also witnessed shadowy apparitions moving around their rooms.
Ashton Villa House Museum
2328 Broadway Street
Galveston, TX 77550-4642
Former resident Bettie Brown is said to haunt the home. Witnesses report seeing her apparition and hearing her play the piano. She is most often seen standing at the top of the home’s staircase.
Austin Pizza Garden
6266 W. Highway 290
Austin, TX 78799
Apparitions have been seen in the restaurant along with silverware inexplicably moving on its own. Strange drops in temperature and the sound of footsteps have also been reported.
Concordia Cemetery
3700 E. Yandell Drive
El Paso, TX 79903
After one hundred and fifty years and sixty thousand burials, this cemetery is rumored to be extremely haunted. The sounds of children playing, muffled conversations, and hoof beats are often heard.
Emily Morgan Hotel
705 E. Houston Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
The seventh and twelfth floors of the hotel are home to several apparitions, as is the basement. Electrical equipment often malfunctions with no apparent cause.
The Excelsior House
211 W. Austin
Jefferson, TX 75657
The ghost of Diamond Bessie is often seen, as well as headless apparitions and that of a woman holding a baby. Rocking chairs will also rock on their own.
Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76110
The apparition of an unknown woman is seen walking near the café. A man killed by one of the zoo’s elephants is said to haunt the elephant and zebra exhibit areas.
Heritage Park
1581 Chaparral Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Four homes located in the park have activity ranging from touching, noises, slamming of doors, and the sightings of apparitions.
Hotel Faust
240 S. Seguin Avenue
New Braunfels, TX 75130
Common occurrences include water and lights turning on and off on their own, and doors opening and closing on their own.
Houston Public Library
500 McKinney Street
Houston, TX 77002
People have heard a violin playing in the rotunda and in the “Texas” room. It is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a janitor who died in the 1930s.
Imaginarium of South Texas
5300 San Dario, Suite 505
Lared
o, TX 78041
The building is located on a site that was once reportedly a morgue. Shadows can be seen, disembodied voices are heard, and inexplicable cold spots are felt.
Killough Monument
FM 3411
Near Jacksonville, TX
Several families were reportedly killed by Caddo Indians in the 1830s. Visitors have often seen an Indian chief and his horse here, accompanied with an overwhelming onset of fear.
La Lomita Mission
107 FM 1016
Mission, TX 78572
Activity seen at the mission includes the sighting of several apparitions in robes and disembodied voices seemingly engaged in prayer.
The Lizard Lounge
2424 Swiss Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
Formerly known as the Grand Crystal Palace Theatre, this building is now haunted by a mysterious “man in black” who is seen in the old seating area.
Menger Hotel
204 Alamo Plaza
San Antonio, TX 78205
According to the hotel’s director of public relations, there are at least thirty-two different apparitions roaming the hotel. They roam the lobby, halls, and inside the guest rooms.
Miss Molly’s Bed & Breakfast
109 W. Exchange Avenue, Suite 200
Fort Worth, TX 76106
Poltergeist activity has been reported along with the sightings of several apparitions in every room of the B&B.
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
2503 Fourth Avenue
Canyon, TX 79015
Full-body apparitions are commonly seen, and visitors have often complained of sudden severe headaches and the onset of inexplicable panic.
Permian Playhouse
310 W. 42nd Street
Odessa, TX 79764
Moving cold spots and the feeling of being touched is common here. Disembodied voices are also heard.
Spring Creek Park
15012 Brown Road
Tomball, TX 77375
Modern reports include seeing Civil War-era soldiers, muffled sounds of explosions, and hot and cold spots that defy explanation.
Thistle Hill House Museum
1509 Pennsylvania Avenue