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The Railroad Tracks (Located just off Loop 410 South near Mission San Juan at the intersection of Shane and Villamain Roads) These "ghost tracks" south of downtown are the reported location of a fatal accident in which a train collided with a school bus full of children. The location has even been featured on "Sightings," a Fox television show about paranormal occurrences. The legend says that if you park your car directly over the tracks and shift into neutral, the ghosts of the children will push it uphill, out of the way of the potentially oncoming train. And if you have the foresight to cover your bumper with baby powder or flour, the children's fingerprints may follow you home. The Ramada Emily Morgan Hotel (Located at the intersection of 705 E. Houston St. and Avenue E, across the street and north of the Alamo) Built at the site of the Medical Arts Building, this fairly new hotel was constructed in 1964. Most recorded sightings have occurred on the 7th floor, but cold spots, apparitions and strange noises have also been witnessed in the lobby. The basement used to be a morgue in the building's previous incarnation. |
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| For in-depth information on these sites check out Spirits of San Antonio and South Texas by Docia Shultz Williams and Reneta Burn. | Alamo Street Restaurant and Theatre (1150 S. Alamo Street) This former Methodist church turned
restaurant and theater is well known for its cast and crew of ghostly inhabitants. The most
ubiquitous specter, Eddie (as he is known to staffers) is supposedly the ghost of a young boy who
died of polio but is now free on the spiritual plane to tear through the house like a banshee on a
whim. He has been especially known to haunt the kitchen, and has playfully pushed the cook into a
walk-in refrigerator. The ghost of Martha Gething, a former actress who wears a white,
Victorian-style dress and haunts the choir loft, was photographed in 1995 by a tourist with a
Polaroid camera. On October 31, Alamo Street will be hosting an overnight party with
fortune tellers, psychics, and a wee-hour continental breakfast to keep you going until the ghosts
are most active, between 2-3am. Call 210/271-7791 for information.
Victoria's Black Swan Inn (1006 Holebrook, between Eisenhauer And Rittiman Roads on the northeast side of the city) Archeological evidence has pointed to Native American occupation of this site, which later hosted the battle of Salado Creek. The Inn now functions as a restaurant and special events venue. When proprietor Jo Ann Rivera first purchased the property she was awakened nightly by the apparition of a man standing at the foot of her bed. Since that time, there have been plenty of unexplained phenomena, including lights turning on and off, music coming from the walls, and doors locking and unlocking on their own accord. This property was also investigated by the TV show "Sightings," which determined the property chock-full of spooks. Apparently the South Wing is the only area of the historic house where the presence feels ominous, though -- a man who was working underneath the house once complained of children taunting him and poking him with sticks. Call 210/590-2507 for information and details of special Halloween events. |
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