Galveston Ghost Tour — 13 Haunted Stops, Self-Guided

Walk Galveston's most haunted locations. 13 stops, self-guided. 3 stops free. No guide, no schedule — just you and the dark.

Between 6,000 and 12,000 people died on September 8, 1900, when the Great Storm hit Galveston — the deadliest natural disaster in American history. The most haunted places in Galveston trace directly back to that single day. At St. Mary's Orphanage, ten Sisters of Charity tied clothesline between themselves and 93 children as the surge rose. All but three children drowned. At Hotel Galvez, a woman in Room 501 killed herself in 1952 after learning her fiancé's ship went down. Bettie Brown died alone in Ashton Villa in 1920, and her Steinway grand still plays itself. At 8th and Avenue P, city workers burned thousands of unidentified corpses for weeks. This self-guided tour hits 13 free stops across the island's darkest history.

Tour Stops

  1. 1. Moody Mansion Moody Mansion, 2618, Broadway - Avenue J

    The Moody Mansion survived the 1900 hurricane that flattened most of Galveston. W.L. Moody Jr. purchased the damaged 28,000-square-foot home in 1900 a...

  2. 2. Hotel Galvez 2024 Seawall Boulevard

    Room 501. Fifth floor, west turret. You step inside and the air tastes different—salt, gardenia, something older. In 1952, a twenty-five-year-old woma...

  3. 3. St. Mary's Orphanage Memorial Site Seawall Boulevard near 69th Street

    The orphanage stood here, on the beach, two dormitories housing ninety-three children and ten Sisters of Charity. September 8, 1900. As the storm surg...

  4. 4. Ashton Villa 2328 Broadway Avenue J

    Bettie Brown died here in 1920, alone in the house her father built in 1859. She never married. Never left. The mansion became a museum in 1974, and s...

  5. 5. Old City Cemetery Broadway Avenue at 43rd Street

    Galveston's oldest cemetery, established 1839. Yellow fever victims, Confederate soldiers, murder victims—they're all here. Walk the paths after sunse...

  6. 6. The Tremont House 2300 Ships Mechanic Row

    The Tremont has stood here since 1839, rebuilt twice, most recently in 1985. But some guests never checked out. During the 1900 hurricane, hundreds to...

  7. 7. UTMB Ewing Hall - The Face 301 University Boulevard

    Look at the brick façade of Ewing Hall from the parking lot. See it? The face. Not pareidolia—an actual human face, formed by discoloration in the bri...

  8. 8. Open Gates (Sealy Mansion) 902 Sealy Avenue

    Stanford White designed this neo-Renaissance palace in 1889 for George and Magnolia Sealy. Twenty-four thousand square feet of Belgian brick and Texas...

  9. 9. 1900 Storm Mass Grave Site 8th Street at Avenue P

    After the 1900 hurricane, the bodies came in faster than they could be buried. Thousands of corpses, bloating in the September heat, creating a public...

  10. 10. The Menard House 1605 33rd Street

    Michel Menard founded Galveston. His 1838 Greek Revival home is the oldest on the island, a temple to ambition built when Texas was still a republic. ...

  11. 11. Hendley Building (The Strand) 2010 Strand

    The Hendley Building, built in 1859, is one of the Strand's iron-front survivors. William Hendley made his fortune in cotton and real estate. He also ...

Frequently Asked Questions

How many haunted stops are on the Galveston ghost tour?

The Galveston ghost tour includes 13 documented haunted locations.

Is the Galveston ghost tour free?

The first 3 stops are completely free — no account required. To unlock all 13 stops, a History Nearby premium subscription is $4.99/month or $49.99/year.

Do I need a guide for the Galveston ghost tour?

No. This is a self-guided walking tour. Each stop includes the address, a map pin, and the full haunting story. Walk at your own pace, start anytime, and take any route you like.

How long does the Galveston ghost tour take?

Plan for approximately 2.5 hours. This accounts for walking between stops and reading each haunting story. You can also split it across multiple evenings.

What is the most haunted location in Galveston?

The most visited stop on our Galveston tour is Moody Mansion at Moody Mansion, 2618, Broadway - Avenue J.

Sources & Further Reading

3 stops free in Galveston. No guide, no schedule — walk at your own pace after dark.

Last updated February 22, 2026. Researched by the History Nearby editorial team.

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