Uninvited guests haunt the Jefferson Hotel in East Texas

For today’s “Spooky Place in Texas,” we’re once again traveling to East Texas to the town of Jefferson, dubbed the most haunted small town in Texas.

The residents of Jefferson are proud of the title, and visitors to the tiny community will find plenty of ghost stories to give them goosebumps. If you listen long enough, you’ll find many of the ghost stories take place in the most haunted location of all: the Jefferson Hotel.

Built in 1851, the Jefferson Hotel is a quaint two-story building that originally served as a cotton warehouse. The hotel is bright and welcoming, and its best feature is the old, wooden staircase that leads up to the second floor. It creaks obligingly when stepped on — appropriately eerie for such a haunted place.

Guests at the hotel have their choice of 23 rooms, and each one has its own ghost story. But the most notoriously haunted room is No. 19. Stay there and you likely will get your hand held or arm stroked by very cold and ghostly hands and hear the sound of restless pacing in the middle of the night.

The front desk has a journal in which previous guests have written about their stays. Most of the journal entries will mention a brush with the paranormal, including mysterious writing that appears on steamy bathroom mirrors, faucets turning on and off by themselves, shadowy figures and cold breezes where none should be. The ledger can be borrowed from the front desk and is the perfect way to set the mood for some spooky fun.

Is the Jefferson the most haunted hotel in Texas? You are welcome to pay it a visit and see for yourself. Just don’t expect a quiet night because your room most likely will be a double occupancy.