Texas Panhandle Hauntings: From the Exorcisms of St. Anthony’s Hospital to the Ghosts of Old Tascosa
Haunted Amarillo: Where Route 66 Meets the Restless Dead
The Texas Panhandle may be all open skies and wide horizons, but this dusty stretch of West Texas Paranormal activity hides some seriously haunted history. From the bustling city of Haunted Amarillo to the forgotten Old Tascosa Ghost Town, the past refuses to fade.
The Nat Ballroom and the Santa Fe Building: Route 66 Ghost Stories
The hauntings begin on Route 66 at The Nat Ballroom Amarillo, a former 1920s indoor pool turned glitzy dance hall. Though jazz legends once played here, the music never truly stopped. Visitors report phantom footsteps, rearranged silverware, and the chilling sight of a Ghostly Lady in White wandering the old gambling hall upstairs, her dress stained red.
Just a few blocks away, the Santa Fe Building Amarillo, a towering 14-story relic of the railroad heyday, is haunted by its former employees. Reports include phantom typewriters clicking, elevators moving on their own, and Railroad Phantoms in gray suits watching from down the halls, suggesting some spirits are still clocked in.
St. Anthony’s Hospital Amarillo: The Site of Exorcisms
Perhaps the most chilling location is St. Anthony’s Hospital Amarillo, once the city’s largest Catholic hospital. This abandoned site is rumored to have been the location of over 70 documented Amarillo Exorcisms between 1909 and 1931.
Explorers have captured chilling photos, reported extreme temperature drops, and even described smelling sulfur, a classic sign of demonic presence. The most poignant story involves a staffer who saw a ghost patient asking for help—a patient who had died on another floor just an hour earlier.
Old Tascosa Ghost Town: The Last Lady of the West
The journey ends in Old Tascosa Ghost Town, once one of the wildest towns in the West. Today, the site is home to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, but the spirits of the past linger, especially at Boot Hill Cemetery Tascosa.
The most famous resident is the Frenchy McCormick Ghost, the "Mystery Woman" who stayed behind long after the town died. She is still seen walking the ruins in silence, a testament to the fact that some of the Panhandle’s ghosts are not just relics of the past, but echoes of music, violence, healing, and heartbreak.
For a deep dive into the history of the Amarillo Exorcisms, the full story of the Ghostly Lady in White at The Nat, and the legend of Frenchy McCormick, be sure to listen to the dedicated episode on the You Two Scare Me Podcast.
