With a town founded in 1845 and spooky season upon us, New Braunfels’ streets are whispering secrets from the past. Some say it’s history, others say it’s haunted, but either way, the stories are impossible to ignore.
For more than a decade, New Braunfels Ghost Tours has guided visitors and locals alike through downtown’s dimly lit streets, sharing eerie tales of mystery, tragedy and the occasional friendly ghost, with stops at various downtown landmarks. When New Braunfels teacher Anita Carrera isn’t in the classroom, she’s leading visitors through spooky tours, a passion project she started in 2013 that’s become a local favorite.
“I just thought it was really neat to hear the history of a city and kind of learn a little bit about it,” Carrera said. “Of course, the spookiness is always fun, but I find that most ghost tours are generally just a good lesson in history.”
The idea sparked after a disappointing ghost tour in San Antonio that skipped over the Alamo entirely. With her background as an educator, Carrera began digging through local archives and old library books, uncovering mysteries buried in the city’s past.
“As a teacher, I knew some of the history, but it was neat to find things that had just been kind of swept under or forgotten,” she said.
Her research led her to collaborate with downtown businesses, some of which were initially hesitant to be labeled “haunted.”
Ghost tour attendees hear chilling stories and haunted history of New Braunfels. (Courtesy of New Braunfels Ghost Tours)
“One of the places we go to is the Prince Solms Inn,” she said. “The owner at the time told me, ‘I’ve managed this place since I was a child and I’ve never seen any ghosts.’ But over time, guests would come back with stories of their own.”
Other downtown stops include the Faust Hotel, known for its long history and tales of past guests, and the Coffee Haus, where baristas occasionally share their own spooky experiences with patrons.
“They’re friendly places,” Carrera said. “Some scary things have happened, but most of the ghosts in New Braunfels are pretty friendly, and so are the people who share their stories.”
What started as a summer experiment has since grown into a year-round attraction. Carrera said it was mostly tourists in the beginning, but more and more locals started showing up for “fun and scary” things to do during October.
Among the haunted highlights, Carrera points to the old City Hall building, a property where businesses seem cursed with constant turnover.
“It’s been a bistro, a comedy club, you name it, but they just don’t last,” she said. “Locals swear it’s haunted.”
She once hosted a popular Haunted Pub Crawl, which took guests through bars like the Phoenix Saloon as well as the Prince Solms Inn and Faust Hotel. The pub crawls paused during COVID-19 but remain popular for private events.
“We still do a version of it,” she said. “It’s not three hours anymore, but I’d love to bring it back someday.”
Ghost tour attendees hear chilling stories and haunted history of New Braunfels. (Courtesy of New Braunfels Ghost Tours)
Looking ahead to her retirement in three years, Carrera is exploring potential expansions for the ghost tours, including a tasting-and-history tour featuring local restaurants and a cemetery tour that could offer a unique nighttime experience while supporting maintenance efforts.
After more than a decade of ghost tours, Carrera said what keeps her going is the chance to preserve the city’s history, and a few harmless hauntings. New Braunfels Ghost Tours typically run Friday through Sunday evenings, with expanded hours in summer and October. Each tour lasts about 90 minutes and begins downtown at 8 p.m. Bookings can be made online on New Braunfels Ghost Tours website.
This article originally published at One of Texas’ most haunted cities now offers ghost tours.
