Grand Galvez Hotel in Galveston Draws Tourists for Ghost Walks

The Grand Galvez hotel in Galveston, Texas, has become a destination for visitors interested in local paranormal history.

The property, built in 1911 to restore Galveston's reputation after the 1900 hurricane, stands on the city's seawall. The hotel is known locally as the Queen of the Gulf.

Historic Galveston Ghost Tours now include the hotel in their itineraries. Melissa Hall, who serves as the Ghostess of the Galvez, said she has observed many spirits within the building. She noted that because the concentration of spirits is high, guests should expect encounters rather than view them as rare events.

Tour guides and hotel staff have identified several specific presences. Blake Magie, a guide for the Historic Galveston Ghost Tours, said the group frequently sees nuns. He described the nuns as protectors of the hotel. Magie noted that the Great Storm of 1900 killed more than 6,000 residents, including ten nuns and 90 children from St. Mary's Orphanage.

Hall said the children are often described as happy rather than distressed. She reported that guests sometimes hear giggling in the hallways after knocking sounds at their doors in the early morning, only to find no one there when they investigate.

Another well-known resident is Mr. Stanley, a former hotel employee who died in 1982 at the age of 72. Hall said Stanley makes his presence known to guests. She cited instances where he has appeared in guest photographs without being invited.

The most famous legend involves Audra, referred to as the Lovelorn Lady, who is associated with room 501. Legend states that Audra was a 25-year-old bride-to-be in the mid-1950s. Her fiancé was a mariner who left Galveston by ship. After a storm, Audra was told her fiancé had drowned. She hanged herself on the hotel rooftop, unaware that her fiancé had survived. Guests have reported feeling a drop in air pressure in room 501, seeing televisions turn on by themselves, and observing the edge of the bed lower as if someone were sitting on it.

Information about the Historic Galveston Ghost Tours is available on the organization's website.