CONTRIBUTING WRITER – SEBASTIAN AGUILAR
For many, the best time of year is always the holidays. However, there is one holiday that stands out from the rest: Halloween! Every-day citizens dress up as their favorite monsters, collect free candy, participate in spooky activities, and have ghoulish fun. Legend has it that Halloween was the one day of the year when ghosts could appear and enter the homes of the living. Nowadays, belief in spirits has faltered. More people are refusing to believe in ghosts. However, what if ghosts exist and are in the same city that St. Mary’s students live and learn in?
San Antonio has a deep history. When someone mentions San Antonio, one will often think of the Alamo, the missions, the Spurs, or even the St. Mary’s Rattlers. However, they rarely mention ghosts. This might be because they are skeptical or because they would prefer not to scare visitors. Regardless, San Antonio has long been thought of as one of the most haunted cities in Texas. Many historical spaces within San Antonio are notoriously thought of as haunted and share a popular ghost story that you might have heard of. Readers are free to visit these spots at their own discretion, but should be warned that they can find themselves not liking what they find.
The first place of note is a subject of many supposed paranormal encounters: the Majestic Theater. Historically, the Majestic Theater has been home to performing arts events and is considered a must-see attraction for the unacquainted. Although the theater is regarded as one of the city’s staples, it is well known to the community that it has had its fair share of paranormal activities. Numerous workers have claimed seeing apparitions that disappear at random times in random places, such as the seats and the stage of the theater. People who visit the theater late at night have testified that they felt like they were being watched, and those who entered the theater when it was supposed to be empty reported seeing ghosts walking around the area and moving equipment.
The following supposed haunted location is the Emily Morgan Hotel. Various hotels around the downtown area are said to be haunted, though this particular Alamo Plaza hotel has left its unique mark on the city. The Emily Morgan Hotel has had many ghost stories shared throughout the years. Former workers have stated that different rooms prepared for guests would randomly be trashed or disorganized without anyone entering. Other workers claim receiving emergency calls from random rooms and elevators, but when they reached the said room or elevator, it would be empty. The hotel used to be a hospital, and many guests c o m p l a i n e d about loud unexplained noises happening throughout the night. Guests leaving their rooms late at night have also reported seeing ghost-like figures in old clothes lurking around the hallways. The most well-known ghost-like figure is a woman in white who is rumored to