7 Haunted Hot Spots You Can Visit Found In Downtown El Paso

Love to get your spook on? Then you can't go wrong with these haunted hot spots open to the public in downtown El Paso.

The Sun City should be known as one of the most haunted cities in America – there is so much activity across the city, including in the heart of downtown El Paso.

Welcome to another edition of Haunted El Paso - the downtown edition.

Plaza Theatre

The 91-year old Plaza Theatre is one likely place to come across a ghostly apparition. I once visited the theatre for a movie screening and arrived early and was sitting by myself when I felt something caress the back of my head and hair. Soon after that spine-tingling moment was when I learned that the Plaza Theatre is said to be haunted by a man in uniform who fell off the second floor back in the 1940s; some say they have seen this man sitting on the mezzanine smoking a cigarette near the staircase.

On Friday, October 13, 2016, one instance occurred when the band Portugal The Man took the stage at the Plaza Theatre. Once the stage curtain opened and the smoke machines kicked on, the band began to play only to have the curtain come back down on them while the building's alarm blared in the background. While this continued for more than 5 minutes, the staff had no idea why these systems went out of control. The show eventually went on without a hitch, but once the concert was over, we noticed that the building alarm at the Paso del Norte Hotel across the street was also activated. The hotel, by the way, was vacant as it was going through a renovation.

Paso del Norte Hotel

Formerly the Camino Real Hotel, the newly renovated hotel is also the sight of many strange and inexplicable occurrences. It's also steeped in history that dates back to the days of the Mexican Revolution. Staff and guests have reported seeing ghosts roam the hallways, the basement, and certain rooms at the hotel. The 10th floor also sees a lot of activity, especially in the Pancho Villa room, where lights are said to flicker whenever you mention his name. Room 727 also sees a lot of action where a ghost is said to wake sleeping patrons.

Paso del Norte Paranormal Society Museum / Wigwam Saloon

The original Wigwam Saloon sits across the street from the Paso del Norte Hotel, today split in two, with the other half housing the Paso del Norte Paranormal Society Museum. This building is so haunted that video and regular security footage have captured knocks, bangs, and footsteps when no one is in the building. Ghost hunters and locals also have seen a lady in white that goes by the name of Lily, and she is an active entity who seems to interact with people, as can be seen in the video below, where she slaps the phone out of a ghost hunter.

Dating back to the 1880s, the Wigwam Saloon used to be one of the top five saloons of the Old West and is now the last saloon standing.

Next door sits the non-profit organization Paso Del Norte Paranormal Society which uses its space as a museum providing history and ghost tours year-round for the benefit of preserving our city's history with plans to renovate the Wigwam Saloon. The museum holds many old artifacts, including housing an odd and eerie-looking doll locked in a lead box given to the museum by Dave's Pawn Shop for safekeeping because it was that creepy.

Dave's Pawn Shop

One of the oldest buildings in town is currently home to Dave's Pawnshop, where El Pasoans and tourists alike will find all sorts of oddities and macabre items, including that eerie doll that was locked in a lead box (reliquary). The story has it that someone came into Dave's Pawn Shop saying that they had this shrine in the family for years, but the key to unlocking it was lost, and they had no idea what was inside.

Soon after, the pawnshop allegedly bought the shrine for six figures. Once opened, the haunted box contained an impish hand-sewn doll complete with a tail and wings inside. The item was said to be so creepy that Dave's Pawn Shop instead gave it up to the fine folks at the Paranormal Society for safekeeping. Even though the handmade doll has since relocated around the block, there are still plenty of ghostly vibes visitors will encounter at Dave's Pawn Shop.

The Reagan

The Reagan's new bar is next door to the confirmed haunted De Soto Hotel (now closed). The bar also sees much paranormal activity on its premises, including the apparition of a doctor who once held his practice in the basement.

Other encounters, including the cries of a child while crew members working on the renovations, claim to have seen a shadow lurking around the corners of the place.

El Paso Library

The El Paso Library, another haunted downtown hot spot, is rumored to be sitting on top of a burial ground. I love libraries, and growing up just a few blocks away; I would spend my summers at the public library during my teenage years. I remember constantly feeling like I was watched or, worse, saw shadows and whispers when no one else was around but the librarian. Other stories include the apparition of a woman spotted in the lower level of the library and the ghost of a soldier. The library's children's section is also reportedly haunted by a child where books and papers randomly fly off shelves and tables.

Downtown's Shadow Man

These and many more locations seem to be hot spots of paranormal activity as the whole of downtown seems to be haunted. Over the last few years, locals and police officers have claimed to see a shadow man bounce all over the downtown area. Officers have also chased down a shadow man on foot and in cruisers only to have the ghostly dark figure disappear and then seen reappear, hopping building tops across downtown El Paso.

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As I said, El Paso is one of the most haunted cities around; all you have to do is step out and visit any one of these paranormal hot spots making downtown one of the most Haunted El Paso locations on the borderland.

Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to Halloween as the online series Haunted El Paso brings you the most haunted locations and stories from El Paso and the surrounding area.