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Are there ghosts in Downtown El Paso?

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In a city that is as old and rugged as El Paso, there's bound to be some haunted tales and sightings, right?  So why not take a ghost walk through the city and see if I get spooked?

(Editor's Note: This tour was self-funded, and the experiences shared are based solely on what I personally encountered.)

My ghost tour started at San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso.

During a recent stay in El Paso, I decided to book a ghost tour with Sun City Ghosts and US Ghost Adventures.  On a Wednesday evening in early March 2026, I headed from my hotel to San Jacinto Plaza, where I met my guide for the evening.  I was the only person to book the tour, so it definitely had a personalized touch.

The tour was a standard one-hour walk through Downtown El Paso, highlighting some of the more well-known area ghost stories.  Our first stop was near the El Paso Library.  Here, in 1904, the library was built on the former site of a military cemetery.  The graves were exhumed; however, there are stories of hauntings throughout the building, including the children's section, lower levels, and basement.

El Paso's Plaza Theatre - Home of the "Smoking Man"

The Plaza Theatre in El Paso is known for the "Smoking Man."  The spirit has been sighted on one of the balconies, dressed in a formal tuxedo.  He's known to say, "We all have our time to die," before jumping head-first from the balcony to the stage below.

Next, a visit to the Hotel Paso del Norte, possibly the most famous hotel in El Paso.  The hotel, which has hosted numerous well-known names such as Pancho Villa, former US Presidents, actors and musicians, and athletes, has countless ghost stories.

The Hotel Paso del Norte dates to 1912, and in 1914 was a popular viewing spot of gunfights during the Mexican Revolution.

A devastated bride - who was allegedly left at the altar - roams the many corridors of the hotel.  It is said that she threw herself from the hotel to her death.  She is most frequently found on the 10th floor or in the basement.

Room 727 is known for many different sightings and frights.  It is also the most requested room in the hotel.  

Some of the well-known guests of the Hotel Paso del Norte.

What is nice is that we are allowed to visit the hotel's lobby and see some of the beauty of this over 100-year-old hotel.  The bar is also open to the public.

From the hotel, we walked towards some of the more haunted areas of El Paso.  Walking down East San Antonio Street past the old Wigwam Saloon, there is a spooky vibe.  Maybe it was the desolate street and some of the abandoned storefronts and buildings, or that at one of the locations my guide said he once experienced a sighting, which made East San Antonio Street spooky.

The Wigwam Museum.  It is also home to another El Paso Ghost Tour company.

Now called the Wigwam Museum, the old saloon was frequented by John Wesley Hardin.  Hardin was a well-known Texas outlaw who briefly was a co-owner of the saloon in 1895.  In August 1895, Hardin, after closing out his tab at the Wigwam, headed down the street to the Acme Saloon.  Here, Hardin was murdered, via a shot to the back of the head, by John Henry Selman.  A few months later, Selman's life ended in a gunfight not far from where he killed Hardin.

My guide said he experienced a ghost sighting at this location.  While giving a tour, he felt a presence behind him.

The Wigwam is known for a ghost named "Lilly."  The two-story building would be home to the saloon on the first floor and a brothel on the second.  Lilly has been sighted wearing all-white and has been known to interact with unsuspecting visitors.

Finally, we reached the site of the former De Soto Hotel.  The former hotel, which was severely damaged by fire in 2022, is widely considered El Paso's most haunted site.  The former hotel, which in its later years was frequented by vagrants, has a mix of friendly and fearsome spirits, ranging from "Sara," who roamed the hotel's upper floors and was fond of female visitors, to more troublesome spirits found near the basement. 

The De Soto Hotel in February 2019, three years before the fire that would destroy the building.  The De Soto first opened in 1905 and is considered one of El Paso's most haunted locations. (Adam Prince)

Visitors to the basement of the De Soto have described being scratched and clawed by unknown forces.  Some have been reported to have exited with long scratches on their arms or legs that even drew blood.  Rumors of past satanic worship by a former resident known as "Devil Dave," who was said to have performed demonic rituals in the hotel's basement.

I always enjoy a good ghost tour.  While I am not sure of the haunts and sightings, they are a great way to learn the history and color of a city.  I came away from the El Paso Ghost Tour more connected to the city.

All photos taken by the post author - March 4, 2026 - unless otherwise noted.

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