Haunted hotel guide · San Antonio, Texas
The Haunted Menger Hotel, San Antonio: Ghosts, Rooms and History
Open since 1859 beside the Alamo and home to as many as 32 reported spirits, the Menger is the hotel most often called the most haunted in Texas.
Built in 1859, just 23 years after the Battle of the Alamo, the Menger is the oldest operating hotel in San Antonio and the hotel most often called the most haunted in Texas. As many as 32 different spirits have been claimed here over the years, from a murdered chambermaid to a president.
Menger Hotel at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205, next to the Alamo
- Opened 1859
- Booking the haunted room The King Ranch Signature Suite, where Captain King died, can be booked on the hotel's own website. The hotel also sells a 'Room with a Boo' package that includes tickets for a local ghost tour.
- Most haunted spots the Menger Bar, the King Ranch Suite, the corridors of the original 1859 wing
- Best-known ghosts Sallie White, Captain Richard King, Teddy Roosevelt
- Good to know the Alamo is across the plaza, so this is the best base for a haunted weekend in San Antonio
The ghosts of the Menger Hotel
Sallie White, the chambermaid
The ghost guests are most likely to meet is Sallie White. She worked at the Menger as a chambermaid and was shot by her husband on March 28, 1876, dying of her wounds two days later. The hotel paid for her coffin and grave, and the entry is still in its records. Guests and staff describe a woman in a long gray skirt with a bandana tied over her hair, carrying an armful of fresh towels along the corridors at night, as if she is still finishing her shift. She is usually reported in the older part of the hotel, and some say on the third floor.
Captain Richard King
Richard King, founder of the vast King Ranch in South Texas, kept a private suite at the Menger. When his doctors told him he was dying, he moved in, wrote his will and said his goodbyes, and he died at the hotel in April 1885. His funeral was held in the hotel’s parlor. The room is now the King Ranch Suite, and his figure is said to walk straight into it through the wall, at the spot where the door stood before the suite was remodeled.
Teddy Roosevelt in the Menger Bar
The Menger Bar, opened in 1887 as a replica of the House of Lords pub in London, is where Theodore Roosevelt recruited cowboys for his Rough Riders before the Spanish-American War in 1898. Staff and visitors have reported a man in period clothes at the bar who disappears when they look again, and some are convinced it is Roosevelt himself.
The woman in blue and the man in buckskin
In the original lobby, a staff member once saw a woman in an old-fashioned blue dress sitting and knitting. Asked if she needed anything, she answered with a stern “No” and vanished. In one guest room, a guest stepped out of the shower to see a man in a buckskin jacket and gray trousers arguing with someone they couldn’t see, asking three times “Are you going to stay or are you going to go?” before he faded away.
The Alamo next door
The Menger stands beside the Alamo, and some of its reports are put down to the battle: heavy footsteps, the sight of old military boots, and kitchen utensils moved from one place to another. Almost every account describes the Menger’s ghosts as harmless; the worst most guests suffer is a fright.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- The King Ranch Suite: Captain King’s own suite and the room most associated with him.
- The original 1859 wing: the corridors where Sallie White is seen. Ask for a room in the historic building rather than the newer tower.
- The Menger Bar: open to everyone, so you can visit even if you are staying elsewhere.
- The original lobby: where the woman in blue was seen knitting.
History of the Menger Hotel
German immigrant William Menger ran a successful brewery on Alamo Plaza, and in 1859 he opened a hotel beside it, designed by architect John Fries. It quickly became the finest hotel west of the Mississippi, and after the railroad arrived in 1877 it was the place to stay in San Antonio. Its guest list includes Sam Houston, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Presidents McKinley, Taft, Theodore Roosevelt and Eisenhower, Babe Ruth and Mae West.
The hotel was enlarged several times, including a major addition in 1909, and was renovated after struggling during the Great Depression. It became part of the Alamo Plaza Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, and its wrought-iron balconies, Victorian lobby and dark-wood bar still look much as they did a century ago.
In August 2025 the Texas General Land Office, which runs the Alamo, bought the Menger and the neighboring Crockett Hotel with its partners Rockbridge and the Alamo Trust, so the hotel is now part of the state’s plans for Alamo Plaza.
Tips for a haunted stay at the Menger
- Book a room in the original building and mention you are interested in its history when you check in.
- Have a drink in the Menger Bar in the evening, when it is quietest.
- Walk Alamo Plaza after dark. The Crockett Hotel, Hotel Gibbs and the Emily Morgan are all within a few minutes’ walk.
- October is the busiest month. Book early, or visit in winter for quieter corridors and better rates.
Want to investigate, not just sleep?
Sleeping in a haunted hotel is one thing. Investigating one after dark is another. On a Haunted Rooms ghost hunt our team takes you through the building with professional ghost hunting equipment, runs EVP sessions and lets you explore on your own during free roam.
- Historic Wilson County Jailhouse Ghost Hunt, Floresville: a short drive south of San Antonio.
- Presidio La BahÃa Ghost Hunt, Goliad: the Texas Revolution fort linked to the Alamo story.
More haunted hotels nearby
Stayed in one of these hotels? Tell us what happened
We collect first-hand accounts from guests and add the best ones to our guides, with your first name and the date of your stay. We read every story before it’s published.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Menger Hotel really haunted?
It has the strongest haunted reputation of any hotel in Texas, with as many as 32 spirits reported since 1859. Whether you believe it or not, the stories are well documented and the hotel’s history is real.
What is the most haunted room at the Menger Hotel?
The King Ranch Suite, where cattle baron Richard King died in 1885. The corridors of the original 1859 wing, where chambermaid Sallie White is seen, are the other hotspot.
Who is the ghost of Sallie White?
Sallie White was a chambermaid at the Menger who was shot by her husband in March 1876 and died two days later. The hotel paid for her funeral, and she is the ghost most often reported there.
Can you visit the Menger Bar without staying at the hotel?
Yes. The Menger Bar is open to the public, so you can have a drink where Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders even if you are staying somewhere else.
Sources
Get new haunted hotel guides by email
New guides, haunted hotel picks and ghost hunt dates near you. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
About the authors
The Haunted Rooms Team runs public ghost hunts and overnight investigations at historic venues across the United States. We research every hotel in our guides using hotel histories, local archives, news coverage and the accounts of guests and staff, and we review each guide regularly so you are not booking a hotel that has closed or changed its name. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
Booking links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.