Things to Do

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost: Must-Do New Braunfels Ghost Tours

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Calling all history buffs with a flair for the paranormal: New Braunfels has a tour of its sometimes-checkered past and definitely haunted downtown area and this is the perfect time of the year to do it. New Braunfels Ghost Tours is a 90-minute walking tour of downtown New Braunfels. During the tour, you’ll learn about the fascinating history of this town; a town whose written history dates back to 1845 but was inhabited by Native Americans prior to that – and quite possibly still is.

Teacher by Day, Ghost-Enthusiast by Night

Ghost hosts

Photo: Facebook/nbghosttours

New Braunfels Ghost Tours were started almost four years ago by an elementary teacher, Anita Carrera, as a way to earn a little extra money during the summer. Well, Carrera’s informative and highly entertaining tours of downtown New Braunfels were such a hit with tourists and locals alike, that the company has expanded to include weekend tours throughout the year. As Carrera says, the tours are good for downtown businesses, because (contrary to popular belief) the rumor of your business being haunted isn’t always a bad thing – publicity is publicity – and anything that gets people interested in your business is good.

New Braunfels’ Spirits Have Many Stories to Tell

ghost tour

Photo: Facebook/nbghosttours

As Carrera’s tours have grown in popularity, so have the ghost tales that she tells. When the business first started, Carrera was relying heavily on written history and hearsay about which places in downtown New Braunfels were haunted. But, as word spread about what she was doing, more people came out of the woodwork (so-to-speak!) to tell their own, personal tales of encounters with the spirits in the very places where Carrera was guiding her patrons. From bartenders at local saloons who regularly witness unattended beer bottles go sliding across the bar, to bakery owners who hear children’s laughter in the wee hours of the morning, most of the buildings in downtown New Braunfels have a story to tell.

I’m Here for the Boos

Pub crawl

Photo: Facebook/nbghosttours

Once a month, Carrera and her “ghost host,” fellow elementary teacher, Kathryn Chapman, host a Haunted Pub Crawl. During the pub crawl, you’ll visit five haunted bars in downtown New Braunfels and perhaps have a drink with a spirit or two. The pub crawls have proven to be extraordinarily successful for Carrera. As opposed to the 90-minute walking tour, the pub crawl lasts three hours and it’s very common for visitors of the pub crawl to witness something mysterious on these tours.

We won’t spoil the fun and tell you all of the tales of ghostly apparitions, jilted brides, and angry district clerks who still visit many of the buildings in downtown New Braunfels – you’ve got to take the tour yourself to hear those stories. But one thing is for certain: A town with as much history as New Braunfels is bound to have some stories to tell…some from the grave. To learn more about New Braunfels Ghost Tours, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.