Stewart Mansion & the Island's Abandoned Hauntings

Away from downtown, the west end of Galveston Island stretches toward a landscape older and lonelier than the Strand — the ground of the Karankawa, of the pirate Jean Lafitte's short-lived colony, and of a grand mansion that fell into decades of ruin. This drive follows that thread to Stewart Mansion, one of the most legend-soaked abandoned buildings in Texas, and to the deep island history around it. As always on our haunted tours, we separate the two: the buildings and the history are documented and real, while the ghost stories are folklore, plainly labeled, and where a legend is lurid and false we say so outright. Some stops are drive-by views of private or restored property, so admire from the road and do not trespass. Come for the atmosphere of the wild west end, and leave with the true story underneath the tales.