Most Haunted Places in Amarillo, TX: Locals Share Chilling Tales

Since we are entering the spooky season, it's time to look at some of Amarillo's spookiest ghost stories: gates to hell, disappearing gas stations, murderous janitors. The thing about Amarillo is that it doesn't lack creepy stories and strange occurrences in our city.

We asked you to tell us the spookiest and creepiest tales of strange things that have happened in the Yellow City. Some we knew about; others we didn't, but here's your take.

Here are the Top 6 Creepy Stories of Amarillo.

Is Old Main at West Texas A&M Haunted?

6. Old Main at WT

Many people claim that buildings across WT are haunted, like the empty dorm Cousins Hall or the former Stafford Hall that was torn down in 2019. Others say Old Main has its own share of ghosts.

Matt P. - "Old Main at the WT campus. On certain nights, darkened classrooms on the 3rd floor come alive with the sounds of desks moving around, and the basement level has figures that vanish around corners, leaving you wondering if they were really there. Some say it's Georgia O'Keeffe's ghost in the building!"

Is There a Ghost Gas Station on I-40?

5. The Ghost Gas Station on I-40

a gas station at night with no people around — Photo by Hans Eiskonen on Unsplash

This is a new tale to us, but apparently there is a ghost gas station that appears to certain travelers going west on I-40.

Geary K. - “The gas station off I40, West of Amarillo. Legend says it appears while traveling and, tired, you can stop and freshen up, but if you ever try to find it again... It's not there.”

Larry H. - “The gas station off of I-40 is the one I stopped at one day to get gas, but the gas pump wouldn’t work. I walked in the store, and no one was there, but when I was coming back from my destination, I tried to find the store, and I never came across it again. Very scary.”

4. Garvey Grain Elevators

The grain elevators opened in Amarillo in 1920 as a flour mill. It was purchased by General Mills in 1951 and shut down in the early 1960s. It was then that Garvey Elevators Corporation purchased the land. The property is over 100 years old, so you can see why it is presumed haunted. In 2011, a young woman fell to her death while exploring the Garvey.

Aug C. - “Garvey Grain Elevators, when [a woman] fell to her death around 80 ft. Supposedly, her body was dismembered on the way down. Then there is the 'clown' laughter in there. They sealed it up, but some still fear that place. I've stayed at many 'haunted' farms around the area with my photography equipment at night. I've really never had anything happen other than rattlesnakes or coyotes.”

Kelsey M. - “Went with friends as a teenager and it was definitely haunted. The hair stood up on my body the entire time we were there. Lots of people would fall through the hole in the floor and die, apparently, but not sure how many were confirmed. After we left, we got news days later that a girl with my name fell through that hole and died or something. My memories are vague, so I apologize if some of it isn't 100% accurate!”

What Are the Seven Gates of Hell in Amarillo?

3. The Seven Gates of Hell

a close-up of a fire — Photo by Marino Linic on Unsplash

This tale is one that spans the world. It seems that many towns have their own version. If you make it through all seven gates, you'll meet the devil himself. Where are the Seven Gates of Hell in Amarillo? Some say 24th and Grand, while others claim North Western and an old set of train tracks.

Jaks Paranormal Investigators - "7 Gates has to be one of the most interesting legends of all time. From reported abductions to human sacrifices. 7 Gates touches all the right creepy things."

Keisha L. - “The legend says that somewhere outside Amarillo lies a series of seven gates. Pass through each one after dark, and with every gate, you're said to get closer to the entrance of Hell itself. According to the stories, no one has ever made it through all seven gates and returned to tell the tale.”

Is Old St. Anthony's Hospital Haunted?

2. St. Anthony's Hospital

Bret C. - “The old St. Anthony’s Hospital had a long hallway that ran under the bottom to the morgue. The nurses said that the doors would just open for no reason, and it meant somebody had just died. Right after that, the staff would show up there with the body. It happened all the time. The doors knew when somebody died.”

Paige B. - “I met up with her as she was getting off work one evening, and I (didn’t realize it at the time) saw a full-bodied apparition outside the morgue doors. A man in his late 20s with dark hair, wearing a hospital gown, looked at me and nodded his head as if to say hello, and then the door opened, and he walked in.”

TJ S. - “I was down there by myself over a year ago when it was still empty, and I didn't sense a thing. I even checked out the morgue room and the dead tables. Didn't feel spooky.”

Jason R. - “I worked as security there in 2005. There was a basketball in that hallway that always made its way to the elevator. No matter where I took that ball, if it was left in the basement, it would make its way back to the elevator before I made my next round.”

Lindsy L. - “I'm living there now. This place is beautiful and creepy.”

Brandon C. - “If you go to the old St. Anthony’s at night around the back of the building, there’s always one light that’s on in a window, but that building has absolutely no power, but it always somehow comes on.”

Fermin W. - “Saint Anthony's Hospital on the Blvd before they became BSA, there's a lot of history behind the building, and I used to work there when it was abandoned; it's definitely haunted!! And I heard so many stories about it while I was there. I even went into the old psych ward, where they had the old padded rooms and rings on the floors to tie down the psych patients. There was a story about a priest and a nun. I heard things while I worked there, and it was so creepy at night.”

Why Is Summit Elementary Rumored to Be Haunted?

1. Summit Elementary School

Summit Elementary School, one of the oldest schools in Amarillo, closed for years, is rumored to be extremely haunted. Here are some of the ghostly tales of this long-forgotten school:

The Janitor’s Revenge – Rumor has it a bitter janitor who despised his job and the children haunts the building and torments anyone who enters.
The Boiler Room Mark – The boiler room stays caked in dust, no matter how many times it is cleaned. It is believed that if you draw a stick figure on the floor, it will disappear before your eyes.
The Sloshing Mop – Late at night, the sound of a mop swishing echoes through the halls, but no one is there, and there aren't any signs of a mop.
The Forbidden Door – Knock on the front door, and you'll hear a big boom that echoes through the air. It's like a warning to stay away. There is a reason this door remains locked.
The Endless Swing – No matter the weather, one lonely swing never stops moving. Stop the swing and walk away, and you’ll hear it creak back to life on its own.

Aimee R. - "I saw playground equipment move all by itself on a still night. I heard children laughing too, but no one was there. I was 18 then; I am 47 now and have never been back there."

Rocky R. - “Summit Elementary. We actually got inside with a key left on the grounds, likely by mistake. We heard that it shut down because of a janitor going insane and killing multiple children, and another story was that a small group of children died from a smokestack. I'm not sure how that process happened. But I did find out that it was the building the school district was keeping office equipment stocked up in within a year or two after we had been messing around there. When we had used the key to get inside, alarms started going off by the time we were five steps in, so we didn't see hardly anything. It was dark.”

Michale S. - “Me and some buddies heard the same janitor rumors and went late at night to check out the school. All the doors and windows were boarded off. There were a few pieces of broken into areas where you could shine a flashlight and see a bunch of empty desks stacked on each other. The whole vibe was for sure creepy. The rumor was that the playground equipment would move without the wind involved. This was around 2004/05.”

These are some of the spookiest stories in Amarillo. What's your favorite Yellow City scary story?

A Look Inside the Abandoned St. Anthony's Hospital in Amarillo, Texas

The old St. Anthony's hospital in Amarillo, Texas has sat abandoned--but not forgotten--since the early 2000s. The 100-year-old structure still cuts an imposing and impressive figure against the Amarillo skyline. The building serves as a cornerstone memory for many Amarillo natives--the place where life begun (or came to an end).

But for decades, the old St. Anthony's hospital has remained under careful surveillance, and not many know what now lies within. In July 2021, local artist and photographer, Ian Watson, was granted full access to the abandoned hospital--his photos offer an intimate and stark look at the legendary landmark of St. Anthony's as it stands now.

Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark

11 Haunted Urban Legends and Ghost Stories of Amarillo

Explore Amarillo’s most chilling ghost stories and eerie urban legends. From haunted schools to abandoned hospitals, uncover the spooky side of the Yellow City and experience firsthand accounts that keep locals whispering.

Gallery Credit: Lori Crofford