Battleship Texas

The only surviving naval ship to have served in both World Wars, USS Texas was commissioned in 1914 and saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. The vessel played a major role in D-Day, shelling Omaha Beach and Point du Hoc. After decades at La Porte, the ship moved to Galveston in 2022 for restoration. The Battleship Texas has been featured on Syfy's Ghost Hunters.

The USS Battleship Texas was commissioned in March 1914, becoming the most powerful weapon in the world at the time. Launched in 1912, she served in both World War I and World War II, providing gunfire support on D-Day and at the landings on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In 1948, she became the first battleship memorial museum in the United States, now moored at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.

It is often said that paranormal energy attaches itself to places with violent history, and when that history includes honored tours of duty in two world wars, it comes as little surprise that the Texas has accumulated numerous ghost stories.

The ship's documented wartime casualties include Helmsman Chris Christiansen, the only known combat fatality, who was struck by a German shell on June 25, 1944, just outside Cherbourg. An Army Ranger died on the Texas's operating table in the days following D-Day. Two sailors fell overboard during World War I.

Visitors and staff report voices of the past echoing through the ship's halls. Ghostly wisps are commonly seen drifting across the decks. The most frequently encountered apparition is a red-headed sailor in a white sailor's suit—a uniform style no longer in use. He is most often spotted on the various decks, sometimes standing near a ladder with a pleasant smile on his face, as if he hasn't a care in the world.

People have heard unusual whispering and chattering around the vessel, and some witnesses describe seeing vapor-like anomalies with no explanation. Paranormal group SPIRE conducted an investigation, capturing strange noises including what sounds like someone saying "yes."

In recent years, Haunted Rooms America became the first company to run overnight ghost hunts on the historic ship, stating: "There have been rumors of hauntings for decades, so we're looking forward to hopefully proving those rumors correct." The Battleship Texas is now considered one of the most haunted locations in Texas.