North Texas Skeptics
Texas Travel for Skeptics
This page was designed as a travel guide for those who wish to visit sites of skeptical
interest in Texas. Inclusion of any given site on this travel page does not imply that
the North Texas Skeptics endorse any claim or claims made in relation to the site by its
owners or representatives. Happy travels!
Click on a region in the Texas map to view destinations within that region.
(Regions defined by the Texas Department of Transportation)
No entries for this region yet. Please check back soon!
DALLAS
The Conspiracy Museum
Within walking distance of the JFK assassination site, this museum naturally focuses on
conspiracy theories connected to the shooting. The Consipracy Museum features film
presentations and guided tours around Dealey Plaza, The Sixth Floor Museum, and the
now-infamous grassy knoll. In addition to its JFK offerings, the museum also presents
conspiracy theories surrounding Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth and other enigmatic
personalities.
Address
110 S. Market Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Telephone
(214) 741-3040
Web Site
http://www.palladia.net/conspiracy
Hours of Operation
10:00am-6:00pm
Hotel Adolphus
This downtown Dallas landmark is supposedly haunted by several spirits, including the
ghost of a jilted bride who hanged herself at the Adolphus on her wedding day and a
poltergeist who rearranges beer bottles in the hotel bar's display case.
Address
1321 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Telephone
(214) 742-8200
Web Site
http://www.hoteladolphus.com
GLEN ROSE
Creation Evidence Museum
Owned and operated by young-earth creationist Carl Baugh, this museum
claims to feature evidence that humans and dinosaurs lived simultaneously.
Also on display is what Baugh claims is a fossilized human finger found
in Cretaceous rock strata.
Address
PO Box 309
Glen Rose, TX 76043-0309
Telephone
(254) 897-3200
Web Site
http://www.creationevidence.org
Hours of Operation
10:00am-4:00pm, Tuesday-Saturday
Admission
$2.00 ($5.00/family)
Driving Directions
[From Dallas] Take US Highway 67 southwest through Venus, Alvarado, Cleburne, and
Glen Rose. Turn right on FM 205 and watch for the billboard and museum
on the right just past the Paluxy bridge.
IRVING
Trinity Broadcasting Network
International Production Center
Address
2900 W. Airport Freeway
Irving, TX 75061
Telephone
(972) 986-0037
WAXAHACHIE
Catfish Plantation (Reopened - See Below)
Catfish Plantation is an 1895 Victorian home that has now been converted into a restaurant;
it is allegedly haunted by the ghosts of three past residents. Reports of mostly
harmless poltergeist activity have been documented at the restaurant, including slamming
doors and flying coffee cups.
Address
814 Water Street
Waxahachie, TX 75165
Telephone
(972) 937-9468
Web Site
http://www.catfishplantation.com
Hours of Operation
5:00pm-8:00pm Thursday, 5:00pm-9:00pm Friday, 11:30am-9:00pm Saturday, 11:30am-8:00pm Sunday
Driving Directions
[From Dallas] Take I-35E southbound for about 35 miles until you reach US Highway 287
Business (Spur 548), approximately 2 miles south of the intersection with US Highway 287
itself. Turn right on US 287 Business and head east into Waxahachie for about 2 miles.
Turn left on Gibson Street; you should see Catfish Plantation at the intersection of
Gibson and Water.
NOTICE
Catfish Plantation caught fire on June 29, 2003 and suffered heavy damage. Restoration
work is now completed, and the restaurant is once again open for business. The owners
report that the ghosts still haunt the property.
Church of God Evangelistic Association
A fundamentalist Anglo-Israelite church pastored by David J. Smith. Among other feats,
Smith briefly sided with the Republic of Texas separatist movement and denounced Martin
Luther King, Jr. as a "Communist" in recent years. His sermons often overflow with
conspiracy theories involving Communists, the UN, the Illuminati, extraterrestrials,
etc. His radio program, Newswatch Magazine, broadcasts his sermons on select AM and
shortwave outlets.
Address
908 Sycamore Street
Waxahachie, TX 75165
Telephone
(972) 937-2227
Web Site
http://www.newswatchmagazine.org
Services
Saturday mornings and afternoons. Write or call for further details.
Notes for Visitors
Modest clothing recommended.
CROCKETT
Therapon Institute
Home of "Belief Therapy," a form of religious behavioral therapy created by Baptist
minister Paul Carlin. Belief Therapy's asserts the existence of something called
Positional Identity Disorder (PID), defined as "Trying to become who you already are
'in Christ.' If someone is not a Christian, according to Belief Therapy, "he/she has
the most serious form of PID."
Address
1501 Loop 304 East
Crockett, TX 75835
Telephone
(281) 446-0090
Web Site
http://www.therapon.org
JEFFERSON
Excelsior House
Remember the Steven Spielberg movie Poltergeist? Spielberg was allegedly
inspired to write the script after being chased out of this Jefferson landmark by one of
the hotel's resident ghosts. The Excelsior House is the second oldest hotel in Texas,
and some would argue it rivals the Menger in San Antonio in ghost activity. If you want
to try and catch Spielberg's spectral visitor, ask to stay in the Jay Gould Room
($119 + tax per night).
Address
211 W. Austin
Jefferson, TX 75657
Telephone
(800) 490-7270
Web Site
http://www.theexcelsiorhouse.com
GALVESTON
Ashton Villa
Although many buildings in Galveston are reportedly haunted, Ashton Villa stands out among
its neighbors in terms of reputation. The ghost of Bettie Brown, libertine daughter of a
banking/railroad tycoon, has been credited with playing the piano, turning the ceiling fans
on and off, and rumpling the bedsheets. Some have deemed this mansion "the most haunted
building in America."
Address
2328 Broadway
Galveston, TX 77550-4642
Telephone
(409) 762-3933
Hours of Operation
10:00am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday
Admission
$5.00
SAN ANTONIO
Menger Hotel
The oldest hotel in Texas - and arguably the most haunted. Various presidents and
other celebrities have stayed here, and one of them, Col. Richard King of King Ranch,
died here. According to various accounts, King's ghost still haunts the Menger, as do
the spirits of chambermaids who engage in occasional poltergeist work at the hotel. Teddy
Roosevelt recruited some of his "Rough Riders" at the Menger bar, and some believe that
his ghost has returned to the hotel in search of more volunteers. Only 100 yards from the
Alamo, the lavish Menger Hotel is worth visiting if one can handle the ghosts - and the
hotel bill.
Address
204 Alamo Plaza
San Antonio, TX 78205
Telephone
(800) 345-9285
Web Site
http://www.historicmenger.com
San Antonio Ghost Children
A popular destination for local ghost hunters, this site is actually a railroad crossing
where people claim their cars have been pushed over the tracks by the ghosts of deceased
schoolchildren who were allegedly killed at the site decades ago.
Location
Intersection of Villamain Street and Shane Road, near Mission Espada.
AUSTIN
Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin
Home to theoretical physicist and paranormal researcher Harold Puthoff, whose interests
include research on remote viewing and experiments to tap into zero-point energy as a
possible energy resource for mankind.
Address
4030 Braker Lane West, Suite 300
Austin, TX 78759
Telephone
(512) 346-9947
BLANCO
Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Christ of the Hills Monastery - New Sarov
This Eastern Orthodox monastery features an icon of Mary holding the Christ child that
reputedly weeps tears of myrrh from Mary's eyes on a sporadic basis. The monks claim that
visitors have been cured of illnesses such as cancer and leukemia after being anointed
with the icon's tears.
Address
1 Monastery Road
PO Box 1049
Blanco, TX 78606-1049
Telephone
(830) 833-5363
Fax
(830) 833-5813
Visiting Hours
10:00am-6:00pm
(Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays except during June-August)
Driving Directions
[From San Antonio] Take US Highway 281 north for approximately 35 miles. Around six
miles away from Blanco, turn left on Park Road 23 and head west. Approximately two
miles west of Blanco River, turn right on Trainer-Wuest Road and head north 2.5 miles
to the monastery.
Notes for Visitors
Modest clothing recommended (no shorts). Women are discouraged from wearing trousers at
the monastery. Any conversations on the grounds should be muted. No smoking allowed.
MARFA
Marfa Lights
Also known as the "Ghost Lights of Marfa," this legendary phenomenon has been observed
for over 100 years. Although various scientific explanations have been offered for the
apparitions, the Marfa Lights remain a popular attraction.
Web Site
http://www.marfalights.com
Driving Directions
Take US Highway 67 east out of Marfa for approximately nine miles. A viewing area for
the Marfa Lights, complete with historical plaque, is located just off the highway.
