Galveston, Texas – Since opening in 1911, the Grand Galvez Hotel has been a landmark on the city’s seawall. Today the historic property adds a new attraction: guided ghost tours that blend the hotel’s architectural charm with the town’s dramatic past.

History and tragedy

The hotel was built to restore Galveston’s reputation after the devastating 1900 hurricane, which claimed more than 6,000 lives. Among the victims were ten nuns and 90 children from St. Mary’s Orphanage, a loss still remembered by local families.

Tour guides share the stories

Historic Galveston Ghost Tour guide Blake Magie describes the experience as both entertaining and reverent. “We get quite a few nun sightings here at the Galvez, and we honestly view them as our protectors,” he says.

Melissa Hall, known locally as the “Ghostess of the Galvez,” leads many of the tours. She recounts hearing numerous spirits throughout the building. “Being in a place where they are so concentrated, it’s not a matter of if – it’s just a matter of when,” Hall explains.

Hall highlights several recurring apparitions:

• The Lovelorn Lady – identified as Audra, a 25‑year‑old bride‑to‑be from the mid‑1950s who waited in room 501 for a fiancé lost at sea. After a storm, she was mistakenly told he perished and tragically took her own life on the rooftop. She is said to still appear in room 501.
• Mr. Stanley – a former employee who died in 1982 at age 72. Tour participants often notice his presence, with Hall noting that he “photo‑bombs” guests and seems to enjoy the company.
• Children from the orphanage – Hall says they are “happy” and may knock on doors at 2 a.m., giggling down the hall when no one is seen.

What visitors experience

Guests report subtle phenomena such as a sudden drop in pressure, televisions turning on by themselves, or the edge of a bed appearing to lower as if someone is sitting. “We’ve had guests tell us they would feel the low pressure drop in the room, and the TV would come on, and they would see the edge of the bed lower as if someone was sitting on it,” Magie recounts.

Supporting local heritage

The tours are part of the Historic Galveston Ghost Tours program, which aims to preserve and share the city’s unique stories while encouraging tourism. Information about upcoming tours, dates, and pricing is available on the organization’s website.

By combining history, architecture, and folklore, the Grand Galvez ghost tours offer residents and visitors alike a chance to connect with Galveston’s resilient spirit and remember the lives shaped by the city’s most infamous storm.

Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.