The Emily Morgan Hotel is no ordinary building in downtown San Antonio. Its majestic Gothic Revival structure has graced the skyline since the 1920s, but what sets this landmark apart isn’t just its architectural splendor—it’s the stories of the paranormal that fill its halls. From its early days as a medical facility to its current status as one of the most haunted hotels in the nation, the Emily Morgan Hotel has been a site where history and the supernatural meet.

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Born in Marble, Shrouded in Mystery

By Mattstone911 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28532228
By Mattstone911 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28532228
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Originally built in 1924 as San Antonio's first skyscraper, the building was known as the Medical Arts Center. Designed with intricate Gothic Revival architecture, the structure was adorned with grotesque gargoyles, some depicting medical ailments like toothaches and belly pains. Over time, the building's eerie aesthetics would become part of its haunting legacy.

From its inception, the Medical Arts Center operated as a hospital, with lower floors reserved for doctors' offices and the upper levels for surgeries and patient care. The basement housed the morgue, sealing the building’s connection to death and the macabre. Fast forward to 1984, and the site was transformed into the luxurious Emily Morgan Hotel. Despite modern renovations, the building’s chilling past still lingers—literally and figuratively.

Ghosts in Every Corner: Floors of Fear

By Dallas Gibson - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21690339
By Dallas Gibson - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21690339
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The Emily Morgan Hotel has become synonymous with paranormal activity, especially on the seventh, ninth, and fourteenth floors, as well as the basement. These areas once served as the psychiatric ward, surgery rooms, and morgue, respectively. Guests have reported strange phenomena, from inexplicable cold breezes to the scent of hospital disinfectants.

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One of the most notorious floors is the “fourteenth floor”—which, in reality, is the thirteenth, a nod to the building’s superstition. Visitors have described hospital scenes suddenly appearing and vanishing in the blink of an eye. The twelfth floor, once the operating area, is also a hotbed of activity, where bathroom doors open and shut on their own, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

The Legend of Emily Morgan

What makes the hotel's story even more captivating is its namesake, Emily Morgan. Known as a heroine of the Texas Revolution, Emily Morgan (born Emily D. West) was said to have played a critical role in the Battle of San Jacinto. Some accounts suggest she distracted General Santa Ana on the day of battle, leading to the Texan victory and ultimately Texas’ independence. Her tale, though shrouded in myth, adds an air of intrigue and defiance to the hotel’s storied past.

Whether you're drawn by its historical significance or its haunted reputation, the Emily Morgan Hotel remains one of the most fascinating—and unnerving—places to visit in Texas.

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