4 of the Eeriest Unsolved Texas Mysteries

Nature changes in autumn. Trees lose their leaves and animals prepare for hibernation. And as the natural world dwindles, the unnatural reveals itself through curious mysteries and unexplained things going bump in the night.

Texas has its own inexplicable happenings that toe the line between the known and the unknown. A few anomalous occurrences have remained the subject of great debate, between those who believe they are supernatural and those who believe they are simply bizarre. So, grab your sleuth hat and encyclopedia of cryptozoology — it’s time to investigate these legends.

The Marfa Lights

If you happen to find yourself in the small desert town of Marfa after nightfall, glance southwest toward the Chinati Mountains — you may spot ghosts. Large, ball-shaped lights appear sporadically throughout the night just after sunset or before sunrise, playfully moving about the sky like will-o’- the-wisps. Some observers have reported that these orbs not only appear in different colors but also twinkle like stars, merge together, and split apart. There is no identifiable source, and the surrounding terrain makes investigating difficult. It’s also an unpopulated region, meaning that the lights’ origin is not likely to be human.

Despite a great deal of speculation, the ghost lights remain shrouded in mystery. Scientists have theorized that the phenomenon may be a result of underground friction causing an electromagnetic light effect. Others have suggested they are vehicle headlights (either from cars or, yes, UFOs). But, as is the trend with mysteries like this, solid proof has evaded all theorists.

See for yourself: The official Marfa lights viewing center is about 9 miles east of Marfa along Highway 90.

The Chupacabra

The chupacabra is perhaps one of the most infamous cryptids in North American lore. In Spanish, “chupacabra” means “goat-sucker,” referencing the violent, vampiric nature of the beast that allegedly drains the blood of livestock but leaves them otherwise untouched.

Sightings were initially reported in Puerto Rico after multiple livestock attacks in the mid-90s. Witnesses described it as long-limbed and bipedal, with a spiny back and red eyes. At this point, people began telling tales of everything from government conspiracies to extraterrestrial involvement.

Since those initial sightings, descriptions of the creature have evolved. In Texas, the chupacabra is now generally described as a spiny-backed, hairless canine. As with many cryptid tales, there is little physical evidence of the chupacabra’s existence. While most specimens that have been brought forward suggested the predator was a coyote or a dog with mange, a few idiosyncrasies remain — why just the blood? And where did its spines come from?

See for yourself: The chupacabra stalks livestock farms across the southwest. But do you really want to see it in person?

The Driskill Hotel

There are many supposedly haunted locations in Texas, but perhaps none are as haunted as The Driskill Hotel in Austin.

Its most well-known spirit is Samantha Houston, a small girl who tragically died after falling down the staircase while chasing a ball. In remembrance, her father commissioned a portrait of her, which now hangs in the fifth-floor hallway. Some visitors claim they have seen the painting’s expression change while looking at it; others have felt themselves being lifted

off the ground while standing in front of it. Certain guests have even heard a child’s laughter in the hallways, accompanied by the ominous tapping of a bouncing ball. What’s spookier, children visiting the hotel have been seen playing with a seemingly imaginary playmate who they call Samantha.

Samantha is not the only permanent guest at the hotel. Hang around in the lobby late into the night and you might run into Colonel Jesse Driskill, the hotel’s founder who died in 1890. He has a habit of forgetting his matchbox when he smokes his cigars, so he’s been known to ask guests for a light. Another Driskill poltergeist is Peter Lawless, who lived in the hotel for 31 years after his wife passed away in the early 1900s. Today, his apparition is so realistic that many walk by him without a second thought. Hotel staff report that he will often watch them tidy rooms. Of course, not everyone believes in ghosts. The mystery is, why have so many guests of The Driskill Hotel seen them?

See for yourself: The Driskill Hotel is on Sixth and Brazos streets in Austin. Bring a ghost bingo card and let us know how many you find.

The Malakoff Man

In 1929, quarry workers discovered a large stone “head” buried deep in a gravel deposit on a terrace of the Trinity River near Malakoff. Geologists were excited to see them inspected and authenticated. Over the next 10 years, two more of these strange stone crania were found in the area. All three large stones display facial grooves, leading to the moniker Malakoff Man.

But the question of where the Malakoff Man may have come from remained. Some say the stones are 3,000- or 4,000-year- old relics from Indigenous tribes. Others say they result from geological formations dating back 50,000-100,000 years ago.

Not everyone buys into the mystery, however. Some modern experts believe the first head may have simply been a rock that anomalously resembled a face, and the subsequent two heads were carved with a screwdriver by the quarry workers. In the archaeology community, the Malakoff Man has largely been written off as a hoax. Regardless, the Malakoff Man is officially recognized as authentic — so locals remain attached to the peculiar stones, and intense debate around their source continues to swirl.

See for yourself: You can find the original Malakoff Man and a second on display at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. The third is at the Navarro College Library in Corsicana.

On your spooky tour of Texas, check out the most haunted places in the state and the best Halloween towns.