The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas is located adjacent to the Alamo. The hotel opened in 1859, just 23 years after the bloody battle at the Alamo.
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Ghost Stories
The hotel was opened in 1859. A hotel that has been around for nearly a150 years might be expected to have a few resident ghosts. There are supposed to be at least 32 different apparitions at this Texas hotel.
Sallie White
Sallie White was a chambermaid at The Menger Hotel. One night she stayed at the the hotel after an argument with her husband. She may have stayed with another man. The next day, her husband threatened to kill her. Sallie was attacked by her husband on March 28, 1876 and died two days later. According to the hotel ledger, the hotel paid the funeral cost of $32..
According to legend, Sallie White roams the halls of the hotel’s Victorian wing. She is described as wearing an old long gray skirt and a bandanna around her forehead. She is usually carrying towels, which she never delivers.
One man had an encounter with a rude maid. He described the maid who ignored him to the from desk. The uniform he described the maid wearing was from the late 1800’s, which was when Sallie worked at the hotel.
Captain Richard King
Captain King was the founder of King’s Ranch. King was a man of great wealth who had a suite at the Menger Hotel. When Richard King receiving news of his impending death from his doctor, he spent the last months of his life at the hotel. It was at the hotel that he wrote his will and said his farewells to friends. King’s funeral was held the the parlor at the Menger.
Captain King appears occasionally and is seen entering his room, The King Suite. Many guests and employees have seen him. When he enters the suite, he does not use the door. Instead he walks right through the wall in a location where the door used to be located.
Theodore Roosevelt
President Teddy Roosevelt recruited cowboys for the Rough Riders at the Menger Bar. Over the years people have reported seeing Teddy Roosevelt having a drink at the bar.
There are other stories of apparitions at The Menger Hotel. It’s possible that the hotels location just steps from the battle field of The Alamo lends itself to folklore. Guests of the hotel find that the staff will share ghost stories with them.
History of The Menger Hotel
The Menger Hotel occupies a prominent location in downtown San Antonio, TX. The hotel was build in 1859 by owner, William A. Menger and architect John Fries. Menger Hotel was built in the location that the Menger Brewery had been situated on previously. The Menger Brewery was the first brewery in Texas.
The Menger Hotel was very successful, and Menger made immediate plans to build an addition.
Menger was a German immigrant who had immigrated to the United States in the early 1840’s. When Menger died in 1871, his widow and son took over the management of the hotel.
After the Civil War and Reconstruction were over the railroad made it’s way to San Antonio in 1877. The Menger became famous, the best known hotel in the southwest. The Colonial Dining Room at the Menger Hotel was praised for its cuisine.
Originally the structure was a two story building. The Menger Hotel is just 100 yards from the site of The Alamo. The Menger Hotel has housed personalities such as Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Sidney Lanier, Mae West, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Sarah Bernhardt and Gutzon Borgum.
Originally the hotel was two stories high. Over the years the hotel has been expanded to a five story building with 316 rooms. The lobby is a three story room called a Victorian Lobby. The lobby is a showcase of beautiful architecture and rare antique furnishings.
The historic hotel has been updated to include modern amenities including an outdoor swimming pool and fitness center. The Menger Hotel is Registered as a National Historic Hotel.
The Menger Hotel offers comfortable accommodations in the heart of San Antonio with the bonus of the residents ghosts on the premises.
