Drive-By
View the 1930 Trost & Trost firehouse exterior
Drive or walk by the Art Deco brick Fire Station No. 11 at Santa Fe and W Paisano — designed by Trost & Trost and completed September 18, 1930.
- Duration:
- 15 min
Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domain Other Dark Tourism Site
El Paso Fire Station No. 11 (Trost & Trost, 1930)
Art Deco firehouse at Santa Fe and Paisano, designed by Trost & Trost and opened September 18, 1930 — appears on FireRescue1's roster of America's most haunted fire stations for an upstairs bed that 'shakes at night' and resists sleepers.
Northwest corner of Santa Fe St & W Paisano Dr, El Paso, TX 79901
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
City of El Paso fire-department facility; exterior viewing only from public sidewalks.
Access
Limited Access
Public sidewalk on Santa Fe Street and W Paisano Drive.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1930 · Designed by Trost & Trost — major El Paso architectural firm · Art Deco brick civic building completed September 18, 1930 · Included on FireRescue1's national 'most haunted fire stations' feature · Owned by the City of El Paso
Fire Station No. 11 was erected at the corner of Santa Fe Street and W Paisano Drive (then known as 2nd Street) in 1930 in downtown El Paso. According to the Henry Trost Society and the Henry C. Trost online archive, the station was designed in an Art Deco style by Gustavus A. Trost of the Trost & Trost firm and was completed September 18, 1930. The two-story brick building features Art Deco massing and detailing characteristic of late-Trost civic work in El Paso.
The historic 1930 Trost building has been continuously associated with the El Paso Fire Department since opening. Note that the El Paso Fire Department's modern Station 11 operations are listed at a different address (314 Leon St) in current EPFD station rosters; the Trost building at Santa Fe/Paisano is the historic 1930 firehouse referenced in preservation literature and in FireRescue1's national haunted-firehouse feature. Visitors interested in the historic structure should verify current EPFD use before visiting.
Sources
- https://trostsociety.org/buildings/fire-station-number-11/
- https://www.henrytrost.org/buildings/fire-station-no-11/
- https://www.firerescue1.com/history/articles/10-of-americas-most-haunted-fire-stations-o89SwrVNKYFOpku2/
- https://elpasomom.com/in-around-el-paso/el-pasos-most-haunted-historical-sites/
An upstairs bed that 'shakes at night' and is avoided by firefightersCovers tugged off sleepers in the haunted bedA firefighter's mysterious persistent cough that resolved on switching beds
Per FireRescue1's national feature 'Ten of America's Most Haunted Fire Stations,' El Paso Station 11 hosts an upstairs bed that everyone at the station avoids. The bed reportedly shakes at night, and sleepers describe covers being tugged off them. One firefighter is described as having endured four months sleeping in the bed before developing a mysterious cough that resolved when he switched beds. The phenomena are characterized as bed-bound rather than as a building-wide haunting.
The Phase 2 input attached this lore to a 28-year-old firefighter named 'Robert Knight' said to have died in 1940 at the El Paso station after being electrocuted by a downed power line. On direct verification, FireRescue1's article describes Robert Knight as a firefighter at Fire Station No. 3 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — NOT El Paso. The Knight backstory does not belong to El Paso Station 11 and is removed from this entry. No specific named entity is reliably attributed to El Paso Station 11 in the sources reviewed.
Local El Paso reporting (KISS El Paso, El Paso Mom) lists the station among El Paso's most-cited haunted sites but does not provide an independently corroborated named-entity backstory tied to a documented death at this firehouse.
Media Appearances
- FireRescue1 — '10 of America's Most Haunted Fire Stations'
- KISS El Paso and El Paso Mom — El Paso most-haunted lists
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Paso Fire Station No. 11 (Trost & Trost, 1930) family-friendly?
Exterior-only architectural viewing of an active firehouse. Do not impede emergency operations. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit El Paso Fire Station No. 11 (Trost & Trost, 1930)?
City of El Paso fire-department facility; exterior viewing only from public sidewalks. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is El Paso Fire Station No. 11 (Trost & Trost, 1930) wheelchair accessible?
El Paso Fire Station No. 11 (Trost & Trost, 1930) has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Public sidewalk on Santa Fe Street and W Paisano Drive..