1880 Civil War-Era Home Rated Most Haunted in Texas
501 NE 1st St, Mineral Wells, TX 76067
Age
All ages for public tours (spring and October); private investigations adults recommended
Cost
$$
Overnight investigation pricing by phone inquiry. Weddings/events from $1,000. Call (817) 884-7152 for all bookings — no online reservations accepted.
Access
Limited Access
Residential home with multiple floors; stairs required
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1880 · Mineral Wells Founding Family History · Early Texas Medical History · Prohibition-Era Activity
The structure at 501 NE 1st Street in Mineral Wells was established in 1880 as part of the early settlement of Palo Pinto County. It was built as a residential home by one of the founding families of Mineral Wells and is documented as an A-frame construction from the Civil War era.
For nearly five decades — from 1880 through early 1929 — the house operated as a makeshift hospital serving the surrounding region. Mineral Wells in this period had a reputation as a health destination; the local Baker Hotel, opened in 1929, catered to the sick and wealthy who came seeking the curative properties of the mineral water. The Hill House served a more local and informal function, providing medical care and space for the injured, ill, and dying in a community that lacked formal hospital infrastructure for most of this period.
After its hospital function ended, the building passed through successive uses that included gambling, bootlegging, and what sources describe as prostitution — activities common to many Texas properties in the Prohibition era and after.
The property is operated today as a paranormal investigation venue, rated 'Most Haunted in Texas' by multiple paranormal publications and featured in Rolling Stone magazine. Jack Osbourne, investigating for the Discovery+ series Fright Club, described it as one of the most intense locations he had visited.
Sources
Paranormal reports at Haunted Hill House describe activity across categories: unexplained sounds including footsteps, voices, and laughter; objects observed moving without contact; and what investigators describe as physical interactions — touches, pushes, and impacts during investigation sessions.
Joshua is the most frequently named presence. Described as a young boy, his voice has been heard most often near the staircase, and visitors describe hearing his voice in contexts where it is clearly distinct from adult conversations in the building. Whether Joshua is connected to the property's hospital years, its subsequent period of illegal activity, or an earlier period is not established.
The building has been described by Jack Osbourne during the filming of Fright Club (Discovery+) as one of the most intense locations he had investigated. It has appeared on Ghost Adventures, Paranormal Declassified (Travel Channel), Strange Town, and Paranormal Files, giving it one of the higher media saturation rates among Texas paranormal venues.
The property's operators are explicit that all bookings must be made by phone, that online payments without a phone call incur a 3-day refund hold and a $75 processing fee, and that the website should be checked before calling for current tour dates. Public tours operate in spring and October.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Private overnight investigations in a property described by Rolling Stone as one of the most haunted in Texas — a Civil War-era home that served as a makeshift hospital from 1880 to 1929, and later a site of bootlegging and gambling. Groups are capped at 8. Call for pricing.
Public tours offered in spring and during October. Tours cover the property's history as a hospital and subsequent illegal activity, and introduce visitors to the documented spirit presences including the child Joshua, whose voice is most frequently heard near the staircase.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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