Fort Worth's oldest B&B, originally an upscale 1910 bordello and 1940s brothel called the Gayatte Hotel, hosts Miss Josie the madam, Jake the cowboy, and a 'Tipping Ghost' that leaves spare change.
109 W Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Eight themed guest rooms. The Miss Josie Room — the premier suite and former madam's quarters — commands the highest rate.
Access
Limited Access
Upstairs B&B accessed by a flight of stairs; no elevator. Paved sidewalks at street level.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1910 · Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District · Early-20th-century bordello and Prohibition speakeasy · Oldest operating bed-and-breakfast in Fort Worth
The building at 109 W Exchange Avenue opened on June 15, 1910 as the Palace Rooms, an upstairs boarding house and bordello catering to the cattlemen, cowboys, and businessmen who came through the booming Fort Worth Stockyards. The Stockyards district at this period combined legitimate livestock commerce with a sprawling vice district that ran south into Hell's Half Acre; upstairs rooming houses serving as discreet bordellos were a common Western fixture.
During Prohibition (1920–1933), the building reportedly operated as a speakeasy under the name The Oasis. In the 1940s it returned to bordello use under the name the Gayatte Hotel (also spelled Gayette in some sources), continuing as a working brothel until shifts in vice enforcement closed the trade.
The building was subsequently restored as Miss Molly's Bed & Breakfast, becoming Fort Worth's first B&B and now its oldest. It operates today as Miss Molly's Hotel with eight themed guest rooms, each reflecting a different aspect of the building's layered history. The Miss Josie Room — named for the building's last reputed madam, Josie King — serves as the premier suite. The property is a contributing building to the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and operates above a street-level retail and restaurant tenancy.
Sources
Per Ghost City Tours and US Ghost Adventures, the spirit most often reported at Miss Molly's is 'Miss Josie' — assumed to be the building's last reputed madam Josie King — who has been sighted many times, usually around 3 AM at the foot of guests' beds, watching whoever is sleeping. The Miss Josie Room is the former madam's quarters and the most-reported room for activity.
A male spirit named Jake has been described in consistent terms across independent accounts as an old cowboy who appears as a full-bodied apparition. The hotel manager, per Ghost City Tours, reported seeing Jake walk into a room and close the door behind him; when she opened the door to follow, no one was inside. A phenomenon known as the 'Tipping Ghost' is described in Fort Worth Weekly's 2024 coverage and Dallas Terrors as leaving spare change in unexpected places; one cleaning staff member reportedly quit after repeated encounters.
Additional reported phenomena per the Fort Worth Stockyards listing, US Ghost Adventures, and WFAA include unexplained scents tied to the bordello-era working girls, items disappearing and reappearing, toilets flushing on their own, lights cycling, cold spots, and locked-but-unlocked doors that refuse to open. A small female apparition believed to be a child rounds out the documented entity roster. Miss Molly's has been featured in Discovery Channel paranormal programming and is the central stop on Stockyards ghost-tour routes.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Book the former madam's quarters — the premier of Miss Molly's eight themed rooms. Guests have reported Miss Josie King appearing at the foot of the bed around 3 AM, cold spots, doors that refuse to open, and lights and toilets cycling on their own.
A 90-minute walking tour visiting Miss Molly's alongside the Stockyards Hotel and White Elephant Saloon. Miss Molly's is the centerpiece — described by multiple Fort Worth ghost-tour operators as the most paranormally active building in the district.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Fort Worth, TX
The Stockyards Hotel opened in 1907 as a three-story brick hotel in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards livestock-trading district. Originally built by Colonel T. M. Thannisch, it has hosted cattlemen, oilmen, rodeo performers, and — most famously — Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow during their 1933 crime spree. The hotel is a contributing structure to the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.
El Paso, TX
Hotel Paso del Norte opened Thanksgiving Day 1912 as a 351-room luxury hotel financed by Zack T. White and designed by El Paso's prolific Trost & Trost firm. During the 1914 Mexican Revolution, guests reportedly watched firefights from the rooftop terraces. Operated by Camino Real Hotels for decades, the property was acquired by The Meyers Group in 2016, underwent a major renovation, and reopened October 8, 2020 as part of Marriott's Autograph Collection.
San Antonio, TX
The St. Anthony Hotel opened on Travis Park in San Antonio in 1909, financed by three cattle ranchers — A. H. Jones, B. L. Naylor, and L. J. Hart — who set out to build a luxury property to attract wealthy tourists to the growing city. Reported as the first hotel in the world to install central air-conditioning, the property has hosted presidents, film stars, and convention business for over a century and is part of Marriott's Luxury Collection.