The Driskill Hotel

Rising from downtown Austin’s Sixth Street since 1886, The Driskill Hotel was built to impress. Cattle baron Jesse Driskill spared little expense, commissioning thick limestone walls, arched windows, and ornate interiors meant to signal that Texas had outgrown its frontier reputation. It was to be the grandest hotel in the state—and for a time, it was.

Politicians debated beneath its chandeliers. Oilmen and ranchers closed deals in its parlors. Campaign strategies were drafted in its suites. Generations passed through its halls, leaving behind celebrations, scandals, and private grief tucked quietly behind closed doors.

But the Driskill’s history is not only gilded.

Throughout the decades, several untimely deaths and alleged suicides have been tied—accurately or not—to its upper floors. Records confirm tragedy. Rumor expands it. Certain rooms developed reputations. Certain floors acquired stories. Over time, those stories hardened into legend.

The building has changed hands, survived economic collapse, and endured renovation, yet much of its 19th-century character remains intact. The staircases creak as old staircases do. Mirrors reflect more than just passing guests. Portraits watch from walls that have seen nearly a century and a half of Texas history.

Today, it operates as a luxury hotel. The doors are open. The lights are on. The bar stays busy.

And yet, some visitors find that history does not always remain confined to the past.