The Baker Hotel

By far the tallest structure in the small town of Mineral Wells, Texas, the Baker Hotel casts a dark shadow across the surrounding area. Visible from a number of miles away, the Baker Hotel was built in 1929 and was a top spa destination during the 1930s. After nearby Fort Wolters closed down, the fortunes of both the Baker Hotel and Mineral Wells declined.

For the years it was around, the Baker Hotel put Mineral Wells on the map. The building had been conceived years before it was finally constructed as a means to capitalize on the growing fame of the region’s mineral water. After it was completed, the 14-story structure, complete with bowling alley, two ballrooms, an in-house beauty shop, and 450 guest rooms, drew visitors from all over.

Business started suffering after the war ended in 1945. The owners of the Baker Hotel did everything they could to keep business up. The hotel hosted the Texas Republican Party conventions of both 1952 and 1955 and the Texas Democratic Party convention of 1954, but the place was finally shuttered in 1963. A couple of years later, local investors leased the building and reopened the hotel, but it closed for a second - and final - time in 1972.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and it still stands today, hosting local enthusiasts of the paranormal who insist that the structure is haunted.