Miss Molly’s in Fort Worth

There are places you can go for some peace and quiet. Then there are those you book, knowing that a shadow may stand at the foot of your bed at any point during the night. If disembodied sounds or phantom aromas do not rattle you, and if a full-bodied apparition is your white whale, Dallas-Fort Worth welcomes you to stay in a classic establishment brimming with the unexplained and the unseen. 

Miss Molly’s is all but a stale bed and breakfast, its history riddled with stories as unique as the eight themed, private guest rooms. On the outside, the quaint building still sports its Old West brick facade, complete with a small overhang to lend shade to cowfolk hiding from the harsh Texas sun. Located in the Stockyards National Register Historic District, Miss Molly’s oozes an energy electrified by its raucous and scandalous past. 

Come for a taste of the Wild West, and stay for a chance to feel a cold chill as the Stockyards’ resident spectral cowboy passes through.

Who haunts Miss Molly’s?

Locals speak of a cowboy named Jake, who workers claim presents himself with a cigar scent and as an ethereal form spotted throughout the bed and breakfast. The lodging’s history as a brothel also spawns more colorful characters, like the former madam of the house, Miss Josie King. Its early 20th-century roots may tie it to smallpox victims like the young girl often spotted by guests. 

Miss Molly’s is generous with its otherworldly activity, presented like gifts from long-departed residents of Fort Worth. The blood of the Old West still courses through Fort Worth and the Stockyard’s historic district, and you’ll hear about more of the city’s haunted establishments on your Dallas ghost tour.

Where the West Began

To truly understand a place like Miss Molly’s, you must go deeper into Fort Worth’s history. As the name suggests, the original encampment, established in 1849 by General William Jenkins Worth as Camp Worth, served as a guard to the settlements of east Texas. With Native Americans present in the surrounding landscapes, the U.S. War Department feared raids, believing that Texas settlers were in constant danger from the remaining native tribes. 

When four years passed with not even a threat from the local Native American bands, the War Department ordered the fort evacuated. Though the small military presence may have left, civilians who lived near General Worth’s camp claimed the now-empty buildings as their own. With schools, clinics, and space for stores, the former fort had everything needed for a population boom.

By the turn of the century, Fort Worth grew to one of the largest cattle markets, its industry drawing in curious travelers and those hopeful to take advantage of the new settlement. Being the Wild West, entertainment wasn’t in short supply, especially with the two-story, brown-yellow brick building that welcomed weary travelers and promiscuous locals.

For the Cattlemen and the Cowboys

While the first story of the square building, which currently sits on West Exchange Avenue, has gone through many different businesses since its construction in 1910, the second story has always served a very specific purpose. A series of rooms awaited at the top of the stairs, allowing cowboys and other travelers to put their feet up and relax before heading out of Fort Worth. First known as the Palace Rooms, the accommodations underwent several changes throughout the years, adopting the name The Oasis during the prohibition and later the Gayatte Hotel during the 1940s.

Of its various incarnations, the Gayatte may be its most well-known. Men looking for the company of a woman without the ties of being a family man frequently made use of the bordello. Though the clientele saw it as a mere stopover, the girls of the brothel spent much of their time within the building. It became a home, especially under the care of Miss Josie King.

King oversaw the brothel as its madam, becoming essential to its success and history. As much as the bed and breakfast may be named “Miss Molly,” Miss King has a solid claim to its legacy. One, many believe, she’s not willing to let go of so easily. It’s been more than 75 years since the brothel was in operation, and Miss King still watches over each room, including the Victorian-decorated madam room that bears her name. 

Bed, Breakfast, and Ghosts

No longer a brothel, Miss King’s former business gave way to a bed and breakfast. The rooms that once welcomed cowboys and their companions now offer a cozy spot for families to come and experience a taste of the Old West. The Stockyards Historic District is a stone’s throw away from Fort Worth, but places like Miss Molly’s help create a 19th-century aesthetic. 

Visitors of Miss Molly’s can choose between eight distinctive guest rooms, each decorated with old-fashioned charm. Whether staying amongst the showcase of Wild West paraphernalia in the Rodeo Room or the classic Cattlemen’s Room with its wood furnishings and longhorn hide display piece, you’ll be transported back over 100 years to a time when the paved streets of Fort Worth were nothing but dusty roads.

There’s so much more to the bed and breakfast than can be seen on its surface. Each relic of centuries past is a conduit for those on the other side, allowing the restless souls of cowboys and the dedicated apparitions of the brothel’s hard-working girls to return to this iconic link to the past. 

Floorboards creek, and toilets flush on their own, and there’s been no shortage of disembodied voices and sounds with no known source. From the attentive Miss King to the mysterious cowboy named Jake, many residual hauntings and intelligent spirits roam Miss Molly’s.

All manner of travelers, from the curious to the timid, have spent time in Miss Molly’s. It’s proven to be one of the most active sites in the area, with no corner left untouched by the cold, spectral energy left behind.

Haunted Accommodations in Fort Worth

There’s a lot of history nestled within Fort Worth, much of it accompanied by spooky ghost stories and frightening apparitions. Book your Dallas ghost tour today so you’re not cut off by limited spaces and immerse yourself in the haunted history of The Lone Star State. With your accommodations booked at one of Fort Worth’s most haunted establishments, you can spend your nights amongst the undead and explore the city for even more glimpses of the otherworldly. 

Save your spot today, and be sure to book your Dallas ghost tour and continue reading our blog for even more Dallas-Fort Worth haunts. Follow us as well on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sources:

https://fwtx.com/culture/the-beginning-of-the-west/

https://missmollyshotel.com/about/

https://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/north/missmollys.htm

https://www.binnews.com/content/2022-09-23-this-texas-hotel-is-one-of-the-most-haunted-in-america/

https://missmollyshotel.com/our-rooms/

https://tuisnider.com/my-coast-to-coast-am-interview-from-miss-mollys-hotel-fort-worth-texas-haunted-paranormal/