Locals Call This Central Texas Spot the Most Haunted Place to Visit This Fall

Now that fall has finally made its way to Central Texas, it’s time for things to start getting a little spooky. And when I think about spooky times in Texas, I always think about a little community in Bell County called Maxdale.

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Since I was a little girl, I remember going out to Maxdale, Texas, with my friends because of the crazy stories we would hear about the infamous Maxdale Bridge and Church. You hear so many stories about legendary, ghost-like silhouettes. One of the most popular local stories involves a man who allegedly hung himself from the bridge after his girlfriend drowned in the river below. Because of that, visitors have shared the urban legend of seeing mysterious silhouettes underneath the bridge. The bridge has since been closed.

Here’s Why This Central Texas Spot Is the Ultimate Halloween Getaway

That particular story may not be one everyone knows, because it is much older, but there is a newer story involving ghostly handprints. The story is simple: You put some kind of powder on your vehicle, and when it gets really foggy around the bridge, you’re supposedly able to see children's handprints. According to the urban legend, a school bus accidentally went over the bridge and killed a group of children. The story says that their spirits are the reason you can sometimes see the handprints.

This Was My REAL Life Experience In Maxdale, Texas

I’m not going to say whether either urban legend is true, but I will tell you this: A group of friends and I decided to try it when I was in my early teens. Afterward, we drove Highway 195 back toward Killeen and stopped at a local restaurant where we knew a friend was working. We had completely forgotten that we had put the powder on our vehicle until our friend brought it to our attention.

Do You Dare To Travel To Maxdale, Texas?

He noticed what looked like someone had been walking around or touching our car. Long story short, I had never been so freaked out in my life. I’ve never been back to Maxdale Bridge since. But if this story strikes your interest and you don’t believe me, by all means, do your own research and see what you find. Just remember, you might want to think twice before putting those ghost stories to the test yourself!