A new study is pointing a spooky, bony finger to Texas as one of the spookiest states in the country.

The doll room at Ballinger’s Olde Park Hotel Jan. 4. The room is populated by donated children’s dolls, at least two dozen of which the original owners swore were haunted

The doll room at Ballinger’s Olde Park Hotel Jan. 4. The room is populated by donated children’s dolls, at least two dozen of which the original owners swore were haunted

Being the season of ghouls, witches and skeletons, the team at Hard Rock Bet, an online sportsbook and casino app, conducted a study on all 50 states, looking at four frightening factors — haunted locations, ghost towns, UFO sightings, and average haunted house rating.

The Olde Park Hotel in Ballinger Jan. 4. The circa 1886 building has an earned reputation among enthusiastic visitors and paranormal television shows as one of the most haunted locations in Texas.

The Olde Park Hotel in Ballinger Jan. 4. The circa 1886 building has an earned reputation among enthusiastic visitors and paranormal television shows as one of the most haunted locations in Texas.

Texas came in second after California. California has 136 haunted locations and a staggering 16,969 UFO sightings. Florida came in third, with 120 haunted locations and with 8,757 UFO sightings.

Here is why Texas came in second and where you can find more spooky details:

The Lone Star State lays claim to more ghost towns than anywhere else in America, a spine-chilling 550 in total, according to the study. The number of abandoned ghost towns in each state was gathered from batchgeo.com/map/ghost-towns.

Texas boasts 120 haunted locations, making it a daring destination for thrill-seekers. The haunted attractions were counted from thescarefactor.com.

While the Olde Park Hotel in Ballinger did not make the cut, it has a reputation for being one of the most haunted places in the Lone Star State. Built in the 1880s, the hotel‘s paranormal happenings include talking dolls known for piping up when nobody’s around to push a button or pull a string.

The historic venue is owned and operated by Chad and Leslie Wandel, who also founded the Ghost Geeks Research team to delve into and document the paranormal. The Wandels acquired the hotel and the spirits that came with it this year from Dan and Connie LaFave.

Alex, the Olde Park Hotel’s cat, sits unperturbed in a darkened hallway Jan. 4.

Alex, the Olde Park Hotel’s cat, sits unperturbed in a darkened hallway Jan. 4.

Haunted houses across the state have earned an almost perfect 9.63/10 average rating, ensuring plenty of thrills this Halloween.

Texans have witnessed 6,592 UFOs in their skies. The number of UFO sightings in each state, were rated as recorded on nuforc.org/

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María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky, and @eptmariacg on TikTok.

Abilene Reporter-News Visual Journalist Ronald W. Erdrich and ARN Executive Editor Trish Choate contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas is No.2 for most haunted states with ghost towns, ufo sightings