Austin
The Driskill
Cattle baron Jesse Driskill's 1886 Romanesque hotel, where governors from Sul Ross to Ann Richards held their inaugural balls.
- Built
- 1886Built 1885-86 by cattleman Col. Jesse L. Driskill; opened December 1886 (THC: 'Christmas 1886'). NRHP significant years 1885, 1886, 1930 (1930 tower addition).
- Style
- Romanesque
- Architect
- J. N. Preston & Son (NPGallery lists 'Preston, Joseph N. & Son')
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Rooms
- 189
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Inside a National Register historic district; Local landmark
The story
Col. Jesse L. Driskill, a cattle baron who moved to Austin in 1869, built the brick-and-limestone hotel in 1885-86, with busts of himself and his sons over the entrances. It opened at Christmas 1886 as the Southwest’s finest hotel and hosted the inaugural ball of Governor Sul Ross weeks later; later governors including Ma Ferguson, John Connally and Ann Richards held inaugural balls there. After early closures and several changes of owner, cattleman and banker George Littlefield bought it and paid for a major renovation. Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson had their first date in the hotel’s 1886 Café.
The ghost story
Travel Texas reports that the grand staircase is said to be haunted by a young girl and that Room 525 reportedly holds the spirits of two brides who died on their honeymoons twenty years apart. These are reported legends.
Source: www.traveltexas.com
Good to know
- Parking: on-site paid
- Pets welcome
- Address: 604 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701
Things to do
Ghost tours and history tours nearby
Tours are sold by GetYourGuide and run by local operators. If you book one through these links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Ratings and prices are GetYourGuide’s.
Sources (4)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.