The Night Owl: True Ghost Stories

More than a century ago, an imposing two-story building opened here in Austin, Texas, as the Confederate Woman's Home, a place that would continue serving and caring for generations of people for more than a century. And for years, stories of unexplained activity have surrounded it. In 2019, The Night Owl was invited inside to hear firsthand accounts from the people who worked there....and potentially investigate. But before that investigation could ever begin, the opportunity disappeared, and the case was shelved. They thought that was the end of it. Until seven years later, when a strange message left for the team unexpectedly brought this building back into their lives. Now, with the property vacant and renovations quickly approaching, the Night Owl was given another chance to uncover the stories they never got to hear.

Photo by Alexis A. Arrendondo

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For months, we've been trying to understand the spirits that may still linger inside the Old Rock Store...the Old Rock Store, a reportedly haunted limestone landmark standing in Oak Hill since 1898.But one presence has remained difficult to explain.A mysterious shadowy male presence that has been reported both inside the Old Rock Store and around the property outside.”Sometimes wearing a hat. Sometimes not. And unlike some of the other presences we've encountered here, this one doesn't seem quite as communicative or welcoming.So tonight, we're returning to the Old Rock Store for another investigation — this time, hoping to answer one question: Who is this shadow man, exactly?And before this investigation is over, an unexpected discovery will force me to consider an answer I never saw coming.

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Every investigation reaches a moment when the story begins taking you somewhere you never expected. That's exactly what happened as we continued exploring the mysteries of the historic—and infamously haunted—Old Rock Store in Oak Hill, Texas.So far, we've uncovered remarkable parallels between eyewitness accounts, the independent impressions of two mediums, and the history of the families who once called this place home. As our investigation began pointing toward possible answers, we expected our next step would be returning to the Old Rock Store for a second investigation.But something unexpected happened.New witnesses came forward. Former employees, longtime locals, and people with ties to the building's past began reaching out with stories of their own. As I continued digging through the history, I also uncovered people connected to the Old Rock Store whose memories would add entirely new pieces to the puzzle.Tonight, before we return to the historical limestone landmark, we're following these new leads—stories that deepen our understanding of the building, expand the haunted lore surrounding it, and ultimately set the stage for discoveries none of us saw coming.

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For more than a century, this small limestone building in Oak Hill has quietly accumulated stories. From pioneer families and travelers to restaurants, coffee shops, and now SquareRut Kava Bar, generation after generation has left with one lingering question: Is this Old Rock Store haunted?So far, we've traced the building's remarkable history, heard firsthand accounts from those who've experienced something they couldn't explain, and brought in my investigative team and two mediums to explore the property without any prior knowledge of its history or reported paranormal activity. After uncovering remarkable parallels between their impressions, eyewitness accounts, and the building's long history, it was time to stop simply observing... and start asking direct questions.Tonight, our investigation of the Old Rock Store enters a new phase.Now, we'll lead our mediums through a series of experiments designed to communicate more directly with whatever may still linger inside these stone walls. Along the way, a name will emerge with startling consistency, long-held theories gain unexpected support, and before the night is over, one final moment leaves everyone in the room questioning what they just witnessed.

Photo by Meg BlohmEPISODE SPONSORS:LUMI GUMMIES
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For well over a century, stories have followed the Old Rock Store in Oak Hill, Texas. Employees, patrons, paranormal investigators, and locals have all described strange encounters inside the aging limestone building — shadow figures lurking near the stairwells, a woman in white seen watching from upstairs, unexplained voices, heavy oppressive energy, phantom footsteps, and even what some believe could be the spirit of a child still wandering its halls.In Part One, we uncovered the history and heard firsthand accounts from those who claim something still remains inside this historic structure.But tonight… we finally step inside ourselves.As SquareRut Kava Bar closes for the evening and staff head home, owner Tracy gives us full access to explore the building after dark. Joining me are psychic medium Kate the Brave, along with a new student medium experiencing the location for the very first time.Together, we’ll walk the stairwells, hallways, kitchen, loft, and hidden rooms at the center of decades of rumors and paranormal claims… hoping to gather new clues and perhaps uncover pieces of the mystery surrounding this Texas landmark known as the Old Rock Store.
EPISODE SPONSORS:BETTERHELP
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For decades, there’s been a place in Austin that people quietly point to when the conversation turns to the most haunted locations in the city.Not just a passing rumor… but something that’s followed the building through generations—through different owners, different businesses… and the many lives that have passed through its doors.Most people people today remember it most as the Austin Pizza Garden—where stories of unexplained voices, shadowy figures, and something lingering in the building became part of its identity. The kind of place spoken about in the same breath as Austin’s most infamous hauntings.But today, that same building lives on in a new form.A kava bar in Oak Hill—SquareRut Kava Bar to be exact —operating inside what’s known historically as the Old Rock Store of Oak Hill… a structure that’s stood here for well over a century.And the stories… they never really died.Now, for the first time, The Night Owl is stepping inside this historic landmark to investigate.In this episode, we’ll take you on a journey through time—speaking with the current staff working within these walls today… while also uncovering voices and experiences from those who came long before them.Because whatever people were experiencing  here decades ago…
hasn’t stopped.Photo by Meg BlohmGUEST LINKS:TEXAS HISTORICAL RECLAMATION PROJECT
You can follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/atxhistoricalmarkerrestoration/STRANGE TOWN
Click here to watch Strange Town's episode investigating the former Austin Pizza Garden - https://strange-town.com/episode-4/EPISODE SPONSORS:SHOPIFY
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On Halloween night 2025, inside a packed room in Austin, Texas, members of the Night Owl community stepped up to the microphone to share something deeply personal… their own encounters with the unexplained.In this special episode, we bring you three Campfire Tales recorded live at the Spirit Social 2025 — stories not pulled from books or legend, but lived experiences that have stayed with each storyteller long after they passed. “The Watseka Wonder”
Paranormal investigators Damian and Nicole of ParaPeculiar and The Real Ghosts… podcasts travel to Illinois to research one of the most infamous possession cases in American history. But what begins as a historical deep dive raises a far more unsettling question… did get more than they bargained for?“The Shadow in the Headlights”
Decades before becoming a professional psychic medium, Elaine Ireland experienced something she still can’t explain. A late-night drive through rain-soaked Texas highways… a strange presence ahead in the darkness… and a moment that has stayed with her for half her lifetime.“The Midnight Beat”
Paranormal detective Greg Lawson recounts his early days as a police officer working late nights in Austin, Texas. While reviewing old case files inside the city’s abandoned asylum, he begins to sense that some history doesn’t stay buried… especially in the dark.These are the Campfire Tales of Spirit Social 2025.STORYTELLER INFO:Be sure to check out Damian and Nicole on their podcasts, The Real Ghosts of… and ParaPeculiar. You can connect with them on social media @therealghostsof and @parapeculiar

Elaine Ireland offers virtual readings and can be reached at [email protected]. You can also learn more about her most recent project at www.conversationswiththeancients.com.And you can find Paranormal Detective Greg Lawson at www.theparanormaldetective.com or connect with him on social media @greghlawson.EPISODE SPONSORS:BETTERHELP
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Returning for one final overnight inside one of Austin’s oldest and most haunted locations, the Night Owl team pushes deeper into Moonshine Bar & Grill — testing what’s emerged so far and introducing new experiments designed to further interaction.For the first time, a custom-built spirit communication device is brought into the investigation. Strange conversations unfold. A phantom smell suddenly begins to follow the team with no physical source. And multiple team members witness unexplained activity in real time.As long-standing theories are challenged and new pieces surface, the mystery of Moonshine grows more complex than ever.Some answers begin to take shape.
Others raise even bigger questions.This is the final chapter of the Moonshine case — and nothing is what it first seemed.Photo by Raymond WallaceEPISODE SPONSORS:LUMI GUMMIES
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The investigation at Moonshine Bar & Grill continues as the team returns to one of Austin’s most storied locations. What began as fragments and impressions now deepens, as previous findings are tested, challenged, and expanded.After documenting Moonshine through extensive interviews with owners, long-time staff, former employees, and contractors, clear patterns had emerged: unexplained footsteps near the upstairs offices, objects moving or breaking, sudden injuries, and presences tied to the patio, upstairs office, Kinfolk, and the Sunday House.When the psychic investigation began, each medium was kept blind and separate. Despite that, overlapping impressions surfaced. An aggressive male presence yelling “get out.” A darker energy moving between the patio and the Sunday House loft. An intelligent, non-threatening man with glasses connected to Kinfolk. And a new, unexpected element—a chaotic teenage boy believed to be responsible for many of the accidents reported in recent years.As the night unfolded, even more layers revealed themselves: a protective female presence near the office stairs, a shadowy figure watching from the Sunday House loft, and an Indigenous woman who appeared during a later session with imagery tied to protest, the Capitol, and a much more modern chapter of Austin’s history.By the time the first night came to a close, the building was empty, the energy had shifted, and the most pressing questions remained unanswered. Were the psychics accurately tapping into the same experiences staff had described? Were they independently sensing the same presences? And was something still hiding, waiting to be understood?This episode picks up exactly where the investigation left off.

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Tonight, the team returns to one of Austin’s oldest and most notoriously haunted locations, Moonshine Bar & Grill.After months of interviews, they’re finally handed the key and granted full access to the property.For the first time, the full Night Owl team, including psychic mediums Jeffery, Kate, and the long-awaited return of Sara, arrive blind to the location to investigate Moonshine firsthand and search for what has unsettled staff and guests for decades.Will this be the night that separates fact from folklore…or blurs the line even further?Photo by Adam Lynch

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