renaming the structure the Nat Dine & Dance Palace. Several well-known bands and singers were often booked to perform at the Nat. Such notables as Roy Orbison, Little Richard, Louis Armstrong, and Buddy Holly were some of the stars that entertained the patrons and provided an upbeat and fun environment in which to leave behind worry and enjoy a lively evening out.
In 1994, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1995 was deemed a Texas Historical Landmark.
Perhaps the personal struggles of the people trying to survive the Great Depression coupled with the exciting entertainment of the Nat over past decades created the residual energies that still inhabit the building to this day.
Now owned by Jim and Nell Griffin, part of the historic building has been converted into a bookstore while the dance hall area is still occasionally used to host events such as weddings and concerts. Over the course of many renovations to the original structure, people have recounted several experiences of paranormal phenomena. The sound of music playing in the ballroom seems to bring a part of the Nat’s vibrant past into the present, as activity has been said to spike shortly after the music begins to play.
In my research of the Amarillo Natatorium, I came across several stories of people throughout the decades who believe the building is haunted because they have had their own personal experiences that defy any other explanation. It is rumored prior owners of the building would often return after having closed it up tightly the night before, only to find that objects and furniture had been moved from their original locations. Lasting only a matter of seconds, apparitions have reportedly been spotted dancing in the ballroom before quickly disappearing into thin air.
These accounts intrigued me so much that I set out with my husband to visit the Nat and hopefully gain a little more insight into its colorful past. The building is immediately distinguishable from several blocks away, as its castle-like façade is unique and does not resemble any other building in the area. The structure sits back from the busy road and is nestled among other commercial properties. Allen and I were immediately excited to be visiting such an interesting historic site. We entered the Nat through the bookstore side and instantly felt at ease in the quaint little shop filled with old books, small sitting areas for reading, and George, the bookstore’s resident cat. We had the pleasure of meeting Aaron Baker and his wife Sarah Stone, managers of the bookstore. As we spoke with them we learned that they have yet to experience anything really paranormal, but expect they might someday. They aren’t at all worried about the possibility of a ghostly encounter. In fact, they seem to find the idea intriguing and enjoy hearing the stories of others. After all, what good is a bookstore without a good story or two?
“We’re here all day, and aren’t usually around when it gets late and things supposedly happen,” Aaron said. “We’ve had several people come in looking for ghosts, though most of their attention is focused on the ballroom.”
Branden Mann currently leases and manages the Nat Ballroom, which is accessed through the back of the bookstore, and is all too familiar with the spirits that make themselves known in the building. He was gracious enough to allow my husband and I in one Saturday afternoon to see and experience the ballroom for ourselves. I asked him to share with us what phenomena he had encountered in his time at the Nat.
“I have heard so many noises with such consistency over the past five years that I honestly don’t even hear or pay attention to them anymore. On one particular occasion, I heard what I thought was the sound of a woman speaking in the same mumbling-type voice you would hear on a Charlie Brown cartoon. I couldn’t understand what was being said, but I definitely knew that someone was speaking close by.”
Branden is often in the ballroom area working when the sound of footsteps on the upper level can be heard without anyone else being present in the building. While he has no idea who may be visiting or why, he has accepted their presence and continues on with his work despite the sometimes unexpected distraction. He is not at all frightened by the activity and believes that whoever is spiritually roaming the building must be there because it continues to mean something to them.
Allen and I walked around the ballroom to gain a sense of what it must have been like all those years ago when patrons came to the Nat for a swim or for an enthusiastic night of dancing. The ballroom floor is immense, the ceiling high, and there is a slight chill that comes and goes without an obvious source. I walked from one end of the ballroom to the other in silence, all the while feeling as though someone were watching—just as curious about me as I was about them.
The Nat has been visited several times by paranormal enthusiasts in search of validation that it is indeed a haunted piece of history still very active today. Are those who once enjoyed the boisterous music and nights filled with dancing and laughter still drawn to the Nat? Eerie recordings known as electronic voice phenomena (EVP) have captured the sounds of a solitary drum playing quietly as well as the distant melodic singing of an unknown woman. These recordings can be a bit unnerving at first, as it dawns on you that someone may be speaking to you. EVPs are some of the most commonly captured pieces of paranormal “evidence” obtained by ghosthunters. Sometimes these audio clips are recorded in places of ghostly interest, such as the Nat, while others are recorded entirely by chance.
Branden has often allowed ghosthunting investigative teams and individuals into the building, and spoke with us about the most common phenomena they have reported during their visits. Sudden fluctuations in temperature have been among the most common experiences reported to occur on the upper floor as people have felt cold spots move around them with no apparent explanation.
Investigators have attempted to capture the various reported anomalies and have often found it difficult to keep their video equipment up and running. Sudden and inexplicable battery drainages have puzzled many investigators as they have struggled to conduct the most thorough investigation possible. Whatever is responsible for the strange equipment failure still remains to be seen, but several people suspect it is largely due to the fluctuating energetic environment often experienced when paranormal phenomena occurs.
After spending some time in the ballroom, Branden escorted Allen and me to a section of the bookstore also believed to have activity, where investigators had recorded a disembodied voice on their audio recording devices. We stood where a couple of these recordings had taken place, with a recorder of our own in hand. While we were unable to capture anything that day, it can certainly be said that the entire building has an undeniable nostalgic energy about it. I half-expected to turn around and see someone following closely behind us, listening to us as we discussed the ghostly experiences had by so many in the building.
Natatorium Bookstore on the Route 66 side (April Slaughter)
It is no wonder that the Amarillo Natatorium has garnered so much attention from paranormal enthusiasts and curious locals, as stories of ghostly couples dancing to unheard music on the large wooden dance floor are sure to be a draw for anyone interested in experiencing the unknown. Should you ever have the opportunity to visit the Nat, take the time to enjoy a good book, a good story, and perhaps have a ghostly encounter of your own.
CHAPTER 2
Motley County Jail
MATADOR
Motley County Jail exterior (April Slaughter)
IN 1876, MOTLEY COUNTY WAS ESTABLISHED in the Texas Panhandle following a steep decline in the area’s buffalo population and after the Indians who once called this region home had been relocated to reservations. Signer of the Texas Declaration
