The Austin Tavern is haunted by the spirit of Emily, a former prostitute who was murdered by a politician in the 1920s or 1930s, with her body hidden in a third-floor crawl space. Guests and staff report various paranormal activities, including feeling watched, being touched or pinched, hearing phantom footsteps and pool games, experiencing cold spots, and seeing hazy apparitions. The building, one of Austin's oldest, was a brothel during the Prohibition era, and this dark history contributes to its reputation for haunting. Emily was a prostitute working in the building, which served as a brothel during Prohibition. A powerful politician was caught visiting the brothel and, in a fit of rage, murdered Emily. He hid her body in a crawl space on the third floor of the building. The ghost of Emily is said to have never left, making The Tavern one of Austin's most famous haunted locations. Visitors and employees report feeling watched, being tapped on the shoulder, and feeling pinched. Phantom footsteps, the sounds of a pool game, and sobbing have been heard. Hazy apparitions have been seen, and some report cold spots or the feeling of a presence. TVs are known to turn on and off without explanation, kitchen drawers fly open, and items disappear. A pair of shoes was found buried within the walls in 2006, and the shoes were put on display as evidence of Emily's presence.