“Once a customer came in,” Dana recalls, “and Rick, the owner, noticed they had this look on their face, so he looked up to see what they were looking at and there was what looked like a spirit in a long black dress with a veil who came down and disappeared.”Įven though the house has been renovated and relocated, it is still recognisable as the Sawyer family home, and it is easy to place yourself within the key scenes of the film.Īnd if diners don’t recognise the house based on the layout, a life-size replica of Grandpa sitting upstairs will make them start asking questions. Julia isn’t the only figure who has made their presence known inside the house. So, I said, ‘Julia, I do not have time for you to mess with me this morning, so leave me alone so I can do my job.’ And it quit.” Dana adds, “We have had customers see it, too.” “The psychic said that there’s a very friendly spirit here and her name is Julia, and she is happy. Previously, a psychic had visited the house to see if there was a supernatural presence, and what they discovered allowed Dana to reach out. However, Dana had a strong feeling that this was more than her just hearing things or a strong gust of wind. I turned around and one sheet after another is coming out like it’s being pulled by someone and they’re just falling to the floor.”
“But, one day, they were really active-I was facing the oven and I hear this sheet pan paper rustling. And I was like, ‘Okay, y’all aren’t bothering me I’m not gonna bother y’all.’”
I was head chef for six years and I would come in about five or six o’clock in the morning to get breakfast ready and the first thing that got me was the sound of little kids running upstairs or just bouncing a ball back and forth to each other. The house has been home to a couple of ghost sightings, something that Dana happily discusses. So we’re in a convenient place, but you still have the country feel.”Įven though the scary scenes depicted in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were fictional, some other scary events at the house were not. Dana talks with pride about the area, “We have the small peaceful areas around the lakes, and you’re just a short distance from Austin and San Antonio. Johnson (LBJ), a man-made body of water that stretches 21 miles long. The restaurant and hotel are surrounded by Lake Lyndon B. They wanted to recreate Grand Central Station, but the train theme doesn’t beat the Chain Saw Massacre because people are just so ‘let me see!’” Despite all these homages to the railroad and its heritage, the restaurant is remembered more for the chain than the train.ĭana explains, “The owners have a railroad theme in this house. There is a strong railroad theme running through both the restaurant and neighbouring hotel-the restaurant is named after the New York train station, the adjoining bar is entitled Club Car Bar, and during the early 1900s the area was the site of a train depot and track. As Dana mentions, “It was just a lovely house that they wanted.” The house wasn’t just purchased because it was one of horror’s most iconic settings. This Victorian house has been home to Grand Central Café since 2012, and this year it celebrates its 10th anniversary. The bar was added four or five years ago along with the outdoor seating, but the rest of it was moved from Round Rock and put back together.” ‘‘It was transported in six or seven different pieces, because a house this size couldn’t be moved as one. She talks about how the house was moved and its subsequent changes. Dana Strong (who is currently the bookkeeper but has worked in a variety of roles) has worked at the site for many years. Moving houseīuilt in the early 1900s, the Victorian house was originally situated in Williamson County (now Round Rock), roughly 65 miles away from its current location, before being acquired by The Antlers Inn in 1998. Find out about the origins of the house, the supernatural occurrences, and why there is still a “buzz” about the place after all these years.
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The house is one of the most iconic horror movie locations ever, and the real history of the house is just as intriguing as its cinematic past. And if Franklin, Sally, and company stopped on the premises looking for gas, they would surely get a much friendlier welcome than they received from the Sawyer family. Johnson (LBJ), and the house and surrounding area are a beautiful sight. The café serves more traditional cuisine-breakfast, soup, burgers, etc.-and is situated next to the picturesque Lake Lyndon B. Today, the house is now the Grand Central Café and Club Car Bar, situated next to The Antlers Inn in Kingsland, Texas. Cooking and consumption still take place on the property, but human meat is not on the menu. The house from Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been through a lot of changes over the years, but there are some things that haven’t changed about the old place.