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This Texas Cemetery Is Where a UFO Pilot Supposedly Crashed In 1897

There’s a small Texas town with an old cemetery that holds one of the strangest tales you’ll ever hear. 

Picture this: it’s the late 1800s, and a mysterious flying “airship” crashes near a quiet farming community. 

The wreckage is unlike anything anyone’s ever seen, and the townspeople stumble upon a pilot who doesn’t exactly look…human. 

Instead of panicking, the locals do something even more surprising—they give this unknown visitor a proper burial right in their town cemetery. 

Fast forward over a century, and this little-known spot has become a legendary stop for UFO enthusiasts and curious travelers. 

But is there any truth to the story? 

Did a UFO really crash, and could an extraterrestrial actually be buried in Texas soil? 

Read on as we dive into the history, legends and secrets surrounding one of the state’s most unusual cemeteries.

About Aurora Cemetery

Aurora Cemetery is one of Texas’s oldest and most intriguing cemeteries, tucked away in the small town of Aurora which is just a 30-minute drive north of Fort Worth.

Beyond its beautiful, tree-lined paths and historic headstones, this cemetery holds a mysterious claim. 

Legend has it that Aurora Cemetery is the final resting place of a non-human pilot—an alien, if the stories are true—who allegedly crashed here in 1897. 

History

The history of Aurora Cemetery dates back to it’s establishment in 1861.

Established alongside the town of Aurora, the cemetery quickly became the final resting place for early settlers, Civil War veterans, and generations of local families. 

Aurora boomed in the 1870s, but soon after, a devastating epidemic, possibly a meningitis or typhoid outbreak, swept through, leaving many families with loved ones buried here. 

Aurora’s growth never fully recovered, and over time, it transformed from a bustling town to a quieter, close-knit community—yet the cemetery remained a lasting landmark.

The most fascinating chapter in the cemetery’s history came in April 1897, when Aurora became the site of what many consider to be one of the first documented UFO incidents in American history. 

According to a now-famous article published in the ‘Dallas Morning News’ by reporter S.E. Haydon, a “mystery airship” crashed into a windmill on a local judge’s property, exploding on impact.

Townsfolk who arrived at the scene described the wreckage as metallic and unusual, and, more shockingly, they claimed to have found a body in the debris. 

According to the article, townsfolk discovered a mangled “pilot” with features that weren’t quite human.

Haydon reported that the creature’s appearance was “not an inhabitant of this world”.

Instead of letting this odd creature fade into history, the townspeople reportedly gave it a respectful burial in Aurora Cemetery, marking its grave with a simple headstone. 

The grave, marked with a small headstone etched with a crude carving of an airship, became known as “the alien grave” and drew both interest and skepticism. 

Many UFO enthusiasts that visit today hope to catch a glimpse of the infamous gravesite, though the original marker mysteriously vanished in the 1970s with many people claiming it never even existed in the first place. 

Even so, visitors today often leave small mementos, trinkets and even alien figurines at the supposed gravesite as a tribute to the legend.

Despite efforts from enthusiasts and researchers to locate or even exhume the grave, the city of Aurora has consistently resisted disturbing the site, respecting it as a historical landmark rather than a point of spectacle.

Throughout the 20th century, Aurora remained a quiet town, with the cemetery as a constant feature. 

While the alien grave story began as a local mystery, it gained renewed attention in the 1970s, with several books, TV shows and paranormal investigations spotlighting Aurora Cemetery. 

Today, the cemetery is home to one of the strangest mysteries to ever hit the Lone Star State.

How To Get There

Getting to Aurora Cemetery is straightforward, though it’s tucked away in the quiet town of Aurora, about 27 miles northwest of Fort Worth. 

If you’re driving from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, it makes for an easy day trip.

From Fort Worth, take US-287 North toward Rhome. 

After about 20 miles, exit onto FM-718, which will take you into the small town of Aurora. 

Stay on FM-718 as it winds through the area, and in just a few minutes, you’ll see signs for Aurora Cemetery on Cemetery Road.

There’s a small gravel parking area at the entrance to the cemetery, and from there you can easily access the main paths.

Once you arrive, you’ll find the cemetery’s paths are fairly easy to navigate on foot. 

There are no guided tours or marked pathways to the “alien grave,” but you’ll notice that people often leave small trinkets or tokens near the spot believed to be the legendary burial site. 

The cemetery is open to the public, but remember to be respectful as it’s still an active burial site and a place of local significance. 


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Tom Jackson

Tom was born in San Antonio but spent most of his childhood in Dallas, he has lived in several cities across Texas and joined the team in 2024 to create travel guides on Texas.

Learn more about the Traveller's Elixir Team.

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