Old buildings are the pinnacle of the paranormal, where the floors showcase ghost sightings, halls echoing the whispers, bone-chilling footsteps next to yours. After all it implies that these abandoned mansions, spooky restaurants or even renowned elite colleges —have likely witnessed some kind of macabre event. From haunting tales passed down through the years to real-life occurrences, the notion of ghosts can’t simply be dismissed as mere fantasy. While it is not scientifically proven, that doesn’t mean it isn’t real; after all, we never disproven it. Right?!
So to create a different vibe and enhance the sense of eeriness within you, we have gathered 10 most haunted universities where local legends roam more quickly than the restless souls. Let’s step away from the realm of science and enter the universe of theories, legends and beliefs where ghosts scream “This is my territory”. If you are not a scared cat, read on!
Caution: It isn’t recommended for lighthearted readers because some of the stories are really upsetting.
- Gettysburg College, USA
- St Andrews University, Scotland
- Heidelberg University, Germany
- Nagasaki University, Japan
- University of Toronto, Canada
- University of Alabama, USA
- Ohio University, USA
- Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
- University of Cambridge, England
- Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Bonus – Savitribai Phule Pune University, India
1. Gettysburg College, USA:
Founded in 1832, Gettysburg is renowned for both its academic excellence and its status as the most haunted university in the US. Sitting close to the Gettysburg Battlefield, this 186-year-old university has a violent Civil War history. In the 1863 battle, Gettysburg University served as a war hospital, and over 50,000 soldiers were killed, injured, or reported missing. Although this university has a lot of ghost stories, here are a few well-known ones.
- When a few college staff members used the lift to reach the building’s first floor they were instead taken to the basement of Penn Hall. Before their eyes looked like a war hospital with doctors treating injured soldiers. Felt like a time travel, upon returning again to the same area, they were shocked to find nothing. Surprisingly, the basement was actually used as a hospital and morgue during the war.
- An armed sentinel’s ghost, wearing a cap and an overcoat, marching through the Penn Hall and the campus, has been observed on multiple occasions by students. Also some people have reported seeing a group of soldiers roaming the campus after dusk.
- According to another legend, the ghost of a “blue faced boy,” who had been frozen to death, haunts Stevens Hall. In the past, this place functioned as a Girls College Prep School. After escaping from his abusive home, an orphan boy took refuge in one of the girls’ rooms. When the school’s head came in, they hid the boy under a window sill. When they checked him after a while, he was nowhere to be found. Odd sounds and a blue face pressed into the window have been reported by residents. Similarly, there have been paranormal events at Huber Hall.
2. St Andrews University, Scotland:
The cloudy weather combined with the historic structures of the St Andrews University sets the stage for a perfect eerie vibe. The University of St Andrews, which was built in 1413, is recognized as the oldest academically renowned college. While it proudly carries the title “the home of golf,” this place harbors many restless spirits, earning its status as a haunted university among the world.
Some notorious sightings include,
- “Tom Morris,” a 19th-century young Open Championship winner, stalks the St Andrews Old Course. In contrast to a malevolent ghost, this golfer’s spirit aids the neighborhood players in retrieving the balls. It is believed that he passed away from natural causes shortly after being heartbroken by the loss of his pregnant wife and the unborn child.
- Further, the spirit of Patrick Hamilton, Scotland’s first martyr, who had been burned alive close to St Salvator’s Chapel. At the execution spot, the students heard crackling noises and smelled the charred flesh.
- The horrible apparition, Veiled Nun of St Leonards where she disfigured herself upon the death of her beloved. Her ghost still prowls around the campus and lifts her veil at passers.
- The most famous ghost was the White Lady, who was seen taking strolls and wafting her handkerchief from a window of St Rules Tower. She was dressed in a white frock, wearing leather gloves. According to legend, she was a lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scotland and died from sadness over her decapitated lover.
- Additionally, the St Andrews Cathedral’s kind ghostly monk makes sure that everyone visiting the tower is safe.
Fortunately, if you like to explore this area, you can take an official tour of St Andrews’ haunted spots.
3. Heidelberg University, Germany:
Up next, we have Heidelberg University standing boldly as the oldest university in Germany with a gloomy history of supernatural activities. Due to the Nazis atrocious reign, this university, which opened its doors in 1386, is haunted by an array of ghosts. Numerous professors at this university who stood firm in their teachings were sent to concentration camps and forced to work until they died. Students claim that their spirits leave behind mysterious words on the chalkboard overnight, even when the lecture hall is empty and they also erase the board on their own.
The university’s clinic is the most unsettling spot on the campus, where the haunting screams and cries of women can be heard, even to this day. This is the ultimate result of Nazis who compelled women to undergo sterilization, preventing them from having children. Additionally, staff and students report they smelled smoke, charred papers, and burnt leather near the University Square, where the Nazis burned a large number of books they didn’t agree with in 1933. Steeped in centuries of ghostly tales, a trip to Heidelberg University guarantees a thrilling experience that you wouldn’t want to miss!
4. Nagasaki University, Japan:
Notably, Nagasaki University in Japan has witnessed a significant number of tragic events over the years. Despite its opening in 1949, Nagasaki University is still believed to be plagued by the terrible incident of 1945. The U.S. launched nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, causing the greatest death toll in history. Just a few hundred meters from the explosion site, the Nagasaki Medical College, founded in 1857, lost more than 800 professors, students, and college employees.
Even after all these years, it is believed that the ghosts of those who were killed in the bombing still inhabit the campus. Students and visitors frequently experience heart-stopping screams and cries, the stench of burning flesh, and sightings of ghostly figures wandering around the college. Being the stage of wartime tales and strange happenings, this haunted university is the ideal ground to feel the whispers of the past.
5. University of Toronto, Canada:
The University of Toronto has earned a reputation for academics and as a globally haunted university since 1827. Many believe that this university is home to numerous spirits, including one tied to a tragic love triangle that ended badly. During the construction, two stone masons, Ivan Reznikoff and Paul Diabolos had fallen in love with the same woman. When Reznikoff pledged to wed his lover, Diabolos convinced her to flee with him, taking the money that Reznikoff had saved. Enraged after finding their plan, they both fought each other, during which Diabolos fatally stabbed Reznikoff. He then hid Reznikoff’s body beneath a staircase that led to the tower’s roof. However, nobody knows what happened to Diabolos and the woman. The spirit of Reznikoff is said to still roam the college grounds at night.
The wealthy businessman and mansion’s owner, Robert Christie, imprisoned his mistress in a secret chamber behind his library, which is now the notorious room 29. After much devastation, the mistress hanged herself to death from the rafters. This poor captive’s fate inspired many popular writings. Professors, students and securities all report hearing thuds and bangings in an empty room, objects moving and figures suddenly disappearing. The Hart House, the Laidlaw Library, Massey College and the Wallberg Building are other eerie university buildings where you can sense the souls.
6. University of Alabama, USA:
From the moment you enter the captivating campus of Alabama University, you will be swept away by the energy of lively spirits. This university initially opened in 1831 and converted into a military academy in 1860 to train Confederate soldiers for the American Civil War. Except the destroyed ones, other surviving buildings literally have paranormal activities. To mention a few, the ghost of a tall soldier will be hovering near the little Round house and voices of the troops can be heard. According to legend, Josiah Gorgas, the previous university president, is haunting Gorgas House, the oldest structure, where staff and students claim to hear footsteps and the clanking of his sword.
Shockingly he is not alone! Amelia Gorgas, his wife and the former librarian, still roams on the 4th floor of Gorgas House. Additionally, some witnessed the famous geologist Eugene Allen Smith’s carriage roll down the corridors of Alabama History Museum. If these spirits don’t send a chill down your spine, head over to the Marian Galloway Theatre and ask How’s my blocking, Miss Galloway? This way, you might just catch a glimpse of Marian’s ghost for yourself.
7. Ohio University, USA:
Launched in 1804, Ohio university enrolled students in 1808, and became well-known around the world for its urban legends. To put it simply, this is the most-visited haunted University in America by paranormal researchers. More than 200 years old, this place was once the Athens Lunatic Asylum, a mental health facility famous for treatments like electroshock therapy and lobotomies. This university is nestled amidst five cemeteries, where you can discover the graves of patients. In 2013 the old tuberculosis ward often known as “Cottage B” was demolished after intruders sneaked in. The deceased body of Margaret Schilling, an asylum patient, is believed to have been discovered on the top level of the museum and art center, which is now deserted. But how could that even happen?
Believers claim that the notorious Room 428 in Wilson Hall is the most haunted dorm. Reportedly, a student was possessed, spoke weird languages, and later jumped to her death from the building. In addition, two more students were discovered dead under suspicious circumstances. Students who lived in the room stated that the door continually slammed open and shut on its own, items flew from the shelves, and they broke against the walls. So the room is now locked up and remains unoccupied.
8. Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines:
The haunting Ateneo de Manila is shrouded in unsettling legends. It was initially operated by Jesuit priests when it was founded in 1859. During the Second World War, it was converted into an army camp and combat hospital, and it even has a cemetery beneath it. Professors and pupils experienced countless ghostly apparitions and paranormal incidents from the communications building to the passageways. The ghost of a woman who was hanged while praying, sightings of mythological creatures resting by the mango tree, the spirits of lovers who killed themselves, the ghosts of dwarves, and Japanese soldiers’ rolled-up cigarettes at Cervini Dormitory, and the existence of an unearthly portal at Court 4 are among the supernatural events. It is believed that buildings like Bellarmine Hall and Gonzaga Hall are haunted by restless ghosts, despite the fact that thousands of students stroll the campus. Despite these daunting legends, people are drawn to this university by its lively campus and outstanding academics.
9. University of Cambridge, England:
Established in 1209, Cambridge University is the oldest and most prestigious paranormally active college in England. Here are a few well-known tales,
- Oliver Cromwell, the Commonwealth’s Lord Protector was executed and after 3 years his body was exposed to posthumous execution. Witnesses claim to have seen his floating head and his ghost is rumored to be roving around the campus looking for the rest of his body.
- Mr. Barrett is the sole reason why the Gibbs Building is currently empty. Due to his obsessive fascination with the occult, he had a coffin in his room and would spend hours screaming at night. One night, however, his screaming suddenly stopped, and his lifeless body was discovered grinning at the ceiling within the coffin. Every year on his anniversary, his eerie sobs can be heard across the entire stairway.
- At Corpus Christi College, students reported seeing the harmless ghosts of passionate lovers strolling the campus. According to the story, the heartbroken woman threw herself off the roof after learning that James Betts, her lover, suffocated to death in a cupboard.
- In order to chase away the Restless spirits, at least three exorcisms were conducted at Peterhouse, the oldest college. Students are taken aback when the amiable spirit of Dr. James Wood shows up in the hallways of St John’s College, where he used to study.
If you’re up for a mind-boggling ghost experience, this haunted college might be the place for you.
10. Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong:
Nothing has halted the hauntings of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, despite its opening in 1963. What makes this spooky university special is the presence of relatively young spirits on its roster. Based on a local legend, a young lady with long braided hair jumped from a sprinting train and tore off her face. It is believed that she preys on young men who are alone on the road which runs along the university, and students claim to see her ghost strolling the campus. Some students saw a 12-year-old boy who was drowning and pleading for help. But it turns out to be the ghost of a foreign lecturer’s child who drowned in the pool. Another distressing tale is that the spirit of a heartbroken boy who electrocuted himself in Grace Tien Hall is said to haunt the college’s grounds. Don’t be spooked – the spirits here might be happy to tell you their story.
11. Bonus – Savitribai Phule Pune University, India:
Did you know that Savitribai Phule Pune University has a troubled background despite having one of India’s greatest educational programs and well-kept campuses? Established in 1949, this haunted university is believed to be stalked by Alice Richman’s ghost. Alice, the niece of James Fergusson passed away from cholera in 1882 and was laid to rest in a garden at the university. Many theories were put forth regarding her death, despite the fact that she died of cholera. Many individuals spotted the spirit of Alice Richman prowling the campus at night, wearing a white gown and carrying a candle.
From the chilling midnight whispers to the mysterious flickering lights in the library, every floor of these colleges have some real supernatural activities. In a nutshell, if you’re interested in a spectral academic experience, enrolling in one of these top 10 haunted universities in the world would be ideal for you. Undoubtedly there’s a lot more on your plate than just the looming exams.
So, if you’re up for a good scare, check out our kintop10 website, where you’ll find a treasure trove of chilling stories that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Just ensure to keep the lights on! Take a step forward and venture into the realm of paranormal.
And don’t hold back! Drop your most bone-chilling encounters in the comments section.
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