With 127 years under its belt, the University of Illinois is bound to have accumulated some haunted histories. This Friday the 13th, one might consider avoiding certain spots that host some of these urban legends.
Whether you’re looking for a good scare or hoping to stay away from accidents waiting to happen, these University haunts are frighteningly relevant on this unlucky Friday.
Before getting into the list, readers should be warned that many urban legends around the University center around death, specifically suicide, and should proceed with caution.
English Building
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According to UIHistories, the English Building was built in 1905, making it one of the oldest buildings on campus. Since then, rumors have circulated around campus about it possibly being haunted. Those who have classes there may have heard whispers about voices in the hallways that seem to have no source, cold spots, flickering lights and ghosts in classrooms.
The building, which used to be a residence hall for women between its founding in 1905 and 1947, has narrow, repetitive hallways that beg its visitors to lose their ways. It is rumored that a resident of the hall drowned herself in the swimming pool that was once where the current atrium is after a poor grade, though some speculate it was because of an unwanted pregnancy.
In a paper on University myths, Nichol Chontoalsky, an alum of LAS, mentions sightings of a woman looking out on Wright Street from the top floor of Lincoln Hall. Some propose that this is the sister spirit of the one that resides in the English Building, while others speculate that it’s a former teaching assistant who took her own life by jumping out the window.
Main Stacks, Main Library
While a haunted library may seem a bit on the nose, plenty of stories circulate around campus about hauntings in the Main Stacks, which can be found on the second floor of the Main Library.
The Main Stacks Collection is a collection of bookshelves that span multiple floors and is home to a collection of around five million volumes. Entry to the stacks requires an iCard or special permission for those intending to do research for non-University students and faculty.
The University Library Guide mentions stories of “unexplained hauntings,” students getting lost and passing away in the stacks, exhausted students falling asleep in the stacks and an apparition that appears at a “certain time.” That being said, maybe consider bringing a friend before visiting this spot, and of course, staying awake.
Basement of Noyes Laboratory
The University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA) reported on a legend of a grave in a secret room in the basement of Noyes Laboratory.
“In 2006, a disturbing photo of the chamber, which showed a white cross with yellow flowers next to a coffin-sized depression in the dirt floor was emailed to the library’s reference desk by then-student Martin McCorkmick ’10 ENG,” the UIAA said.
One Reddit user reported two masks in the depression, which ended up being an art project that someone had left down there.
The story behind the suspected grave is that Arthur William Palmer, a chemistry professor who died in 1904, is buried there. However, this has been disproved, as Palmer’s grave resides at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Mount Hope and Woodlawn Cemeteries
On the topic of cemeteries, Urbana-Champaign is no stranger to a grave or two.
Rumors travel around campus about a strange light seen at Woodlawn Cemetery, perhaps by a spirit attempting to find their grave.
Mount Hope Cemetery can also be found on campus, between Pennsylvania and Florida Avenues in Urbana. Those who have formed in FAR and PAR may be able to attest to any strange findings in this cemetery, though there aren’t many widespread rumors about it as of now.
Psychology Building
Last but certainly not least is the Psychology Building, a structure with what could be one of the most tragic backstories on campus.
In his book on hauntings in Illinois, “Haunted Illinois: Ghosts and Strange Phenomenon of the Prairie State,” Troy Taylor mentions the Psychology Building, wherein two students have fallen down the stairwell in the southwest corner of the building.
Since these incidents in 1975, a cage was put in the stairwell to prevent further accidents; however, it is rumored that these students still haunt the staircase today.
While this list only scratches the surface of many of the legends and lore surrounding the University, these places are nothing if not historical. For now, poke around campus and see what there is to find, you never know what secrets are waiting to be unturned.
