Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
Claimed by some to be one of the most haunted places in the world, this university is believed to be haunted by spirits from the former Athens Lunatic Asylum. After opening in 1874, the asylum quickly became overcrowded, and rumors swirled around the treatment of the patients within. In December 1978, patient Margaret Schilling went missing, and a month later her body was found by a maintenance worker. It is said that a clear imprint of her hair and dress are visible on the floor where she was found, despite the area being cleaned repeatedly. The asylum is also allegedly haunted by the ghosts of the impoverished patients who were buried in anonymous graves in a potter's field. At one point in the field, the graves form a circle, which is said to be a meeting place of witches.
There are a number of different locations on campus that are said to be haunted, including the Brown House, where ghostly children can be heard splashing around in the long-gone swimming pool. Jefferson Hall is said to have a "marble sound," which happens most often on the top floor of the building and is the sound of someone dropping hundreds of marbles on the floor above you.
Washington Hall is believed to have an entire ghostly girl's basketball team lurking inside its building, but mostly in the hallway over the arch that connects the hall with Read Hall. Another version of this story includes a men's basketball team that haunts the top floor and the attic, which used to be a rec room.
Bush Hall is also said to have the "marble sounds," along with a poltergeist who haunts the place by turning the water faucets on and off and messing with the lights. At Shively Hall, a student in the 1970's was said to have participated in cult ceremonies at the nearby Hanning Cemetery, and when she stopped, she experienced a number of eerie things in her dorm room. Stories say she said she would have feelings of being pulled to the northeast, back toward the cemetery.
Voigt Hall, Perkins Hall, Cutler Hall, Crawford Hall and Wilson Hall are also among the spots on campus that have paranormal activity.
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Reviews
Have you seen the video of the dorm door with the very clear devil face at OU? It's quite remarkable. (I had a similar experience with a door that had a Conan the Barbarian-like movie poster-like image after I stared at it for a while. A blonde beefcake and a Cleopatra-ish. Once I'd found the image it was visible to others and the door was removed.) People aren't ready for the supernatural.
February 2024
| Would Recommend | Unsure |
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
I lived in Bush Hall 2nd floor during the 2000-2001 school year. I knew of the more famous hauntings in the area, but had never heard anything about Bush. One night during fall quarter, mid-week around 10pm, the hallway was quiet and my roommate and I were sitting on our beds studying. We suddenly heard the marbles outside our door, but we were confused because we had never heard about them. We thought our friends a few rooms down were messing with us so we went down to ask them. One girl nonchalantly said, "Oh that's the Bush Hall ghost. She'll do that outside of your door if she likes you." We continued to experience this throughout the year.
Some time later, one night closer to midnight, we were in bed, but wasn't sure if my roommate was asleep yet. I should note that her bed was along the wall by the hallway, and my bed was by the window. I heard a scratching sound on the wall by her bed and it continued from the foot of her bed by the door, then around the corner above her head. I asked her why she was scratching the wall but she didn't respond at first. I said her name Louder and she woke up, and we heard the scratching continue across the wall toward me, then over my head, across the windows, then across the closets and it stopped at the door. All the way around the room! We couldn't come up with any explanation for that but we both heard it very clearly.
One more thing that happened regularly was the microwave door slamming shut, and there was no draft or anything that we could identify that could have caused it. My roommate would often leave it open after using it and the door would randomly close like someone was forcefully closing it. Occasionally the trash can would scoot by itself.
I haven't experienced anything like that since :)
February 2024
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
i love this so much its so joyful to read about cults and other hellful things i love the part were it says There is a cult that meets down there and performs rituals and everyone is afraid to say it is real. OU has tried to cover it up. There is something hellish going on while the rest of the students are out partying. i love this it reminds me of rainbows and big dick randy????
October 2023
| Would Recommend | Yes |
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful
I love learning about the Athens lunatic asylum and all the story's. I recommend learning about this.
October 2023
| Would Recommend | Yes |
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
As someone who was born and raised, I’m pulling out Jack “You Can’t Handle The Truth!” stay oblivious.
Wilson Hall is a portal and everyone knows it.
October 2023
| Would Recommend | Yes |
0 out of 1 person found this review helpful
I would love to hear more about the tunnels and cult activities that take place there! I am currently a student at Ohio U and am very interested in this topic.
March 2023
| Would Recommend | Yes |
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
I am a OU student. There are so many more things this article is missing. Wilson hall is the most haunted dorm. Multiple students have lost there mind there and attempted to eand their lives or did so after living on the 4th floor in one room that is now not in use and the numbers on the doors have been changed to try to not let students know which room it was. There are 5 main cemeteries surrounding the Athens campus. Wilson hall is in the dirrect middle perfectly and it forms a pentagram. There are weird things that happen. OU has a chain of old tunnels almost never mentioned mainly for maitnince underneath the old sections of campus. There is a cult that meets down there and performs rituals and everyone is afraid to say it is real. OU has tried to cover it up. There is something hellish going on while the rest of the students are out partying.
March 2023
| Would Recommend | No |
16 out of 18 people found this review helpful
i mean its alright
November 2022
| Would Recommend | Yes |
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful
The best info
October 2022
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful
It is rumored that there have been several student deaths. How many were there and what can you tell me about them?
June 2021
| Would Recommend | Yes |
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
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| Last Edit to Your Listing: | Apr 13, 2017 |
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