ISU ranked one of the most haunted college campuses in the nation

And we’ve got you covered on where exactly you’ll find these ghosts

Iowa State just landed on another nationally ranked list, but this time, it wasn’t for the beauty of our campus. Instead, it had to do with all of the creepy buildings on campus.

We have all heard the haunting legends of Friley Hall and the Gold Star Hall in the Memorial Union, but now that we are close to Halloween, we have peaked at number 27 on Online School Center’s list of the “50 Most Haunted Colleges and Campuses.” The University of Iowa also made the list at number 48.

Friley Hall was built in 1927, and for anyone who has lived there or even wandered in there one night, we can all agree that it’s kind of creepy. According to the article, a former student committed suicide in a room in Friley, leading to many haunting legends, which caused the room to be closed permanently. However, the official university reason for the room closure is that it has no access to a fire escape. Many students still refer to the room as “Satan’s Legion.”

Another supposedly haunted place on campus is the Gold Star Hall in the Memorial Union. This hall is just past the front entrance and the zodiac sign. Carved in the walls of the hall are the names of every Iowa State student or alumni member who was killed in action during a war, starting with World War I. According to multiple sites and rumors, the Gold Star Hall and the entirety of the Memorial Union is haunted by Hortense Elizabeth Wind. Wind was a Red Cross nurse in WWI, and many have said that they have heard odd noises and seen shadows when no one else is around, and they are attributed to Wind.

Fisher Theater is also rumored to be haunted. The ghost of Frederica Shattuck is said to haunt the walls of Fisher Theater. Shattuck was a huge contributor to the theater program at Iowa State. According to a university site, Shattuck Theater was named after Shattuck 1960, but was torn down in 1979 after Iowa State began using the newly built Fisher Theater in 1973. Many students and theater workers have reported hearing voices from no one throughout the years, and according to Mysterious Heartland, Shattuck’s wheelchair, which has reportedly been kept by the Theater, moves on its own. Many have also reported seeing someone sitting in the back row of the theater during rehearsals when no one else is in the theater except for staff and students.

Another haunted place on campus is the Farm House Museum. The Museum is reportedly haunted by two sisters who used to live in the house, according to Mysterious Heartland. An Iowa State timeline of the Farm House also says that Esther Wilson unexpectedly died while living in the house. She was the wife of politician James Wilson. An article from the Ames Tribune in 2014 states that Wilson may also be one of the ghosts haunting the house. However, being the oldest building on campus, being opened in 1860, it is very possible that many former residents haunt the Farm House. Some of the incidents reported at the house involve artifacts being moved, curtains opening by themselves and shadows of people who are not there.

According to the site Ghostly Activities, among other sites, friendly ghosts roam the halls of Barton and Freeman Halls. Freeman Hall is named after Alice Freeman Palmer, a former educator. Barton Hall is named after Clara Barton, one of the founders of the American Red Cross. Both of these ghosts are said to be friendly and help students when needed. However, the second floor of Linden Hall is supposedly home to many ghosts who appear in mirrors, turn on faucets and play with the lights.


Whether you believe in ghosts or not, nothing gets you in the Halloween spirit like some ghost hunting right? Stay spooky, ISU.

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