The College of William and Scary: Unpacking the Most Haunted Spots on Campus

Some say attending the second oldest college in the United States brings potential opportunities for encounters with those in the afterlife. Molly Drew ’26 highlights the scariest spots on campus and the ghosts you might find there. 

Warning: this article contains language that may be triggering or difficult to readers who are experiencing or have experienced mental health struggles. 

Do I believe in ghosts? No. Do I want to? Absolutely! Deep down I believe there is probably a scientific explanation for most ghost sightings, but in my opinion, a world with ghosts is much more interesting than a world without. I must admit, despite my personal disbelief, I still get easily scared by horror movies, scary stories, and walking outside late at night. So, if ghosts do turn out to be real, I would hate to have offended them with my disbelief. To brace myself for any ghostly encounters this fall, I decided to do a little digging into the College of William and Mary’s ghost stories. At a campus this old, there are bound to be some thrilling and spooky stories. Ghost stories around campus have been collected by word-of-mouth, YouTube videos, and the “Hauntings at William and Mary” map created by Margot Baden ’20. This digital map pinpoints places of supernatural encounters at the College from student submissions. Whether you’ve seen a ghost yourself or are a firm believer that ghosts are impossible, our campus certainly has some mysterious and entertaining tales! So without further ado ... brace yourself for the most haunted spots and well-known ghost stories of the College.. 

Tucker Hall:

As an English major, I was thrilled to hear I spend most of my hours in one of the most notably haunted buildings on campus. While there is one well-known spirit affectionately referred to as “the Tucker ghost,” there have been various accounts of strange supernatural experiences in the building. I myself have heard strange tapping noises in the bathrooms, which I always assumed to be the pipes, but perhaps it is something more sinister ... The story of the Tucker ghost does involve mental health struggles and mentions of suicide, so reader discretion is advised. The third floor of Tucker is haunted by a girl who was so stressed by her studies she decided to end her life. The story goes that her ghost will appear to other students on Tucker’s third floor and ask how their studying is going. If they are similarly stressed, her ghost will tell them to follow in her footsteps. The dark background of this story is not one I mean to make light of, and I only include it as it’s the most well-known ghost story around campus. Along with this story, there have been other vague encounters with the supernatural, from flickering lights to a sense of being watched. In my time, I’ve never felt a real ghostly presence, but the red walls in office areas and the third floor are rather terrifying. Actual accounts of ghost sightings that align with the supposed story are very rare, but many have recorded on the “Hauntings of William and Mary” map feelings of an other-worldly presence.  

The Sunken Garden/The Brafferton School:

Part of the College’s problematic history includes the Brafferton School, which was created to assimilate Indigenous boys to English culture and ideas. One of the more notable ghost stories involves this school and its pupils. The story is that one of the Indigenous boys successfully ran away from the school, but was later found dead on campus from an unknown cause. Now, on dark and misty nights, rumor has it that his ghost can be seen running across the Sunken Garden. I asked myself: How can we be sure it’s a ghost and not a student on a late-night jog? The boy’s ghost floats off the ground, running where the ground level was when he was alive, before it was dug out to become the Sunken Garden. Some also say the sounds of knocking and scratching can be heard at the door late at night, as more spirits try to escape.

Sir Christopher Wren Building: 

One of the College’s biggest boasts is the Wren building, the oldest academic college building in the United States actively in use. More importantly, it is also one of the most haunted college buildings. The building was built over 300 years ago, has caught on fire three times, and stands atop a crypt; it's easy to see how this would be prime real estate for ghosts. Although the Wren does not have one specific story of a ghost haunting it, its long and unique history gives plenty of possibilities for ghosts and other supernatural experiences. The building served as a hospital during both the Revolutionary and Civil War, and many have claimed the halls remain haunted by soldiers who died during these times. Some claim to have seen actual ghosts of soldiers late at night, while others have reported footsteps echoing overhead with no traceable human source. The crypt has also been a source of suspected ghost origination. Unfortunately, the distinguished Virginians (R.I.P.) who lie below have not been allowed to Rest in Peace. The crypt was robbed during the Civil War, as Union forces took the valuable items within. Since then, it is not improbable that the crypt has been visited by the occasional daring group of students (or seniors of the Spotswood Society). I say we let the ghosts rest! 

Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall:

Even though the performing arts building has been recently renovated, it has an extensive history of ghost stories. PBK’s main ghost story centers around a girl who was cast as the lead in one of the department’s first productions but died before opening night. Legend has it that one night, while her understudy was rehearsing alone, she saw the dress for the lead character sitting upright in the front row. Rumor has it the dress has appeared throughout the building without explanation ... In addition, the ghost of the founder of the College’s theatre department, Althea Hunt, is known to haunt and cause costume and prop failures for any student who shows her disrespect. Besides these two ghosts, the old PBK had the usual supernatural occurrences: flickering lights, objects moving on their own, shadowy figures, etc. I, for one, would be interested to know how the renovation of PBK has affected ghostly activity. Unfortunately, I can only imagine that having their haunting grounds subjected to heavy construction would not be too pleasing for the ghosts. 

Whether you believe the stories or not, attending one of the most historic and haunted colleges is a pretty cool experience. All I know is that even if I’m not fully convinced ghosts exist, I’ll be a little more cautious around these parts of campus. And if you’re still not fully convinced, I recommend at least respecting their stories. After all, better safe than sorry...