Homecoming Week is here, and this year’s theme is Halloween Spooktacular! Keep reading to uncover some of the creepiest ghost stories and haunted spots around campus… if you dare.
Spooky Campus Spots
People believe that the most haunted locations are Faner Hall, Shryock Auditorium, Wheeler Hall, the Student Center, Morris Library, Puliam Hall, Kleinau Theatre (2nd floor of the Communications Building), and Altgeld Hall. A Carbondale local by the name of Victoria Kreher believes that “the university is the spookiest location because ghosts can be seen roaming the halls of buildings.”
A sub foreman at Shyrock by the name of Brian says in a YouTube video that he came in the backstage door one night and walked onto the stage when he heard a female voice say, “I’m over here.” When he looked up, there was nobody there. On April 13, 1935, Henry William Shyrock died inside the building just before a student assembly. Every night before Brian leaves, he says, “Goodnight, Henry” and ever since then, things have been much more peaceful.
The Cannon
One of SIU’s creepiest campus legends claims that if a virgin walks by a cannon, it will fire. The story goes back all the way to the late 1800s. According to a 1998 Daily Egyptian article, the U.S. Department of War gave SIU two cannons in 1878 for the Douglas Corps cadets. Over time, the cannon was moved around campus — from Old Main to Altgeld Hall — before student mischief got it relocated for good. Now it rests quietly in the museum archives on McLafferty Road. The second cannon’s whereabouts are presently unknown.
Communications Building Basement
There is also believed to be a paranormal presence in the basement of the Communications Building. In The Daily Egyptian, writer Gus Bode shared a quote from 2003 graduate Chrissy Mazzone, who said, “When I’m downstairs in the basement, I hear clanking in the pipes — it feels like the noise is following me.”
The Old Asylum
An old nursing home known as Sunset Haven was known for its ghostly sightings. People believe that this building on the southwest side of town was haunted. The university demolished Sunset Haven because too many people were sneaking in to explore the old building, which had once served as a county home for the poor and elderly. SIU purchased the property in 1957 to expand its agricultural programs, and the facility has remained closed ever since. Scott Thorne, owner of Castle Perilous, said “There are still unmarked graves where the building used to be.”
Hundley House
The Hundley House holds one of Carbondale’s darkest mysteries — the unsolved double murder of J.C. and Luella Hundley, who were shot on December 12, 1928, at 601 W Main St. Nearly a century later, the case remains a chilling legend, and the house still carries an air of unanswered questions. Since at least the 1990s, the Hundley House has been said to be haunted by the spirits of J.C. and Luella Hundley. People passing by have claimed to hear a gunshot and see the porch swing move even when there’s no wind.
Former owners have also reported eerie activity inside the home — televisions and CD players turning on and off by themselves, doors slamming shut, and the sound of pained groans, especially near the back staircase. Its eerie reputation even drew the attention of the Discovery Channel series Ghost Lab, which filmed an episode there in 2010 to investigate reports of paranormal activity. Dan Jones, former owner of the Hundley House, opened it originally as a bed and breakfast after purchasing it in 2008 and has heard stories of strange noises, mysterious piano music and paranormal movement in the house. According to Professor Jonathan Gray, the upstairs apartment has a “very creepy vibe.”
As Homecoming Week wraps up, it’s clear that SIU has more than just school spirit. It’s got spirits of another kind, too. Whether you’re into ghost stories or just love a good scare, these legends are part of what makes our campus so unique. Happy Homecoming and Happy Halloween, Salukis!
Sources:
https://dailyegyptian.com/28142/archives/campus-ghost-stories-uncovered/
