Dark Academia Month: Real Haunted Schools in New Jersey
We all have plenty of school memories that Haunt us forever, but what about a REAL ghost story to boot?! What better way to ring in the start to spooky season (yea, I start September 1st…what of it?!) than to take a tour of the Great Garden State’s Spookiest Schools!
Ugh, I just love a good road trip.!! Don’t you?
Have a fave we’ve left off this list?
We want to hear about it! Let us know in the comments!
KEAN UNIVERSITY
,
Union NJ
The University first opened in Newark, NJ in 1855 under the name “Newark Normal School,” but it relocated to Union in 1958 and changed names to Kean University. The campus has several areas with reported ghost sitings.
The Wilkins Theatre is said to be haunted by a man named George, a stagehand who died quite unfortunately on premise. Rumor has it you must bid George goodnight if you’re the last to leave the theatre, for if you don’t he’ll curse the upcoming performance! Others have reported flickering and shaking lights, strange noises from the pits, and clanging in the prop closets. And our good pal George isn’t alone! If you look in the wings, there’s also a mysterious blonde woman in a blue frock who occasionally makes an appearance.
The East Campus wing has reported sightings of a young girl who attended the former Catholic School on the grounds.
The Eames building is home to a malevolent spirit, and Rogers Hall is haunted by an equally unnerving ghost who slams windows and doors!
And if you pay a visit to the Liberty Hall Museum as you leave the grounds, keep an eye out for strange apparitions amidst the historic collection. Orbs, floating people, and other strange occurrences have been reported by the groundskeepers overnight!
DREW UNIVERSITY
Madison, New Jersey
Drew University was founded in 1867 as a seminary, thanks to a gift from Wall Street financier and Steamboat Tycoon Daniel Drew, and a growing demand for theological studies. Drew University has had many ghost sightings reported over the years thanks to its storied history. In the castle-like building known as the Great Hall, it’s rumored that ghostly faces appear in the ceiling’s carved surfaces. If that isn’t disturbing enough, students report the chandeliers swing by themselves, too. And if you look closely in one of the mirrors, a ghostly apparition of a man with gold rimmed glasses might just appear and peek right back. In dismal and dreary reports, Hoyt Hall is rumored to be home to a young woman who hung herself in the attic, may she rest in peace! Wander over to the Arboretum, and you’ll find the wispy, spectral figure known as The Lady in Blue who wanders around the lakeside. And if you’ve got a flair for the dramatic, we recommend stopping by Drew’s Theatre department to pay a visit to dear ol’ Reggie the Theatre ghost; according to a first-hand account told directly to the author of this post, Reggie really loves to play with the lights in Kirby Theatre. My source says that once when she was in the lavratory with a pal, the lights were flickering on and off in the stall her friend had occupied; she tried to convince her friend that it was just old electrical wiring, but at that EXACT moment the light went right out! Suffice it to say, that was a very short trip to the potty that ended in screams, and not the good kind. Every theatre department student knows about Reggie, and legend has it that he was once a student at the University who fell from the second floor running track when the building used to be a gymnasium. A truly unfortunate demise for poor Reggie, but we’re glad he’s spreading his jovial, mischievous hijinks on his current peers. Rest in peace, buddy! And let us not forget the spirit of Roxanna Mead Drew, who is said to appear in Mead Hall, leaving cold spots whenever she disappears. Whew, creepy!
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY
Madison, New Jersey
The property on Fairleigh has two haunted halls: Lenfel Hall and The Mansion. Multiple witnesses have reported sightings of the ghost of founder Peter Sanmartino wandering around Lenfel Hall. And over in the Mansion, you will see a young girl in a white dress twirling and dancing down the hallways. According to additional reports by groundskeepers and maintenance, the boiler room has also experienced hauntings! They have reported doorknobs twisting and creaking, only to open the door and find nothing on the other side. And several students report seeing a figure in the window of the Mansion while walking between classes at night, and the woman in the white dress staring from a balcony across and into the gardens. Beware the haunted halls of Fairleigh and all the things that go bump in the night!
Listicle by Ellen Avigliano
www.imaginariumarts.com
Twitter: @ImaginariumCS
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