Meet the Ghosts of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota

Chatting with students from St Cloud State University in central Minnesota, the topic of ghosts came up. One of them told me she has actually seen one of the famous ghosts of SCSU, and that sent me down a search spiral on the internet learning all I could about the ghosts of the university.

1. Shoemaker Hall Ghost

Our first ghost we are meeting lives in Shoemaker Hall. With three wings, and 13 floors, Shoemaker Hall is described as "a mix of early 20th century Edwardian charm and 21st century amenities".

Here it is believed a pregnant student hanged herself in a meat locker in the basement after having an affair with a janitor. Allegedly this ghost moves objects, makes clocks flash the wrong numbers, and floats over students’ beds.

2. Riverview Hall Ghost

Built in 1911, Riverview Hall houses the English department offices and classrooms along with foreign language laboratories. It Happened Here went into detail about the alleged haunting of the building. A female ghost is said to roam the halls and open doors. People report hearing high heels click-clicking in empty corridors. There are also stories of a spirit of a little boy bouncing a ball down the hallways. From 1911- 1958 the building used to be a school for kindergarten though 9th graders who were taught by teachers attending the college.

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3. 19th Century Soldier of the Library

This was the one our intern spotted. She was at the James W. Miller Learning Resources Center late one night and caught a glimpse of it.

The building is said to have been built over a forgotten graveyard. An Encyclopedia Britanica Blog about library ghosts stated that a 19th-century burial site was found in 1997 when the Miller Center’s foundation was dug. One of the most commonly spotted ghosts is a pacing 19th-century soldier wandering the halls of the building. Our intern said she saw what appeared to be a man in an old military uniform.

4. Lawrence Hall Ghost

Built in 1904 Lawrence Hall is the oldest on campus. The stories of the spirits in this building come from a 1950 case in which a janitor killed two instructors there. HauntedPlaces.org says that an apparition of a bald man has been seen along with flashing lights.