Do you believe in ghosts? Spirits, lost souls, whatever you may call them, there are allegedly a few hanging around Colorado State University. This may not come as a surprise to some because this school has a long and colorful history. Four of the oldest buildings on campus have experienced many paranormal occurrences. Some people who have had to work in the building after dark have say it is best not to hang around these buildings at night because things start to get weird.

Ammons Hall

Now the Office of Admissions, Ammons Hall was originally built as a women’s recreational center that included a pool, sunroom and kitchen. Before the pool was filled in during the renovation, it is rumored that a female student drowned there, and now she haunts the building along with two other spirits: a dancer and a male swimmer. People have heard wet footprints, growling, giggling and singing in the atrium. It has also been reported that the lights on entire floors have shut off randomly, which is strange because there is no master light switch for any floors. Janitorial staff refuse to clean the building after hours alone.

Anna, an admissions ambassador, said the portrait of Elias Ammons, a former governor of Colorado that the building is named after, hangs on the wall near the entrance. He said the portrait’s eyes seem to follow you around the entire room. Maybe it is how the portrait was taken, or maybe somebody really is watching your every move.

Johnson Hall

Completed in 1936, Johnson Hall was the University’s first student center. It featured a bookstore, student lounge and a large ballroom. The ballroom hosted proms and balls before being converted into a theatre where many performances happened over the years. It is believed that there is ghost of a female dancer roaming the halls, and some people have even heard her footsteps and singing. There is an uneasy feeling when entering this building, especially in the basement area where there are abandoned rooms and a hallway plastered with old audition posters.

Melissa Edwards, assistant director of OURA, who’s office is on the third floor, said she had a strange experience just a few days ago.

“While I was in a meeting, we all heard a crash coming from my office,” Edwards said. “When I went in there, everything on my window had been knocked down. The windows were completely shut. There was no draft. It was as if someone just swatted everything off.”

Other employees have also reported feeling the wind being knocked out of them while opening certain doors on the third floor.

Centennial Hall

Now the Office of Financial Aid, Centennial Hall was built in 1950 and was used for student recreation and campus conferences. Employees have claimed to have heard footsteps and to have seen dark figures out of the corner of their eyes. The faculty even had to bolt cork boards to the wall because they kept randomly falling down. These occurrences usually happen after hours. With the current construction going on, these poltergeists probably won’t be too happy. The spirit’s identity is speculated to be that of architect Eugene Groves or a student from Braiden Hall.

Student Services Building

Perhaps the most interesting of these haunted buildings is the Student Service Building. Built in 1948, it was originally Braiden Hall, a men’s dormitory. This building has a pleasant art deco design on the outside, but on the inside, it is a maze. The building was the final project of architect Eugene Groves who designed 11 other buildings on CSU’s campus. After this project was finished, Groves was admitted to an insane asylum. It was revealed that he was planning on murdering his wife and then burying her in the basement. The bizarre floor plan of the building seemed to greatly disturb the mind of the architect.

While exploring this building, everything seemed a little off. There was a feeling of unease as I ventured through narrow stairwells, two of which led to nowhere. The building contains half floors, making it difficult to make your way from one side of the building to the other.

Amanda Burton, who works in the Office of Engagement, said her former boss experienced something quite strange in this building.

“He was walking the halls one evening and found a room with just a microwave in it,” Burton said. “He was unable to ever see or locate that room again. He may have just been tired, but that’s pretty freaky to me.”

Mahdi Omar, an employee on the third floor, has vowed never to work after hours.

“The way people describe this building and the way it’s a maze inside, it makes everything creepy,” Omar said. “I’ve stayed pretty late after hours, and I won’t do it again. It feels too weird.”

From strange sounds of footsteps and singing to actual ghost sitings, it is safe to say CSU has a spiritual presence.