“Win one for the Gipper” is a term that references the University of Notre Dame ghost George Gipp, a legendary Notre Dame footballer. His ghost is reputed to haunt Washington Hall ever since he died from strep throat in December 1920. He manifests as night noises and footsteps, slamming doors, the sound of someone on the roof, and the feeling of being shoved. His apparition has been seen as well, sometimes giving a student a friendly pat on the back. Also, warrior ghosts on horseback from the Native American Patawatami tribe are believed to ride up and down the front steps of Columbus Hall, which is rumored to have been built over an ancient burial ground.
University of Notre Dame
Cazenovia Lake
Cazenovia Lake is reportedly haunted by many ghosts. One is a ghost child who calls for help, a victim of an 1800s steamboat accident. A ghostly Onondaga Indian Princess and her groom also are said to reside here. The couple escaped from an attack in a canoe, which sank. Sounds of an Indian massacre and a crying woman are said to be remnants of these sad events. Reports say the pair’s canoe was brought up from the bottom of the lake, but the Native Americans believed it was sacred and should remain below, so it was reinforced with metal and sent back into the water’s depths. Yet another ghost sometimes seen walking around here is a sad woman whose beau ran off to marry her sister.
Lorenzo State Historic Site
Lorenzo State Historic Site is the former home of city founder John Lincklaen. His ghost and some of his household are said to linger in his abode, materializing as stately gentlemen, servants, or lights that come on and go off when no one is in the building.
Brae Loch Inn
Brae Loch Inn was once the William Burr Estate, built in 1805. According to reports, Rooms 11 and 12 are especially haunted. Around the inn, visitors may discover strange noises and apparitions of “Scotty,” a man in a kilt; a young girl in a blue dress carrying a tray of candles; and a shadowy male figure. To add to the mystery, the sound of footsteps in tap shoes has been heard on the stairs.
Mater Dei College - Academy at Ivy Ridge
The former Mater Dei College, later the Academy at Ivy Ridge, was a school for troubled teens. Reports are unclear as to its status today, but the building is said to still stand, with plenty of ghosts inside. Witnesses claim that there is a ghost boy, a phantom nun, a presence that watches visitors in the library, and the sound of a woman screaming and crying.
Frederic Remington Art Museum
Frederic Remington Art Museum is known for its large collection of original Remington works, but it’s also famous for its ghost—that of Madame Vespucci. Reports say the building was her former home; the mystifying sound of her voice has been reported by visitors on the museum’s upper level.
Oswego Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse
The ghost legend at Oswego Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse comes from a storm in December 1942, when six members of a lighthouse crew drowned as their boat collided with a breakwall. Now, their spirits are said to materialize as flickering lights.
Seneca Hill Ghost
The Seneca Hill ghost is an apparition of an extremely frightened woman in her late 30s running along the road in her old-fashioned nightgown. She has a young girl of about 6 by the hand, and the child also wears period sleepwear. They disappear at the crest of the hill.
Gray Road
The Gray Road ghost begins with a legend that those who stop their cars on the railroad tracks will see a ghost coming toward their car. The surrounding woods and swamps are said to be haunted as well, some folks even claiming to have seen the Headless Horseman.
Sparta Cemetery
At Sparta Cemetery, visitors have described eerie mists over the graves, ghostly voices, and unexplained lights.
