There are four halls at Concordia College that are rumored to be haunted. Bohm Hall is said to house the ghost of a girl who was raped years ago. Feth Hall is the home of namesake spirit Rev Dr. Henry Feth. Rippe Hall is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who lived in the house that stood on the grounds before the dorm was constructed, and Sieker Hall is the favorite haunt of a former student who died of pneumonia.
Concordia College
Canisius College
At Canisius College’s Christ the King Chapel, witness have described unexplained voices in the confessionals and the apparition of an old man in the basement. At Frisch Hall, a ghost of a student who committed suicide has been seen on the 5th floor, and on the 4th floor of Lyons Hall, a ghostly nun is said to roam. Also rumored to be haunted are the nearby Village Townhouses and Griffin Hall.
SUNY College at Cortland
State University of New York Cortland is no stranger to the spirit world. Rumor has it that the ghost of a bleeding football player appears every year in Clark Hall’s Room 716. And at Brockway Hall, the ghost of a former cook has appeared standing at the top of the stairs. At Cheney Hall, the story of a ghost named Elizabeth is a favorite of students. She is said to have been pushed down the stairs from the fourth floor by her boyfriend in the 1980s, and has remained here in spirit ever since, along with a mural designed in her honor. Witnesses say she appears as a misty apparition with outstretched arms. Degroat Hall is also rumored to be haunted.
Elmira College
Spookiness abounds at Elmira College, some say. Take Cowles Hall, where some say eerie lights float down hallways and whispering comes from nowhere. Some believe the building is split down the middle, with one good and one evil half. And an empty fourth-floor room of Tompkins Hall is rumored to be haunted by a ghostly nun who has been waiting to surprise her sister with a visit–apparently she isn’t aware that her sister died on campus long ago.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Many spooky tales are told about Hobart and William Smith Colleges, a couple of them originating in Hirshson Hall. In Room 304, for example, objects are said to fly off shelves, the blinds pull down by themselves, mysterious sounds of scratching and tapping are heard and apparitions have been seen in mirrors. At Smith Hall, folks say a ghost takes his stroll along the roof at around 3 a.m. And in the quad area, some say a ghost walks his dog between 1 and 3 a.m.
Lincoln Park Gully
Lincoln Park Gully is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of Dutch soldiers and Mahican warriors who planned to attach the Mohawks, but were ambushed by the Mohawks instead. One grisly tale about the battle relates that a Dutch soldier was burned alive, and his leg and arm were kept by the Mohawks as a sort of trophy. Witnesses say to this day the victims’ ghostly figures glide through the area in broad daylight, and some witnesses reported a spooky feeling of being watched.
Ten Broeck Mansion
The brownstone Ten Broeck Mansion, built in 1859, was first thought to be haunted in the mid-20th century when the children who lived there saw a strange, solemn soldier in 17th-century Dutch attire on the top floor. His connection to the mansion is unknown; some speculate that he was buried nearby before the house was built.
New York State Education Department Building
The legend told about this building involves the mysterious disappearance of an Italian worker during its construction. He is believed to have been inadvertently sealed in when the foundation was laid. Inside the building, objects are said to move on their own, perhaps the doings of a shadowy figure witnesses claim to see out of the corner of their eye.
Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Witnesses have described several strange occurrences at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, including cold spots, unexplained flashing lights, ghost children, and the loud sound of soldiers on horseback marching. At the entrance between two pillars, a Revolutionary War soldier’s ghost has been seen marching back and forth or standing guard. Ghostly recurrences of French and Indian War battles also have been noted in this area. At the Old Gym, once used as a wartime morgue, screams and pounding have been heard. At the cemetery, ghostly soldiers are said to march, and at the finance building (once a hospital), rumor has it that the walls in the basement are painted red for a grisly reason: to mask the blood stains. An apparition of a lady in white is also said to haunt the woods nearby.
State University of New York Geneseo
At State University of New York’s Blake and Steuben halls, witnesses say apparitions can be seen and unexplained noises can be heard. Some speculate the buildings are haunted by a boy who fell to his death during construction of the buildings. And Monroe Hall is also believed to be haunted by a young boy killed during construction; sources say he is the ghost of a 6-year-old named Eric. It is unclear whether this is the same ghost that haunts Blake and Steuben halls.
