The Most Haunted Spots at UC Berkeley and the Stories Behind Them | The Odyssey Online
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The Most Haunted Spots at UC Berkeley and the Stories Behind Them

This Halloween, check out some of Berkeley's very own ghosts

1993
The Most Haunted Spots at UC Berkeley and the Stories Behind Them
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The Faculty Club

We all know the professors at Berkeley are dedicated to their research, but perhaps none more so than history professor Henry Morse Stephens. Stephens lived in the Faculty Club, Room 219, for twenty years. When he died, he left behind an ambitious project of recording and archiving interviews and newspapers from the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It is rumored this is the reason the professor never left the Faculty Club and can still be seen there. The most famous encounter occurred with a visiting professor from Japan staying in Room 219 who awoke to see the ghost of Stephens, sitting in an armchair.

Sather Tower

Sather Tower is the third tallest clock and bell tower in the world. It is also the site of two suicides, including that of sophomore John Patterson. Since 1961, several reports of Patterson's ghost in and around the Campanile have been made. A photographer photographing the clock tower even claims to have captured a hand reaching from the ground. 

Hearst Gym

If you are searching for a reason never to visit the gym, look no farther. Hearst Gym is home to the remains of 12,000 Native Americans. They were dug up during the 1960s and then placed back for storage, remaining primarily under the pool. Staff and students alike have noted paranormal activity at night, though it may be due to a hyperactivity imagination inspired by knowledge of what lies below. 

Barrington Hall

      Do not consider Barrington Hall for housing if you scare easily. During the 1960s up until its closing in 1990, Barrington Hall, then a student co-op, received numerous complaints from neighbors, mostly centered around its operation as a drug den. It was finally closed in 1990 after a protest led to a massive fire in the building. Today Barrington Hall is privately owned and still offers student housing, as well as ghost housing.       There have been numerous ghost sitings in and around the hall. One is the ghost of a student who alleged committed suicide in the stairway and still haunts the stairs. There is also a shadowy figure that likes to visit each room on the third floor. Perhaps it is a former resident looking for his room. A more friendly ghost, named Cloyne, likes to help students find their way around the hall and then disappears after helping.

The Voice of Pedro Throughout Campus

If you ever hear someone shouting "Pedro!" on campus at night, it might be the voice of the daughter of Don Jose Domingo Peralta, searching her love, Pedro. The unnamed woman and Pedro were lovers separated and never reunited in life. It is rumored she still searches the campus at night looking for Pedro. 

Evans Hall

Evans Hall is often considered one of the ugliest buildings on campus. It is also considered one of the spookiest. Evans Hall is home to at least three suicides, two of which occurred on the same floor. Though no specific ghosts are known to regularly haunt the building, many students and faculty report that the building is definitely haunted. 

The city of Berkeley is home to many ghosts, including several that haunt UC Berkeley. If you need something to do on Halloween, visit the faculty club to ask Professor Stephens about his work or try to catch a glimpse of John Patterson. You can also explore some ghosts outside of college, such as the ghost that haunts the Claremont Hotel. 

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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