Southern Illinois University

Carbondale, IL · Colleges and Universities

Southern Illinois University is reputed to have many haunted buildings; among them are Wheeler Hall, Faner Hall, Anthony Hall, Shryock Auditorium, and Mae Smith Residence Hall. One of the most famous ghosts here is Henry, who haunts the 1918 Shryock Auditorium. Henry, aka former university President Henry William Shryock, died here suddenly on April 13, 1935. Now, there is a stage light that turns on and off by itself which students attribute to Henry. Also, objects go missing, doors open and close, and footsteps can be heard. A shadowy figure has been reported near the stage. Another well-known ghost is a former secretary who died while on the job at Mae Smith Residence Hall. Witnesses have heard the sound of her typing and the drawers to file cabinets opening.

Geographic Information

Address
1263 Lincoln Dr
Carbondale, IL 62901
Get Directions »
GPS
37.71351117, -89.21174946
County
Jackson County County, Illinois
Nearest Towns

Quick Answers

Is Southern Illinois University really haunted?
Visitors rate Southern Illinois University at 85 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 2 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.
Where is Southern Illinois University located?
The address is 1263 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901. GPS coordinates: 37.71351117, -89.21174946.
What kind of haunted place is Southern Illinois University?
Southern Illinois University is listed under Colleges and Universities in our Illinois section.
What is the nearest town to Southern Illinois University?
Carbondale, IL is the closest town, about 1.0 miles away, with Makanda (6.6 mi.) and Cambria (6.9 mi.) also nearby.

Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other regulations.

Share Your Experiences

Comments (2)

  • Brandon |

    I work and go to school at siu. I have had a few late night/early morning experiences. On a couple occasions, while walking through campus, I have looked up and saw a figure walking down the stairs between the second and third floors of the Allyn Building. Once this figure got to the landing between flights of stairs it just vanished. The stair case is on the south end of the building and has windows facing to the west looking out towards Faner Hall. Also, a couple times I have had odd feelings in the Communication Building. One night I had a very cold feeling while walking down a hallway. The HVAC vents were not on at the time and it was not near any doors or windows. Last week, same spot in the hallway, there is a bulletin board. The fliers on the board started to blow as if the heat had kicked on, with the farthest from me rising and falling like a wave towards me. I thought nothing of it until they did the same thing in the opposite direction, rising and falling in a wave away from me. Just this morning I saw what appeared to be a man wearing a pair of acid washed jeans from the 80s standing on a stair case. From my position I could only see from the waist down. I heard a noise behind me so I turned to see what it was. When I turned back around, the person I was just looking at was gone.

  • Patrick Harris |

    Been in Carbondale since 1961. Attended SIU and worked for the University. Been in all those buildings at one time or another. Never seen or heard any of this.

Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the truest sense, ghost stories. Haunted Places makes no claims that any of these stories are factually accurate or scientifically provable.