Millikin University is one of the most haunted colleges in the Midwest.

MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY was founded in 1901 by James Millikin, a wealthy businessman. Over the years, it has seen scores of students and if you believe in the stories, dozens of ghosts too. One of the most popular is the ghost of the Albert Taylor Theater.  They call her the "Rail Girl" and she has been around almost since the beginning of the college itself. Legend holds that unless this ghost is left an offering of three pieces of candy, prior to any performance in the theater, she will ruin the show. The stories say that she has been known to knock over sets and props, cause lights to fail, make the sound system shut down and other things that have disrupted shows. The legend dates back many years and alumni, faculty and theater students alike vouch for the authenticity of the tale.

Spirits of murdered coeds, which can be found all across the country, are also long-standing ghost stories of Millikin. The spirit of a suicide is said to haunt Aston Hall, which was built in 1907. This ghost is said to be visible only from the waist up and she surprises residents by appearing and disappearing through walls. The hall was even partially closed down in the 1940's because of ghost sightings.
Blackburn Hall was built in 1967 and is said to be haunted by the spirit of a girl who disappeared from campus many years ago. Her body was never found, but it is believed that she has returned to haunt this particular building. The ghost normally makes herself known by turning lights on and off, switching radios and televisions on and off and generally making a nuisance of herself, although on one occasion, she was spotted gliding down an upstairs corridor and vanishing into a wall.

The Old Millikin Gym is the scene of numerous strange reports.

The old Millikin Gym is perhaps the most haunted spot on campus. It was built in 1911 and today only houses the theater department shop and is used to store props for theater productions. The upstairs area of the building is the actual gymnasium and reports of strange happenings have continued for years.
There have been many stories and reports, including those of unexplainable sounds and voices and even the story of a security guard who came into the building one night. Located about 20 feet from the floor of the gym is an elevated track that spans the room. One night the guard was checking the gym and heard running on this track. He went upstairs to check and found on one there. . . and the track is completely blocked with theater props.

Millikin University is located on West Main Street in Decatur, Illinois.

Copyright 2000 by Troy Taylor, All Rights Reserved

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