Lately I've been hearing a lot of rumors, myths and urban legends about places around Belmont that supposedly exist.

Being the obnoxiously curious person I am, I've spent the last two weeks working with Belmont Administration and pretty much just creeping around campus trying to track down places that lots of students don't even realize exist.

There's probably hundreds of mysterious places around campus, but here are just a few that I found.

1. Zebra Fish Lab

It's true. We in fact have a Zebra Fish Lab. I found out about this lab after I was given a tour of the upper floors of the WAC building. It's not accessible to non-science majors, so I wouldn't plan on visiting the little fishies during your free convo hour.

2. Tunnel under the Bell Tower

I was unable to grab a picture inside the tunnel under the Bell tower because well... it's really dark and also most of my attention went into not falling on my face in the pitch black. This tunnel has an urban legend that claims it's where slaves were transported back in dear old Adelicia Acklen's days. However, I was told by administration that it was only used as a cellar to keep food cold and now it's not used for anything... Not terribly exciting.

Note: This tunnel is inaccessible to students and belongs to the mansion, not Belmont.

3. Library basement lounge/hangout

Also referred to as the "lower level" of the library, this floor is only accessible through a staircase towards the back of the building. The basement contains more books as well as a hangout area that nobody ever uses. So if you're looking for a different study space, the library basement is a great place!

4. Alumni House

I swear nobody has seen the inside of this building. It's just kind of there, ya know? Well, it's actually quite beautiful. This building contains Belmont's old yearbooks as well as a small art gallery featuring art by alumni students. It's open to students, but not many people venture inside. So next time you pass by, why not go check out some art and say hello to the nice people that work there?

5. Photography Dark Room

I considered taking a photo of the entire Leu Art Building and posting it as an undiscovered, exotic find because many students don't know much about the building's purpose. It's actually a really neat place. This building has painting studios where people just go in and paint whenever they please, a photography darkroom where students can develop their photos, as well as an entire ceramic studio with clay pretty much everywhere. It's absolutely amazing. The photo above is one I took in the dark room (it's a lot bigger than it looks). And I was told at the front desk that if students take a single class in the different departments, they are free to use the studios and other supplies in the building.

6. Library movie/CD rental room

Okay, get this, I had no idea this place existed. On the third floor in the library, there's an entire room filled with CDs, records, and movies that are free for students to rent. They have hundreds of movies out and even more behind their help desk. Students can rent these for free. There are also records for sale here as well as books. So next time instead of going to Redbox, why not head to the library?

7. Manikin Simulation Labs

In the nursing department, there are these rooms called simulation labs. These labs contain very life-like manikins that are somewhat creepy, but mostly fascinating. Professors in the nursing department informed me that they can sweat, eat, pee, breathe, speak, give birth and even die. There are simulations, such as helping a patient give birth, where all sorts of stuff can go wrong. And there's also a simulation where your patient dies and you have to break the news to their family... Wouldn't wanna fail that assignment, am I right?

8. Small garden behind the Mansion

This garden is in between the Mansion and Freeman Hall. It contains another fountain (no surprise there) and some seating areas as well as a large garden. The fountain is very strange, though. It's of a small boy wrestling a large fish... I'm just accepting it and not asking any questions. But if the gazebos around campus are getting a bit boring, why not take your bae out to the mansion garden? If you ask the front desk of Freeman Hall, they might just let you go out there.

9. Fidelity Hall attic

(P.S. This box is from 1926)

Okay, this room is by far the creepiest room on campus. It's 100 percent off limits to students and is full of history. The only reason why I was allowed in this room was because administration gave me access and permission to explore the top floor because they wanted to help me write this article (shoutout to the admin for being supportive). This room contains student records dating back to the 1920s. Also if you ever wondered where we keep the Christmas at Belmont decorations, they're in the attic just waiting to enhance/ruin the music students' lives next season. If I wasn't in the Halloween spirit before I explored this terrifying place, I am now. Just look at some of these photos.

10. Belmont School of Music's dead files

One of my main goals for this article was finding a room in one the music buildings that the music students didn't know about. I asked around and it was very apparent that most music students knew every inch of that space until I struck gold.

The music school's dead files. These closets contain every single rejected audition file, graduated student file, and School of Music dropout file. You thought they just contained old choir dresses and forgotten music sheets? Not even close. They need these files in case they need to contact anyone or bring anyone up.

And finally..... (Drum roll please).....

11. The Cadaver Lab

Yep, it's true. We have dead bodies on campus. Only physical therapy graduate students have access to this lab, and they basically dissect cadavers. It's in a building most of you have no idea exist and it's also 100 percent off limits. However, if a zombie apocalypse happens, I'd be worried for those living in Belmont Commons...

So there you have it, folks! I spent weeks creeping around campus and taking pictures just to inform you all of the really cool stuff Belmont has that most people don't know about. And hey, who knows, maybe one day you'll stumble upon something strange on campus that nobody knows about.

Good luck, explorers.