Athens is a beautiful city filled with history and culture. But with halloween just around the corner, what better way to celebrate than by hearing some spooky stories about the college town. Obviously these aren't meant to be factual; it is up to you to decide whether these places are truly haunted.
1. Old Athens Cemetery
It's pretty easy to start with a cemetery for our first haunted location. This particular cemetery is home to some famous Athens citizens such as Dr. Waddell, former University of Georgia president. This was the first cemetery in Athens and has graves dating back to 1801. Many have visited and reported hearing voices, cold spots, and uneasy feelings while strolling through the stones.
2. Alpha Gamma Delta House
I love a good haunted sorority house story. Located at 530 S. Milledge Ave., the Alpha Gamma Delta house is a breathtakingly beautiful house. It was even featured in Cosmopolitans top 20 most beautiful sorority houses in the nation. Every house has a history no matter how gorgeous and the story of this house is chilling. It is rumored that a bride waited in this house for her husband on her wedding night, but he never came. She then hung herself in a room now called "the Engagement Suite" by the girls. She allegedly still haunts the beautiful house.
3. Phi Mu House
The Phi Mu house stands out on mileage with it's intricate black railings and beautiful front staircase. There are two stories that I have heard circulating about the Phi Mu house and it is hard to pinpoint the most accurate one. Both are equally chilling. The house is rumored to be haunted by a woman named Anna Hamilton who lived next door to the home and watched her fiancé get murdered. After his murder, Anna went crazy and still haunts the house to this day. However, the second version of the story is that Anna was having an affaire with the owner of the Phi Mu house and tried to kill him in fear of her husband finding out. When she fired the gun, the accidentally hit her husband instead. Both of the stories result in Anna Hamilton haunting the house.
4. Waddel Hall at UGA
This haunted location is on the UGA campus. This is actually the only building at UGA that still has recited no changes over the years. It makes the haunted stories behind it slightly more eerie knowing that the building hasn't changed since the spooky events took place. After WW1, a soldier returned from war to find that his girlfriend had left him. While arguing in Waddell, he shot her and them himself shortly after. Strange sounds including gunshots and arguing can often be heard in the hall.
5. Sigma Nu House
The haunting of this house dates back to the 50's when a Sigma Nu brother, William Simpson, fell out of a window and died. He is now rumored to haunt the house by flickering lights, making noises, moving items, and other typical ghost things. The brothers say that they embrace his present as he doesn't harm anyone, he's just there.
6. Ware-Lyndon House
The Ware-Lyndon House can be located at 293 Hoyt Street. It was built by Athens physician Edward Ware around the 1850's. It was later owned by druggist Edward Lyndon and was eventually purchased by the city of Athens. Many report seeing the figure of a man lurking around the front of the house. It is allegedly the ghost of a man who was struck by a carriage outside of the home on the day his child was born. Ouch. He now walks around near the house possibly in hopes of one day seeing is child.
7. Memorial Park
This story is a bit more mysterious as there is no real explanation as to why this ghost lurks around memorial. There are reports of a man in a trench coat walking around the park. When you get to close to him, he simply disappears. He doesn't seem to be an angry spirit, but why is he lurking around the park?
8. Joe Brown Hall UGA
Back in the 70's when this building served as a dormitory, some spooky things occurred. A boy accidentally killed himself over school break and wasn't discovered until everyone returned to the dorm after break. His body was rotted and the school couldn't remove the smell no matter how hard they tried. The building was eventually remodeled. Students still report hearing things and feeling cold air around the spot that he died.
9. Cleveland Avenue Railroad
A man was allegedly decapitated on the railroad. He was walking the tracks when he was hit by a train. His body was buried in Old Athens Cemetery but he supposedly haunts the tracks still to this day. He searches the tracks for his lost head and can be heard making noises and screaming.
10. UGA Lustrat House
The Lustrat house at UGA is now home to the Office of Legal Affaires, but it hides a dark past. The Morris family was the house's first occupants and Mr. Morris apparently enjoyed rocking in a rocking chair in the family home. Before the home was remodeled in the 1970's, reports of Mr.Morris being spotted rocking in the living room or descending the staircase were common. Pretty creepy if you ask me.
