The Haunted Stetson University

Posted: 08.01.2025 | Updated: 10.11.2025

The expansive campus of Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, has much more than academic history harbored in its historic buildings. For many years now, rumors of ghostly apparitions, strange noises, and active spirits have become an integral part of the fabric of this historic institution. 

Students, staff, and visitors have all documented strange forms of encounters. This has made Stetson one of the most talked-about haunted locations in the area.  

Whether these stories are disclosed truths or campus myths, they add a spooky edge to the academy’s academic halls! For a firsthand encounter with eerie stories, Orlando Haunts offers guided tours that bring the area’s ghosts to life.

Is Stetson University Haunted? 

Stetson University’s historic buildings are believed by many to be haunted by spirits from its long past. People have reported hearing unexplained footsteps, laughter, and voices echoing through empty corridors late at night.

Ghostly apparitions are said to appear especially near the old Hulley Tower area and in Sampson Hall. While skeptics raise doubts, the frequency and consistency of reports keep the question alive. Does Stetson hold restless souls walking its campus?

History Of Stetson University

Founded in 1883, Stetson University began as the DeLand Academy and quickly grew into Florida’s oldest private university. The school’s founder, Henry Addison DeLand, thought of the school as the “Athens of the South.” He wanted to promote culture and education to develop a better region. 

Hulley Tower was built largely through the efforts of President Lincoln Hulley and his wife, Eloise. The tower was a gift from the couple in the early 1900s, and it was hoped that it would be a long-lasting symbol of the campus.

The university’s long history includes times of growth, hardship, and reinvention. Buildings like Elizabeth Hall and Sampson Hall serve as central hubs for arts and student life. Throughout the years, many stories of unexplained occurrences, shadowy figures, and mysterious noises have entered the campus lore. 

The campus is a place of learning, but it’s also a site of stories where the past and present have a curious link.

Hauntings at Stetson University

Stetson University is steeped in ghostly legends, each haunting adding its own chilling layer to campus life. Below are the most notable ghost stories most often told by students and staff. 

• Hulley Tower: The bells ringing mysteriously, shadow figures climbing the stairs, and sightings of Lincoln and Eloise Hulley walking with a phantom dog.
• Sampson Hall: Phantom pipe organ music heard when no one is present, unexplained shadows crossing the stage, and ghostly footsteps echoing in theaters and hallways.
• The Tragedy of Suzanna Brown: The spirit of a student said to linger after leaping from the tower, manifested in cold spots and faint weeping.
• Elizabeth Hall and Other Historic Buildings: Unexplained footsteps, mysterious laughter, shadowy figures, and objects moving on their own during late-night hours.
• Resident Halls: Sudden drafts, flickering lights, and disembodied voices, especially during Halloween festivities and haunted campus tours.

These stories give an air of mystery to Stetson that is equal parts alluring and unsettling. They blend the familiar with the supernatural for everyone who walks its historic grounds. Each story makes a contribution to Stetson’s reputation as one of Florida’s most haunted universities.

The Legend of Hulley Tower

The Hulley Tower ghost stories center around Lincoln and Eloise Hulley, the couple who significantly shaped the university. Though they died many years ago, their spirits are said to linger, often seen walking near the tower and around the campus grounds.

Some have claimed to hear the old bells toll faintly, even though they no longer reside in the tower. The tower itself, once standing 116 feet tall before a part was removed for safety, has long been a symbol of the university’s legacy and its mysteries.

Rumor has it that the couple, linked in life and death, enjoy their eternal strolls with a ghostly dog often at Lincoln’s side. These sightings are some of the most well-known on campus and continue to be reported by both students and locals.

Haunting of Sampson Hall

Sampson Hall’s haunting is mostly about the sound of the pipe organ playing when nobody is there. The sounds of the pipe organ are particularly more evident during the month of October and on Halloween. The organ gives it that theater-like ambiance!

Others have said that they have seen strange shadows moving across the stage area or heard ghost-like footsteps on the stairs. The building is home to the oldest collegiate theatrical company in the South and has hosted many performances, both mundane and spectral.

The combination of ghost stories and Stetson’s rich artistic traditions makes it a unique site for ghostly curiosity and cultural heritage.

The Tragedy of Suzanna Brown

Decades ago, Stetson University was rocked by the tragic story of a young student named Suzanna Brown. She is said to have thrown herself from Hulley Tower, her sorrow leaving a permanent mark on the campus.

Her spirit is believed to linger in the tower, contributing to unexplained cold spots and eerie feelings others experience. Some campus ghost tours recount sudden sadness, chills, and even faint female weeping attributed to Suzanna near the foot of the tower and along nearby walkways.

Other Ghostly Encounters and Campus Legends

Stetson’s Haunted History tour showcases additional campus legends and haunting locations each year. These include tales of footsteps heard echoing down the empty hallways of Elizabeth Hall, laughter heard in residence halls, and lights flickering in the late hours of the night.

Students recount encounters with shadowy figures crossing paths in historic buildings and disembodied voices heard during late-night study sessions. Objects are sometimes said to move on their own, and cold drafts manifest suddenly with no explanation, especially during Halloween events.

These varied experiences from students, staff, and campus guests reinforce Stetson’s reputation as a hub of supernatural happenings.

Haunted Orlando

Stetson University stands at the heart of DeLand’s blend of history, mystery, and supernatural tales. Walking the campus after dark, visitors can feel the weight of many years’ worth of secrets and sightings.

Step into the shadows of Hulley Tower, listen for the ghostly organ music in Sampson Hall, and discover other eerie happenings hidden in DeLand’s historic streets. Whether a skeptic or a believer, Orlando Haunts provides a chilling and immersive experience into the haunted soul of the Orlando area.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Orlando hauntings.

Sources:

1. https://www2.stetson.edu/today/2023/09/celebrating-140-years-1923-1932-decade-of-glory-giving-and-ghosts/
2. https://trippingonlegends.com/2019/06/14/travel-log-hulley-tower-at-stetson-university/
3. https://paranormalghostsociety.org/Stetson%20University.htm
4. https://trippingonlegends.com/2019/06/14/travel-log-hulley-tower-at-stetson-university/
5. https://www.beacononlinenews.com/articles/news/haunted-history-tour-walks-stetson-students-through-campus-frights/