Montana University Staff Claim This Building is The Most Haunted

It is that time of year again. The time of year when we really like to tell scary stories. For over 15 years now, we have been doing an annual contest that invites our audience to join us in an actual paranormal investigation. Teaming up with a local team of ghost hunters to investigate local places that people claim are haunted. We received an email from a person interested in being part of this year's team. A University of Montana employee shared with us a story of unexplained encounters she has had while working on the University of Montana campus. This custodian believes that Rankin Hall on campus may be the most haunted location on campus.

Before we go further, let's discuss the "stone tape" theory.

According to Wikipedia

The Stone Tape Theory is the speculation that ghosts and hauntings are analogous to tape recordings, and that mental impressions during emotional or traumatic events can be projected in the form of energy, "recorded" onto rocks and other items and "replayed" under certain conditions.

This means that not all "haunted" locations are necessarily haunted by an intelligent spirit. Some "haunting" is simply energy that is imprinted in the walls of a building. Like a recording on tape, this energy can be re-played over and over. Just take all the energy of dozens of young college students and pack them into a tiny room. There is sure to be some surplus energy leaked into the walls.

The most haunted building on campus?

Rankin Hall has been known to have a "Phantom Class." We have heard stories in the past from custodians that work on campus much like Tricia's story she presented to us recently.

I used to work at the University as a custodian, one evening I was cleaning Rankin Hall in the basement, I was trying to pass the time waiting for a class to finish up upstairs, I heard desks moving, people talking and walking around, eventually all the noise stopped, I never saw anyone come down the stairs at all, went up there and there was nobody to be found. There was only 2 ways out, the front door and the fire escape, I am sure I would have heard people leave for as many people I heard up there.

 

This claim of a "phantom class" has been made by other UM employees. This unexplained incident has happened to more than just Tricia.

There are plenty of other claims of hauntings on the UM campus. Buildings like the University Theater, Brantly Hall, and Main Hall all have claims of unexplained phenomena.