In honor of the Halloween season, the annual Haunted Auburn Walking Tour is back for its 11th consecutive year. The tour takes place every Friday and Saturday of October – as well as Halloween night – at 8 p.m. Guests meet downtown across from Toomer’s Corner.
The tour is hosted by local folklorist, paranormal investigator and actor Brandon Stoker and his partner John-Mark Poe, local author, historian and paranormal investigator.
The tour begins at Biggin Hall where it is rumored that the ghost of Professor Biggin haunts the hallways.
“On the second floor, we had some people who told us that they heard footsteps walking all over. People would be by themselves and hear footsteps walking in and out of the rooms. In the auditorium, people have said it sounds like someone is giving a lecture,” Stoker said.
The next stop on the tour was the famous Samford Hall. At the site of Samford Hall once stood the Main Building.
“The old building – the Main Building – was a hospital during the Civil War. Plus, Auburn was the place where people would send the dead to be collected,” Stoker said. “The Main Building eventually burnt down and was replaced with Samford Hall.”
People claim to have seen the ghosts of Civil War soldiers through the windows of Samford Hall.
The tour then moved to the Haley Center, which, according to Poe, was built on an ancient Native American burial ground.
“I like the Haley Center because it's the most disturbing stop. What happened there creeps me out, and I think it’s one of the scarier stops on our tour,” Poe said.
The tour continued to some of the residence halls, the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, Pine Hill Cemetery and many more locations around campus and the downtown area.
The Pine Hill Cemetery is one of the more famous stops on the tour, as it is the oldest cemetery in Auburn. People have seen the ghost of a Victorian-era woman there, as well as heard voices and seen shadows following them. But perhaps the most interesting thing about the cemetery is the ghost cat.
“What’s really funny is that supposedly in this cemetery, there is a ghost cat. It’s been reported to jump in the air and disappear. What’s also funny is that one time during our tour, we did see a cat in here. Unfortunately, it was a real cat,” Stoker said.
The cemetery is a big hit among guests, according to Stoker and Poe.
“My favorite stop was the cemetery. I think it was the scariest stop on the tour, which is why I liked it so much. Plus, the ghost cat story was funny,” said Casey McClain, a guest on the tour.
The tour ended at the Auburn University Chapel.
“My favorite stop is the chapel. This is probably the funniest one because ghost stuff still happens here. But it never seems to be anything truly disturbing,” Stoker said.
Built in 1851, the chapel was also used as a Civil War hospital. Multiple ghost sightings have been reported there.
“The last stop is probably the best stop. It has the most history, it’s in three books and it's the most well known. The hauntings still go on to this day. People still experience things day and night,” Poe said.
Be sure to enjoy the Haunted Auburn Walking Tour while it is in town this Halloween season.
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Sam Vise, junior in journalism, is the community reporter for The Auburn Plainsman.
