Spooky season has finally arrived at one of the nation’s most haunted campuses, Penn State.

Some say that if you walk alone at night on Pollock Road, you will hear the clicking hooves of Old Coaly on the brick floor and past Penn State alumni following your steps.

But one of the spookiest stories takes place in the Old Botany Building.

On July 24, 1906, former university president George Atherton died of a severe bronchial illness. Atherton’s family and Penn State leadership decided to bury his body somewhere on campus. Pennsylvania Governor James A. Beaver at the time suggested burying Atherton in front of Old Main.

Atherton’s family collectively agreed that he should rest in a quieter part of campus. So the family decided to bury him next to Schwab Auditorium, right across from the Old Botany Building.

Folklore describes Frances Atherton, George Atherton’s wife, as being seen on the top floor of the Old Botany Building, watching over her husband’s burial. Although she is buried in Pine Hall Cemetery in State College, her spirit is said to be on campus.

Students on campus have shared that when they walk alone on Pollock Road on a cold, dark night, they feel a pair of eyes staring at them. Could it be Frances Atherton spirit staring down at them?

Past and current workers at the Old Botany Building have sensed another person in the building when they know they are the only ones alone.

Witnesses of the spirit stated that they have seen carpets roll up on their own and heard glass shatter. Many did not believe the story; however, after their experiences, they no longer know what to believe.

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