Spirits in School in Nebraska

Central High School in Omaha is housed in a stone building which has a Grecian/Roman front and decorative stonework. The land the school sits on was formerly the site of the Territorial Capitol from 1857 – 1869. After Nebraska became a state the Capitol was moved to Lincoln and the old building and grounds given to the city. Omaha’s first high school was built in 1870. It had 4 stories and 15 school rooms. The building seen today was built between 1900 – 1912 with new additions built and renovations done later. A translucent dome encloses the open courtyard and give kids a place to gather and eat lunch when the weather is bad.

Paranormal activity here occurs on weekends and evenings. Unexplained cold spot have been felt in the original part of the building, along the central main hall. Witnesses have heard a disembodied voice saying, "I know you’re here" or "I know you’re all here". It is the entity of a former Dean of Students.

There is an apparition which has been described as a "White Blur" and has been noticed flying along the main hall disappearing through the door to the Dean of Students’ Office. The apparition of a hard-working custodian has been described as a shadow entity that likes to wave at the living through the clear window of this same office.

There are sounds on someone sweeping the main hall and the sounds of wheels creaking on a Custodian cart moving along the wooden floors.

The Temple Building is at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. It is located on the East Campus. The University of Nebraska was founded in 1869 stretching 4 city blocks. By 1905 it was becoming immense. The beautiful Franco-Italian style Temple Building was constructed in 1906 as a student activity center and home to the University Theater. The entrance is framed by 4 Italian marble pillars strategically placed across the front of the building. Inside is the campus radio station and KUON-TV, all the drama and theater classes, some administrative offices and UNL’s two main theaters, Howell and Studio.

There are two known spirits:
1. In the 1940s a thespian/dramatic arts production student involved with a production of Macbeth fell from the overhead rigging in the main theater and died from his injuries on stage.
2. Dallas Williams the Theater Department Chairman (1944-1971) was known to do crazy things to punctuate his teachings, like throw chairs in his classrooms.

Whenever a presentation of Macbeth is given the male entity of the thespian/dramatic arts production student can be seen near the stage. The apparition is described as a shadowy figure going about his business, standing in a locked sound booth inaccessible to anyone but him. In the 1980s a strange, unexplainable thumping was heard coming from the attic of the Temple Building. When a doll was needed for a play members of the production crew went to look in the attic. They dismembered a variety of dolls to create the one they needed. They left doll parts all over the floor. Locking the door they left. Later returning to clean up the mess left behind they saw that the doll parts had been organized so that is was now easy to put the dolls back together again. This was supposedly done by the entity of a young girl.

Then there is the entity of Dallas Williams – students hear the sound of chairs being thrown in empty classrooms. There is other paranormal activity which could be any of the entities. The sound of someone walking across the balcony and then a balcony seat is pushed down as it someone is sitting down. In the 1970s an entity was noticed in the east basement studios of KUON-TV. Another common occurrence is the sound of someone practicing their tap dancing on the stage of the Howell Theater but no one is ever there.

In Alliance at the Alliance Theater the entity of a great actress now simply called "Mary" still roams the stage after hours waiting for the applause she’ll never hear again. During a performance in which she played a bride a light fixture fell upon her. She died of the weight and electric shock but has never left the theater.

At the Jewel Park in Bellevue there have been reports of extra footprints in the dirt when one thinks they are alone. A thick mist forming on a clear night and being chased by something or someone that isn’t there. No animals have been on this property in 6 months to a year yet animal sounds are heard. Witnesses have seen figure of people which show up and then disappear by the time someone turns round. One witness reported being run over by something, but no one was near. Whispering and rodeo sounds from the old rodeo stands can be heard.

In Clatonia at Boyscout Lake apparently a woman froze to death in a blizzard while looking for her family. The family used to live on the grounds and one morning the woman sent her kids out to help her husband with the farm chores. The weather got increasingly worse and being worried she went to look for them. The husband and children survived having taken shelter in the barn but the woman froze to death in the blizzard. Now a woman figure has been seen walking around still and an evil growling noise can be heard. Interestingly enough trees leading up to the lake seem to grow together and they never seem to have enough leaves.

Barnard Park in Fremont used to be a cemetery and a camp during the Mormon Trail. Later on the city turned this cemetery into a park. However they couldn’t remove all the bodies because some were marked with sticks and rocks and with years passing were difficult to locate. Now late at night people can see figures passing through the park. Among these spirits one lady stands out. She was on the Mormon Trail and after her daughter died while they were staying at the camp she was too devastated to go on. Now on winter nights this lady walks about crying. The ghost of a man is seen lying down on a park bench and it is said that a lot of the houses surrounding the park are also known to be haunted.

Also in Fremont at the Waste Water Treatment Plant strange things are happening. While one operator is taking some readings he thinks another operator has gone by the door only to discover that no one was near the area he was in. They’ve heard knocking or pounding on the garage door only to find no one there. Another operator was trying to take the lid off of an oil barrel. He went to the shop to get something to pry off the lid with. Upon returning to the barrel he saw that the lid was off. Some of the workers here suspect that it may be the doing of the old superintendent who died on the job there.

At Hastings College in Hastings the ghost of a music professor has been seen in solid form and as a floating light in the music building which was named for him. Lights have turned on and off by themselves and there have been sightings of him walking the halls late at night.

Conrad Hall in Kearney was built in the late 1950s and used to house the KSC chapter of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. A spirit which has been named Stella after one of the AOPi founding sisters supposedly haunts the west end of the 3rd floor rooms, particularly Room 318. Her entity appears at night and sits on students’ chairs and beds. There are times when students wake up and are unable to open their eyes or roll over in bed because the ghost is sleeping next to them. Chairs are pulled across the tile floors and put in front of mirrors. In vacant rooms which have been locked lights are found on and the entity turns on the water taps in the bathrooms.

The Auditorium at Kearney Senior High School in Kearney appears to have two ghosts. One is named Walt who is benevolent, if you treat him right. There is a so called "ghost light" in the theater which remains on all the time except during performances. It at any time this light goes out at night you can be sure that something bad will happen at the next practice or performance. The other ghost is referred to as "The Who". At the very top of the Auditorium near the rafters the logo for the band of the same name mysteriously appeared one night. Interestingly enough there is no way up to the rafters nor are there any ladders tall enough to reach there. Other disturbances attributed to The Who are odd, loud moaning sounds which people dismiss as being the wind outside only to go out and find a calm night.

Another music professor haunts the old music building found on the Nebraska Weslyan College in Lincoln. He was an organ instructor an the organ can be heard playing late at night. Sometimes he’s also seen sitting at or near the organ and has also been seen and heard at the apartment where he used to live.

Residents have heard the oddest things at the Plumer Street House in Maxwell. The cries of a baby, an empty rocking chair rocking by itself and one resident saw a young woman dressed in white sitting in the chair. A thudding noise can be heard on the stairs of night and in an upstairs front bedroom a naked light bulb swings back and forth by itself. When these things were investigated several hidden walkways were found between each of the upstairs rooms. Lights have flickered on and off. Some of the stories behind these incidents are as follows: A young boy needing to go to the outhouse during the night fell down the stairs and broke his neck. An infant died in her crib in an upstairs room and the mother rocked the dead child until she was discovered. Another young boy hung himself from a light cord in the front upstairs bedroom and a woman and her lover fought and one was killed.

The happenings at Dodge Hill Road and Cemetery in North Platte are strange indeed. This spot is frequented by locals in the winter because it is a choice sledding spot however it’s advisable to stay away at night. This road takes some twists and turns and there is a sheer drop on either side at some points. Several people have skidded through the guard rails and plunged to their death. Further on up the road in the infamous cemetery. There is a story that goes if you point your headlights at a statue of Jesus, he will eventually move. Figures of people have been seen walking through the tombstones one moment and vanishing the next. There have also been reports of phantom animals.

Concordia University the David Dorm in Seward is apparently haunted by Indians. When this dorm was being built in the 1970s bone were found. It was discovered that these bones dated back to the early 1700s and maps showed that the land had been once owned by local Indians. Concordia was given the OK to put the building up there but had to turn in all the remains that were found. Now residents here report that blow dryers, computers, curling irons, phones and other electronics as well as showers turn on by themselves. There are those who say the Indians are angry that the building was allowed to be built on this spot.

So if you’re not doing anything else on your next vacation perhaps you might consider a tour of Nebraska….