In this special episode of GridgeFridge, we venture on a walking tour throughout campus to learn about the spooks within Science Hall and the boos behind Bascom Hill. With notable stops including the “axe in the stacks” attack of graduate student Susan Oldenburg in Memorial Library in 1979, or the shocking former life of Bascom Hill and all the history buried beneath its soil.
These chilling stories discuss some of the most traumatic events occurring on the UW-Madison campus, turned into hearsay amongst the student body. These stories offer a time of reflection for the way that disturbing stories shape campus history. They question how people’s memories are preserved through brick and mortar, and ask us to question why certain people’s legacies are remembered and others are missing.
Our stops will consist of seeing the Wisconsin Union Theater and the ghosts of former performers, Science Hall’s rumored “cadaver chute,” spirits from Madison’s very own Capitol building and more.
When shared with care, these tales connect us to the place, each other, and the long, complicated histories that haunt every community. Ghost stories remind us that remembering is a kind of haunting all its own, and we are invited to share in memoriam of these spirits respectfully and responsibly.
If you’re interested in learning more about the research done surrounding these spooky occurrences on campus, please feel free to look into the UW-Madison Archives at library.wisc.edu/archives.