Vilas Hall is home to one of the student newspapers, The Daily Cardinal, which has been covering campus news since 1892. An alumni from the 1980s who worked at the newspaper said that one day, the printer had turned on on its own and had spit out the letters “ORV” in xxx’s on one of its piece of paper.
The Cardinal writers knew that it was a message from Orv Larson, who was the Daily Cardinal printer for years and had died the winter before. Orv used to work third shift and he’d bring beer to work from his favorite tavern, the Black Bear Lounge. Since beer wasn’t allowed in the building, Orv would cough when he’d pop the top to disguise the sound. And now if you hear a mysterious cough in the middle of the night at Vilas, don’t worry, it’s just Orv.
Meet Orv, the spirits of Science Hall, the victims of Sterling, the bodies underneath the statue of Abe Lincoln, underground adventurer Tunnel Bob, and many more ghosts and legends of the University of Wisconsin campus.
Join American Ghost Walks for a tour around the UW campus in Madison. We let you in on the legends, history, ghost stories, and real paranormal experiences that have been reported on the University of Wisconsin campus, including around Library Mall and up and down Bascom Hill.
Expert paranormal guide
Weekends 7:30pm
Easy/Moderate
$25 per person
The Madison Ghost Walk was originally developed by Mike Huberty who started the first ghost tour in Wisconsin's capital city in 2010. Our original research is the foundation of this haunted history tour where we interview the real experiencers, explore historical records, talk to local business owners to give you Madison ghost stories that no other tour can offer.
A happy group of University of Wisconsin fans enjoying the haunted stories!
Honest Abe watches over our terrified tourgoers!
The University of Wisconsin is ruch in history... and ghost stories!
Happy haunted guests!
Our ghost host spinning spooky tales...
This lakefront landmark has been a favorite of students and alumni for decades. Built in 1931, why do people seem to see a woman dressed in Nineteeth Century clothing on the staircases?
The University's most reportedly haunted building. From mad scientists in the attic to ghosts of victims hung from the rafters, Science Hall has its share of campus superstitions.
The first building at the University of Wisconsin was also the dormitory home of John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club. But in this historic buliding, we have ghost stories from the 1880s as well as the 1980s...
What beloved University of Wisconsin librarian can still be seen walking "The Stacks"?
And much much more... Write a description for this list item and include information that will interest site visitors. For example, you may want to describe a team member's experience, what makes a product special, or a unique service that you offer.
Item LinkOn the steps of the Wisconsin Historical Society (816 State Street Madison, WI)
We focus on building exteriors and outdoor spaces. Businesses and public places are open for you to visit during regular business hours. Otherwise we respect the privacy of individuals and organizations and expect that our guests do the same.
We can never guarantee a supernatural encounter, but we will explain paranormal phenomena such as cold spots and residual hauntings. What we do guarantee: Our local connections and dedication to research means you'll get authentic accounts — in all their shocking detail.
Service animals are welcome. However, for liability issues, please leave your furry friends at home if you don’t require their assistance.
While our tours do not contain anything too graphic or inappropriate, we find that kids that enjoy history have the best time. You know your children and that's left up to you. We do not recommend bringing children in strollers because sometimes that can be difficult with larger walking groups.
We do our best to answer calls and emails as promptly as they are received. Please make sure to leave a voicemail with the city and tourtime. We try to accommodate travel and weather issues, but our public tours cannot wait for more than 10 minutes. Reschedules are available if the date you are interested in is not sold out.
Because this is a limited capacity tour, all sales are final. But we will reschedule you if you have an emergency, we love ghosts, not monsters!
Copyright 2024 Huberty LLC DBA American Ghost Walks