Explore the Chilling History of the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Are you a ghost hunter or someone who enjoys visiting haunted places? I am always up for a good scare. After visiting Gettysburg last year and learning about its horrific past, I am moving on to explore more of Pennsylvania's haunted history. I’m discovering many of Pennsylvania's spookiest spots are hidden in intriguing places where I would never think to look. In fact, there appears to be a great deal of paranormal activity at a well-known state school. I'm making the University of Pittsburgh my next stop on my haunted Pennsylvania road trip.

The University of Pittsburgh is one of the oldest universities in the country, with roots that can be traced to 1787. However, the haunted campus building I’m going to tell you about is less than a century old. The Cathedral of Learning is a magnificent 42-story structure, considered the tallest educational building in the United States. At 535 feet high, it is made up of classrooms, libraries, a theater, and administrative offices. The Cathedral, often called “Cathy” by students, is an iconic landmark in North Oakland. It was proudly placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

While this Late Gothic Revival building is stunning to view from the outside, what takes place inside is equally as interesting (as well as mysterious). As it turns out, multiple rooms in the Cathedral have witnessed their share of strange activity.

The first of these is the Croghan-Schenley Ballroom. This room was constructed about 100 years before the Cathedral of Learning ever existed. The elaborate ballroom was once a part of the William Croghan Jr. estate and was built for the society debut of Crogan’s daughter, Mary. As it turns out, 15-year-old Mary had her own ideas and decided to elope with a British captain more than 27 years her age. Her father disowned her, and the ballroom went unused until it was moved to the Cathedral in the 1940s. A secret chamber, accessed by a false fireplace, is where visitors swear to have witnessed Mary’s spirit. Others say they have seen her haunting the ballroom and have heard the room's piano play by itself. Creepy!

The second room of the Cathedral that's rumored to be haunted is the Early American Nationality Room. This two-level room depicts life in 17th-century New England. The second floor of the exhibit is set up as a bedroom and is accessible by a secret passageway in the wall. Paranormal activity centers around an antique quilt. The handmade wedding quilt was donated by Martha Jane Poe McDaniel. It typically sits on the room’s four-poster bed, but the quilt occasionally moves around on its own. This phenomenon was even witnessed by McDaniel’s granddaughter, the former director of Pitt’s Nationality Rooms program. 

While most of the unexplained activity takes place in these two rooms, there have also been reports of shadowy figures and strange noises in other areas of the Cathedral. I imagine it must be difficult for Pitt students to concentrate on classwork with all of these spirits lurking around.

Have you visited the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning? Did anything strange happen to you while you were there? To find out more about this beautiful and mysterious building, please visit the Cathedral of Learning website. For even more haunted fun in Pennsylvania, check out the creepy Van Sant Crybaby Bridge in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and stay the night at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. For even more spooky thrills, take a look at this haunted road trip through Pennsylvania.

Feeling inspired? Try planning your own trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.