MSU Campus Archaeology Program hosts 8th annual ‘Apparitions and Archaeology’ tour
October 17, 2022 - Katie Nicpon
The Apparitions and Archaeology Haunted MSU Campus Tour invites the public to explore the history and hauntings at Michigan State University. Photo credit: Jacqueline Hawthorne, MSU Social Science.
The Michigan State University Campus Archaeology Program is hosting the 8th annual “Apparitions and Archaeology” tour, an event that explores the history of MSU's campus as well as alleged hauntings that have taken place at the university. The event is free and open to the public, is family-friendly, and will take place from 7–9 p.m, Thursday, Oct. 27. The public can begin at any of the five stops along the tour.
The MSU Campus Archaeology Program is led by Spartan anthropologist Stacey Camp, and is housed within the Department of Anthropology, one of sixteen degree-granting programs within the MSU College of Social Science. To host the event, CAP is partnering with the MSU Paranormal Society, a student-led organization that investigates hauntings in the Lansing area. The tour includes stops at Beaumont Tower, Mary Mayo Hall, the MSU Museum, the MSU Library and the historical Saints' Rest dormitory.
The tour will be led by six student tour guides, including Ben Akey, a fourth-year doctoral student and graduate research assistant studying historical archaeology.
“I hope that our visitors take away an appreciation for the archaeological work CAP does, and how it helps us to learn about and share the history of MSU,“ said Akey. “I also hope that visitors find that archaeology can be both fun and educational, and that everyone can be a part of the process of learning more about the past.”
The tour started in 2014 as a way for CAP to make archaeology more accessible and engaging for the public. The tour is based on a blog post from a former CAP student, Katy Myers Emery, which documented many of the alleged hauntings that took place on MSU's campus.
For those unable to make it to campus on the 27th, the tour will also be held virtually. The virtual tour is self-guided and can be accessed at any time.
To learn more about the tour, visit the official Facebook event page or contact Ben Akey at akeybenj@msu.edu with questions.