UTEP Hauntings

By Aaron Perez

Published 4/24/2025

Image Credit: UTEP

 University of Texas at El Paso

The local university in the city of El Paso, UTEP is home to many spirits that roam its halls. Since Utep has so many buildings, there are some who have the reputation of being haunted by spirits. The locations of these hauntings include the Old Main, Seamon Hall, the Psychology building, Cotton Memorial, The Union, Fox Fine Arts Building, and the Magoffin Auditorium. What most have in common is that there are disembodied voices in the buildings, particularly Old Main, as well as footsteps when no one is there at night. Other buildings, like the Classroom Building and Geosciences have creepy aesthetics, but have not had reports of being haunted. 

Old Main

The oldest building on campus, Old Main sits right at the foot of the hill that overlooks the university. As the oldest building, it is expected to have many strange phenomena, which it does. As documented by a local investigation by publishers of the campus newspaper, The Prospector, a lot happens in this old building late at night. Witnesses of this investigation reported phantom footsteps and ghostly lectures happening in empty classrooms and hallways. They were also startled when the front doors began to shake violently, as if something wanted to get in, or out of the building. 

Rubin Center, formerly Seamon Hall

Next to the Sun Bowl, this building is famous for formerly being the Geology department of campus before it was moved to its new home next to the just in front of the Magoffin Auditorium. It now serves as the university’s art museum and there are still many classes that are given there to this day. Because it used to be the geology building, it has had an accident or two, and one incident did manage to take a life. One particularly horrific accident involving chemicals took the life of a geology student after he mixed substances that shouldn’t be together and resulted in an explosion. His spirit has been said to still roam the building and can be observed peeking out of the windows in a room that is known to be empty at certain times of day. This specter has been seen peering out of windows and has been observed by students. Another famous ghost can be observed late at night, coming out of a 1930’s car and walking towards the building. This spirit is said to belong to a girl who was supposedly pregnant and murdered by her lover. Those that observed this specter say that she walks out of the phantom car and walks towards the entrance of the building, disappearing into thin air.

Psychology Building

Built in 1949, this building is located at the center of campus, overlooking the centennial plaza and in front of Old Main. Inside this building, there exists a radio that is haunted and is said to turn on by itself.. A janitor who was interviewed decades ago by the local campus podcast UTEP SAA recalled his experiences with this object. In that interview, he revealed that he heard a radio turn on by itself and switch channels but also mentions that its electronic components have been removed and has been disconnected from an outlet. 

Cotton Memorial

Home to the university’s radio station and its department of communication, Cotton Memorial used to have a small stage area which was controlled by ropes. A worker is said to have accidentally tangled himself on those ropes, and was found to have been deceased for some time. Students and staff often spot figures peeping through the windows and a shadow, rumored to be the worker walking through the halls.

Union Buildings

The Union is said to be haunted by shadow people that can be seen late at night. These specters are said to roam inside the eastern part of the building and in the walkway that connects the two. In the Western part of the Union building, which contains the Dinner theater, is said to be haunted by various spirits. It’s most notable is that of a young child who plays pranks on the performers and is said to be heard giggling on the stage.

Fox Fine Arts

The Fox Fine Arts building has the spirit of a person staring motionless at students who practice at certain times of day. This spirit is said to appear within the recital hall on the right balcony looking at the practitioners below. It is rumored that someone was intentionally pushed from that balcony to their deaths and the area is now hunted by said spirit. The Magoffin Auditorium, which is part of the Fox Fine Arts building, is home to a spirit nicknamed Jose, who is notorious for stalking and chasing dancers on the fake ceiling above the stage when the building is empty. This spirit is said to be that of a worker who slipped and fell into the stage, dying instantly. He mostly resides in the area above the stage and his footsteps have been heard in the mostly empty auditorium.

Sources: 

Hudnall, Ken, and Connie Wang. Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of El Paso Del Norte. Omega Press, 2003.

Moreno, Iziah. “The unexplainable tales of UTEP spirits.” The Prospector, The University of Texas at El Paso, 13 3 2024, https://www.theprospectordaily.com/2024/03/13/the-unexplainable-tales-of-utep-spirits/. Accessed 2 27 2025.