
Growing up, I was never brave enough to take on classic horror films, but the stories always intrigued me. Whether reading a pile of Goosebumps books, or watching the latest Youtube videos, I was clearly drawn to the paranormal. While spooky, it’s fun to think that we might not be as alone as we think, even on our very own campus.
Intrigued? Then join me on this haunted hay ride through the ghost stories of UBC!

UBC’s Hitchhiker Ghost
Among the various stories that linger around campus, one of the most famous has to do with UBC’s hitchhiker ghost.
Legend has it, as drivers go down Marine Drive at night, they may encounter a young woman in a white dress. If passersby dare give her a ride, she disappears from the back seat. In her place? A slip of paper with the address of the old UBC Main Library (now IKBLC). It’s speculated that she’s the ghost of a student who was on her way to the library with her boyfriend. Shortly, she stepped out of the car during an argument and met a tragic end.
Interestingly, mostly male students have encountered her… and although she seems harmless, many say to keep driving.
Eerie Encounters in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Speaking of UBC’s old Main Library (now IKBLC), this building, while a hub for students, also appears to be a hub for ghosts.
A ghost that students have described as an old woman dressed in white, is often suspected of throwing items–like books–across the room.

Similarly, two staff members–Julie and Kristen–have experienced their fair share of oddities. During late hours, Julie would often hear an unexplainable typing sound. In any other case, she may have shrugged it off… but aside from one security guard, she was the only person left in the entire building-alive that is!
What’s more, her colleagues can vouch for her story. For some time, Kristen only
knew about this ghost through her colleague. So when she first heard the typing, she couldn’t help feeling eerie as she peeked over the cubicles and found no one around. But whenever she or Julie would investigate further, the sound would promptly stop.
Kristen also encountered heavy wooden doors slamming on their own (despite there being no person or breeze) and elevators operating with no one on them. Furthermore, she heard from a night-shift guard that he would sometimes hear tapping in the Heritage Core. Curious, he would tap on a nearby wall–and something, or someone, would tap back in the exact same pattern.
Whether any of these stories are related to the old woman in white is unknown. And why IKB holds so many stories, no one knows.
In theory, there may be a connection between the hitchhiker and the library ghost. Both are women dressed in white–one of them is on their way to UBC’s old Main Library, and the other is already there. Perhaps our hitchhiker found her way to her final destination?
Regardless, it’s fun to hear some spooky campus stories–I hope you enjoyed the spine-chilling tales! Feel free to share your paranormal encounters in the comments below!