A 1922 CU campus concert hall where a 1966 murder case — prosecuted and confessed — left a documented criminal record and decades of reported phenomena.
1595 Pleasant St., Boulder, CO 80309
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Public university campus; exterior access free. Event tickets required for concerts and performances.
Access
Wheelchair OK
University campus; auditorium accessible via main entrance; exterior campus is paved
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1922 · Constructed 1922 as gift from Andrew J. Macky · Site of 1966 murder of Elaura Jaquette · Joseph Dyre Morse convicted; sentenced to 888 years · Morse confessed in 1980 · University of Colorado Archives holds official Jaquette case police records · Elaura Jaquette memorial plaque on Norlin Quadrangle
Macky Auditorium was constructed in 1922 as a gift to the University of Colorado from Andrew J. Macky and has served as the campus's primary concert and convocation hall for a century. The building's Romanesque Revival architecture and prominent location at the edge of Norlin Quadrangle have made it one of CU's most recognized landmarks.
On July 9, 1966, Elaura Jaquette, a botany student at the university, was lured to the building's west tower by Joseph Dyre Morse, a CU custodian. Morse attacked and murdered Jaquette in the tower. He was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted. A Weld County judge sentenced Morse to 888 years in prison — a sentence structured to ensure he would never be released. Morse did not immediately confess; his confession came in 1980, fourteen years after the murder.
The University of Colorado Archives holds the official Elaura Jaquette Case Police Records, confirming the documented criminal proceeding. The university has installed a memorial plaque for Jaquette on Norlin Quadrangle, adjacent to the auditorium. Ghost reports at the building began appearing in student publications around 1970 and have continued since. The CU Independent, the university's student newspaper, has covered both the historical case and the subsequent paranormal lore.
Sources
Paranormal reports at Macky Auditorium have circulated in student media and local coverage since roughly 1970, placing them within a few years of the 1966 murder of Elaura Jaquette. The accounts include descriptions of pipe organ music heard when the auditorium is empty and locked, a woman's shadow moving in concert with a figure described as a man in brown clothing, and unexplained lights observed in the building.
The CU Independent has documented these accounts in the context of the building's criminal history, framing them as part of the campus's dark-history record rather than as unmoored ghost lore. Jaquette's memorial on Norlin Quadrangle provides a permanent point of historical acknowledgment on campus. The auditorium continues to operate as an active concert venue, hosting performances throughout the academic year.
Notable Entities
Macky Auditorium is an active concert hall and campus landmark. Elaura Jaquette is memorialized by a plaque on adjacent Norlin Quadrangle. The building's exterior and surroundings are accessible to the public during campus hours.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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