HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
One of the largest student unions in the US, with hotel rooms, haunted portraits, and documented paranormal activity in the Bryan Room.
900 E 7th St, Bloomington, IN 47405
Research updated August 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Hotel rooms available; public areas free to enter
Access
Wheelchair OK
Indoor, multi-story building. Accessible entrances include the Biddle Hotel entrance on Circle Drive, the Whittenberger Auditorium entrance, and the Alumni Hall entrance, each with nearby accessible parking; several elevators serve the Student Involvement Tower, the Biddle Hotel and Tree Suites, and the Vault Pub.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1932 · World War I Memorial · One of Largest Student Unions in the US · Indiana University Historic Campus
The Indiana Memorial Union was dedicated in 1932 as a living memorial to IU students and alumni who died in World War I. Over subsequent decades the building expanded multiple times to its current size of over 500,000 square feet, making it one of the largest student unions in the country; the 1960 addition of the IU Biddle Hotel added 189 guest rooms and more than 50,000 square feet of meeting space. The facility includes the IMU Hotel, several restaurants, the Indiana Memorial Union Bookstore, and dozens of meeting rooms including the wood-paneled Bryan Room.
The building's age and the transient nature of a student hotel have produced a steady accumulation of unexplained-incident reports. Ghost trackers conducting an investigation in the Bryan Room documented EVP recordings and a chair that moved without contact. Two portraits hanging in the building are specifically identified in local paranormal lore as sources of unease, with individuals reporting the sensation of being observed or followed after passing them.
The Indiana Daily Student reported in 2024 on the building's reputation, citing witness accounts of shoulder taps with no one present and the sound of faint laughter from empty hallways. IU's annual FESA Ghost Walk, a College of Arts and Sciences tradition, includes the IMU as a stop along with Owen Hall, Dunn Cemetery and other campus sites, anchoring the building's haunted status within the university's own programming.
Sources
The Bryan Room sits at the center of IMU paranormal reports. Investigators conducting a session there documented EVP recordings — electronic voice phenomena captured on audio equipment — and observed a chair move without physical contact. The specificity of these accounts, attached to a named room in a named building, sets them apart from generic haunted-hotel lore.
Beyond the Bryan Room, Visit Bloomington describes playful, youthful spirits that tap shoulders, laugh faintly, and can be heard as the sound of dog paws on the floor, with no theories about who the children or dogs were. A current IU Ghost Walk guide has also reported the IMU elevator stopping at the fourth floor for no reason, a phenomenon long reported by students, faculty and hotel guests. Two particular portraits hanging in the building are identified in local legend as unsettling objects — visitors report a persistent impression of being watched. The annual FESA Ghost Walk, a College of Arts and Sciences tradition, lists the IMU as one of its stops, giving institutional weight to the stories.
Book one of the IU Biddle Hotel's 189 rooms and suites, located within the historic union building. Hotel guests have round-the-clock access to the IMU building itself, though individual restaurants and amenities keep their own hours. Paranormal activity including shoulder taps, faint laughter, and self-moving objects has been reported by guests and investigators.
See current room rates and availability at Indiana Memorial Union.
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