HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
A Springfield convention hotel where staff accounts of 'The Colonel' — an older man in black seen near the ballroom between midnight and 4 a.m. — have circulated for years without the property advertising it.
333 John Q Hammons Pkwy, Springfield, MO 65806
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Standard hotel room rates apply. No dedicated paranormal programming; experiences are incidental to normal overnight stays.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Full-service hotel with elevator access to all floors.
Equipment
Photos OK
Built on reported Civil War-era plantation site · Notable Springfield convention hotel
The University Plaza Hotel stands on ground in downtown Springfield that local accounts tie to a Civil War-era plantation, though the hotel itself does not publish a detailed historical narrative about the property's antebellum history. The hotel operates as a convention-scale property, part of the infrastructure surrounding Missouri State University and the downtown corridor.
The haunting tradition at University Plaza is primarily staff-generated rather than institutionally promoted. Over years of operation, employees working late shifts — particularly in the ballroom and the back hallway network — have described encounters with a figure identified informally as 'The Colonel,' an older man dressed in black who appears between midnight and 4 a.m. and does not respond to staff before vanishing.
The hotel has not incorporated these accounts into its public marketing, which distinguishes it from properties that actively sell paranormal tourism. The reports have circulated through word of mouth among Springfield residents and appear on several regional dark tourism aggregation sites as a result.
Sources
The figure known as 'The Colonel' has no documented historical identity. Staff accounts describe him as an older man in dark clothing, seen most frequently between midnight and 4 a.m. in the ballroom and the corridors connecting the back-of-house spaces. He does not speak, does not acknowledge staff who see him, and disappears before they can approach.
These accounts have not been tied to a specific death or event at the property. The plantation association suggests a pre-hotel history for the ground, but no verified incident has been connected to the Colonel's description. The detail that makes the tradition credible to those who track it is that the stories come consistently from employees rather than guests seeking a paranormal experience — people working ordinary late shifts who weren't looking for anything unusual.
Notable Entities
The University Plaza Hotel does not advertise paranormal programming, but staff accounts of 'The Colonel' have circulated among employees for years. An overnight stay puts guests in the building where the accounts originated — particularly in the ballroom corridor and back hallways.
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