Toledo's most haunted building: a 1905 Flemish Gothic convent where a nun's death in the basement lingers in reported sightings and piano music.
2413 Collingwood Blvd, Toledo, OH 43620
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages for events; 18+ for ghost hunts
Cost
$$
Ghost hunt events are ticketed; gallery and arts events vary; see website
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story Flemish Gothic building with basement; some stairs without elevator access
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1905 · Built for the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart · Flemish Gothic architecture in Toledo's Old West End · Home of St. Ursula Academy for much of the 20th century · Now a nonprofit multipurpose arts center
The building at 2413 Collingwood Boulevard was constructed in 1905 for the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic religious order that ran St. Ursula Academy on the premises for much of the 20th century. The Flemish Gothic architecture — characterized by stepped gable rooflines, ornate stonework, and a sprawling brick campus — made it one of the most distinctive structures in Toledo's Old West End neighborhood.
The Ursuline Order's presence shaped the building's character over decades: a chapel, dormitory wings, classrooms, and the basement-level service areas that became the focus of later paranormal lore. According to WTOL's investigative feature on the building, local accounts hold that a nun died by suicide in the basement sometime in the 1950s — a claim that circulates widely in Toledo ghost-tour literature, though it has not been independently confirmed in historical documentation reviewed for this record.
St. Ursula Academy eventually relocated, and the building transitioned to community use. The Collingwood Arts Center nonprofit was established to operate it as a multipurpose arts venue, offering gallery space, studio rentals, rehearsal rooms, and performance facilities. It now hosts theater productions, visual art exhibitions, and — notable for its haunted reputation — ticketed ghost hunt events.
Sources
WTOL's local television feature on the Collingwood Arts Center identified it as Toledo's most haunted building, citing accounts from staff and visitors who have worked or toured the property. The most persistent report is of a black-robed figure seen in the basement hallways — described by multiple witnesses as moving at the far end of a corridor before vanishing around a corner. The figure's clothing is consistent with religious habit.
A second frequently reported phenomenon is piano music audible in rooms where no piano is present or where the instrument is confirmed unplayed. Staff account for this as coming from somewhere within the building's older wing, though the source cannot be located. Toledo City Paper's documented 3D tour of the property noted specific rooms — including a top-floor dormitory space — where a white, luminous shape has been reported by independent visitors who had no prior knowledge of the space's reputation.
The reported suicide of a nun in the basement in the 1950s — cited in local lore as the source of the basement phenomena — has not been confirmed in primary historical records. Dignity standard: this account is presented here as oral tradition rather than documented fact.
The Arts Center hosts ticketed ghost hunt events in the building, including access to the basement — the area most associated with paranormal reports. WTOL TV confirmed the venue offers ghost hunt events.
The Collingwood Arts Center operates as an active arts venue with gallery spaces, studios, and performance areas open to the public during events and gallery hours.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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