Outdoor Exploration
Campus Drive-By / Exterior View
Griffith Hall is a co-ed residence hall on the SFA campus. Visitors can observe the exterior from campus walkways; the interior is restricted to current residents.
- Duration:
- 20 min
Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domain Other Dark Tourism Site
Griffith Hall (SFA Dormitory)
A 1968 Stephen F. Austin State University residence hall where students have reported shower lights flickering at a consistent nightly hour and an elevator that skips the third floor.
519 Horseshoe Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 3 sources
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Public university campus; exterior and common walkways are accessible to visitors.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Flat paved university campus
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1968 · Part of mid-century SFA campus expansion · Active student residential facility since 1968
Stephen F. Austin State University was established in 1923 as a teacher's college serving East Texas and grew over subsequent decades into a comprehensive regional university. The Nacogdoches campus expanded substantially during the 1960s as enrollment increased, adding dormitories and classroom buildings to support a growing student body.
Griffith Hall opened in 1968 as a co-ed residential facility. The building is a multi-story dormitory with five floors, each originally tiled in blue — with the exception of the third floor, which has pink tile distinguishing it from the others. The hall housed a resident-assistant program and served a typical undergraduate residential population from its opening.
The building sits in the central dormitory corridor of SFA's campus, surrounded by similar mid-century residential structures. The university has continued to operate Griffith Hall as student housing, and the building has been part of the SFA campus housing inventory for more than five decades. Paranormal accounts associated with the building began circulating among students in the early 1970s and have persisted in campus oral tradition ever since.
Sources
- https://www.texasescapes.com/DanaGoolsby/Haunted-Stephen-F-Austin-State-University-Nacogdoches-Texas.htm
- https://www.hercampus.com/school/sfa/3-local-haunts-nacogdocheslufkin/
- https://www.sfasu.edu/about-sfa
Shower lights flickering at consistent nightly hourRunning footsteps in south wing around 2 a.m.Apparition in tattered clothing at hall's endElevator skipping the third floorCold air accompanying footstep reports
Campus oral tradition at SFA traces the Griffith Hall haunting to a death on the third floor in the years shortly after the building opened in 1968. Accounts describe the deceased as a resident assistant on that floor; the circumstances are recounted differently across student generations. The third floor's pink tile — unlike the blue tile on the other four floors — has become part of the lore, with students treating the color difference as a physical marker of something set apart.
Reported phenomena that recur in student accounts include the lights in the third-floor community shower room flickering each night at the same hour, said to coincide with the time of the death. Around 2 a.m., residents on the south wing describe hearing running footsteps in the corridor when no one is visible. An apparition in tattered clothing has been reported at the far end of a hallway, disappearing when approached or watched. The elevator, according to multiple independent accounts, skips the third floor — a detail that has persisted in the lore long enough to appear in both local news coverage and student media at SFA.
Texas Escapes and the SFA student newspaper (the Daily Sentinel) have each run accounts citing student witnesses. HauntedPlaces.org, drawing from user submissions, records an 86 percent paranormal activity rate from visitors who report experiencing something at the location. None of the accounts have been corroborated through university administrative records or contemporaneous news coverage.
Notable Entities
Unnamed former resident assistant (third floor)
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Griffith Hall (SFA Dormitory) family-friendly?
Active college dormitory on a public campus. Paranormal accounts are folklore shared among students, not a commercial attraction. The underlying tragedy involves a student death — families with younger children may want to use their judgment. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Griffith Hall (SFA Dormitory)?
Public university campus; exterior and common walkways are accessible to visitors. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Griffith Hall (SFA Dormitory) wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Griffith Hall (SFA Dormitory) is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Flat paved university campus.