WVU's 1870s bell-tower landmark, where campus lore says a phantom cow still moos from the tower
1500 University Avenue, Morgantown, WV 26506
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to view. Woodburn Hall is an academic building at the center of Woodburn Circle on WVU's downtown campus; the grounds and exterior are open to the public.
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Historic academic building on the downtown WVU campus, set in the landscaped Woodburn Circle
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Est. 1876 · Central landmark of WVU's Woodburn Circle · First known as University Hall
Woodburn Hall anchors Woodburn Circle, a cluster of historic buildings on West Virginia University's downtown campus in Morgantown. First known as University Hall, the building dates to the 1870s and has become one of the most recognizable images of the university, largely because of its tall clock-and-bell tower.
The building takes its name from the broader Woodburn complex. Over the years it has appeared in WVU's haunted-history features alongside its better-known classmates, and a campus folklore exhibit connects the wider Woodburn name to Elizabeth Moore, a former principal of the Woodburn Female Seminary, as a figure tied to the site.
The story most often attached to Woodburn Hall itself is lighter and stranger than a typical campus ghost tale. It is a folklore item about a cow in the bell tower, repeated in the student newspaper and on a local ghost walk. The sources present it as legend, with no documented event, which is why the building's reputation is treated as campus tradition rather than verified history.
Sources
Woodburn Hall's ghost story is one of the odder entries in WVU folklore. As it is told, students led a cow up the stairs into the building's bell tower as a prank, only to find the animal could not be brought back down. From that prank-gone-wrong, campus lore says, came a haunting: a phantom cow still heard mooing from the tower, sometimes described as occurring on moonlit nights.
The story is carried in WVU's student newspaper, which has run a feature on the Woodburn cow ghost, and a campus folklore exhibit notes faint cow sounds reported near the hall. A local ghost-walk operator also lists Woodburn Hall as a stop, which keeps the tale in circulation among visitors.
The accounts agree on the broad outline but offer no date or documented incident, and the sources present the cow as legend rather than record. Treated as campus tradition, the Woodburn cow remains one of the most retold and most unusual ghost stories on the WVU campus.
Notable Entities
Woodburn Hall is the central building of Woodburn Circle on WVU's downtown campus and one of the university's most recognizable landmarks, topped by its clock-and-bell tower. The grounds and exterior are open to the public for viewing and photography year-round.
Mountaineer Excursions has listed Woodburn Hall among stops on a local ghost-tour-style outing. Tour dates and pricing are set by that operator, not the university; confirm current offerings with the operator before planning a visit.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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