Gather around the campfire, Pioneers! It’s time for three spooky ghost stories, all of which take place across the Cal State East Bay Hayward campus.
The Annex Apparition
In the basement of the Annex building lies the Pioneer Media Center, home to a television soundstage, an audio recording sound booth, and (allegedly) a ghastly spirit.
Rumor has it, a woman committed suicide in the Annex building (formerly the old library) sometime in the early 1960s. The woman has gone by many names over the years: Annie, Maria, or Old Hillary. Regardless of her name, some claim to see her ghost wandering around the Pioneer Media Center late at night.
Communication studies lecturer, Kevin Pina, claims to have seen the spirit. “She has a very young face. She looked like she may have been 19 or 20 years old, but her hair was completely grey [and] long,” he said on an episode of East Bay Live.
“When I turned to look directly at it, it would disappear,” he added.
The Ghostly Couple of Robinson Hall
Across campus, Robinson Hall allegedly has spirits of its own.
Not much is widely known about this story, but a 2012 article from CBS News claims that two ghosts, one male and one female, can be seen roaming around Robinson Hall usually around 10 p.m. The ghosts are reportedly described as “not shy,” with the female ghost wearing a Little Bo-Peep costume.
During the 2024-25 school year, Robinson Hall was decommissioned as part of the university’s budget reduction plan. The building currently sits abandoned with massive cobwebs, dark rooms, and empty hallways.
Perhaps the ghostly couple is more likely to appear now that the building is in a neglected state…
Spirits in Student Housing
Lastly, some students who live on campus believe they’re living with spirits. Student residents and workers believe the currently-vacant Juniper building is haunted, but it’s not the only dorm suspected of housing more than just live people.
One Reddit user on the Cal State East Bay subreddit, who lives in the Coloma building, claims they saw a “shadow person” run from their bathroom to their living room. The same user also said that one of their friends, who also dorms, saw a shadow person as well.
Another user, who claims to have worked on the third floor of the Coloma building for 27 years, stated they have not witnessed any paranormal activity, but still can’t ignore the building’s eeriness.
“Been there all alone late at night too, and it feels spooky,” they wrote.
