History & local legend
Alumni Hall is one of Villanova University’s oldest buildings. Its east wing dates to 1848, and the college used it as its main center before it became the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Academy for boys and, later, a residence hall.
A former resident described a frightening night in a 2020 account of campus hauntings. He awoke unable to move and felt as though he was being choked, an experience he called sleep paralysis. He also remembered bathroom hand dryers turning on without anyone using them.
The student said he did not generally believe in ghosts, but those experiences had stayed with him. His recollections became part of the stories students exchanged about the old dormitory.
