THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage is associated with numerous ghost stories, including a woman in white seen onstage, a shadowy man backstage, a giggling little girl, unexplained sounds, moving objects, and an aggressive male presence said to have pushed a woman down the stairs. Even the university itself acknowledges the auditorium's longstanding paranormal reputation and describes six entities said to haunt the building.
The Wendy Williamson Auditorium, known locally as "The Wendy," is a performing arts venue on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus with one of the city's best-known haunted reputations. UAA itself describes six entities associated with the auditorium. They include a male musician sometimes believed to be the building's namesake, John "Wendy" Williamson, whose portrait reportedly refuses to remain hanging; a shadowy man seen backstage listening to performances; a woman in white who has appeared onstage; a teenage boy associated with feelings of comfort; a young girl reportedly seen near the spotlights and heard giggling; and an angry male presence associated with more disturbing activity. One frequently repeated account involves a Miss Alaska Pageant contestant who suddenly fell down a staircase and claimed she had been pushed. Palm-shaped bruises were reportedly visible on her back the following evening. Auditorium staff have also described photographs apparently showing a woman in white who was not visible when the picture was taken. Other witnesses have reported unexplained noises, moving doors and objects, shadowy figures, and the sensation of unseen presences. One former worker reportedly recorded the sound of something heavy being dragged across the stage while alone in the building. The auditorium's paranormal reputation has become sufficiently established that UAA has hosted ghost tours of the facility and discusses the reported spirits on its own website.