BALLADS OF BU’S HAUNTED HALL
The Soundtrack of the Haunted Fourth Floor of Kilachand Hall
by Erica MacDonald
If you’re a resident of East Campus, odds are, you’ve heard of the haunted fourth floor of Kilachand Hall. Kilachand, a former Sheraton hotel built in 1923, is just as spooky as you’d expect. The building is plagued with flickering lights, unpredictable elevators and unexplained encounters—all centered on the fourth floor, which houses Honors College students, one professor and the resident ghost of famous playwright Eugene O’Neill.
That’s right. Nobel laureate and prolific playwright Eugene O’Neill passed away in 1953 in Kilachand’s room 401, which is still intact and occupied today by a quad of students. Residents of the fourth floor can attest to the haunting by O’Neill, who has a knack for making his presence known. Having lived on the floor myself for over a year, all I can say is that the singular light above O’Neill’s memorial plaque perpetually flickers (I have video evidence).
So, who better to compose a spooky season playlist than the floormates of a proper ghost? Attached is a playlist, composed by the kind submissions of KHC’s fourth floor residents, which is inspired by the living experience in a hundred-year-old haunted hotel. Indie, jazzy, moody—there’s something for everyone. We channeled O’Neill for the vibes (not summoned—there’s a difference).