Bethany’s Ghost Stories Keeps a Halloween Tradition Alive Through Generations 

BETHANY, W.Va. (Oct. 28, 2026) — When the candles are lit in Bethany College’s Academic Parlour on Halloween night, the familiar corridors and historic buildings of campus take on a different atmosphere. Stories of spirits said to linger among the Bethany community come to life once again as students, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighbors gather for one of the College’s oldest Halloween traditions. 

Bethany’s Ghost Stories will take place Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10:30 p.m. to midnight in the Academic Parlour. Presented by Bethany College’s English and humanities programs, the annual gathering will feature storyteller Dr. Adam C. Fletcher ‘02, who continues a tradition begun nearly 40 years ago by Rev. Dr. Larry Grimes ‘64. 

Grimes made a practice of sharing stories of Bethany’s reported ghosts late on Halloween night each year. When he left for Colo., Fletcher, who was one of Grimes’ students, took up the tradition, having attended Grimes’ storytelling sessions himself. The experience created a direct connection between the original storyteller and the person who continues to bring these tales to life today. 

The stories draw on reports preserved in Bethany’s archives, recounting spectral figures said to have appeared in the College’s buildings and along its streets. They offer a different way of looking at familiar places, inviting listeners to imagine the unexplained presences that may share the spaces Bethanians walk through every day. 

Through Fletcher’s telling, the gathering brings the College’s recorded stories and shared folklore into the present, connecting generations of Bethanians through a tradition rooted in the campus community. 

The event also features the design of artist Matt Young ’04, whose work is associated with the Ghost Stories tradition. 

Join Bethany College for a Halloween night unlike any other as Fletcher brings the College’s ghost stories to life by candlelight. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, local residents, families, and friends of the College are invited to gather in the Academic Parlour on Oct. 31 from 10:30 p.m. to midnight for an evening of eerie tales and Bethany folklore.