It’s anyone’s guess whether the historic Albion Normal School is haunted, but it will definitely be filled with spooks in October.

When the Albion Heritage Group – consisting of three Idaho families – purchased the property in October of 2007, they set out to transform the historic campus into a unique getaway for family reunions, business retreats and a lot more. While those visionary renovations are in progress, new owners Heather and Troy Mortensen plan to host a spook alley in one of the old buildings. The Haunted Mansions of Albion is tentatively scheduled to run on weekends from 7 to 11 p.m. beginning the end of September through October.

While living in Boise, the Mortensens hosted a popular spook alley in an old creamery. “We had people coming out of our spook alley really upset, but in a good way,” Heather says. The new ownership fully intends to scare Southern Idaho out of its wits.

But perhaps the Mortensens won’t have to hire actors – the old school might already come with its own haunted inhabitants.

Built at the end of the 19th Century, the Albion Normal School was home to one of the most prestigious teaching colleges in the country. Eventually, the school closed. The campus was shuttered for decades before the Albion Heritage Group purchased the facility.

For years it’s been rumored that the old campus is haunted, according to Albion Normal School Museum curator Verleen Powell and her husband Kay Powell, who serves as the school’s maintenance man.

“I don’t know if it’s high school students making things up or what. You just hear things, but nothing really concrete,” Verleen says.

While the Powells say they don’t believe in ghosts, Kay once experienced an unusual happening while mowing the lawn. A water pipe inside Miller Hall flew out of the building.

“All the sudden, the pipe shot out of the hole a little ways. It just came right out in front of me,” Powell says. “There couldn’t have been somebody in there – unless you believe in ghosts.”

When Powell was growing up, he often heard about the Ghost of Miller Hall. The story so fascinated the Albion community that a play was staged about it.

Over the years while Kay tended to the grounds, visitors often asked him if the old college was haunted.

“The younger ones, that’s the first question they ask. I tell them ‘Yes’ just to scare them away,” he says. “So many people ask if this school is really haunted up here. I don’t know – maybe there’s enough spooks to make people think there are spooks.”

PHOTOS