“They are coming, RUN,” demanded the graffiti scrawled on the walls. The haunting phrase is followed by, “Hanson Hall rocks!” and dozens of Greek letters. There is only one place where all this graffiti collides.

“Glad I could cross the tunnels off my bucket list,” said Alice Nelson, a 2013 JMU alum.

The tunnels that run beneath the quad at JMU have been on the bucket list of almost every graduating senior since the 60s when access was restricted. The tunnels, most likely built around 1915, were originally used for students to commute between buildings on the quad, especially during bad weather. These buildings included Dormitory No. 1, No. 2 and Student’s Building. Today, these are Jackson, Ashby, and Harrison Halls. Maps drawn in 1930 by Sansborn Fire Insurance show two skinny lines connecting Harrison with Ashby and Jackson with the words, “UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAY,” filling the gap. 

“Most people think the entirety of the tunnels were used as a passageway by students,” said Professor Margaret Mulrooney. “It’s actually just the portion that runs between Jackson, Harrison and Ashby, and the rest is crawl space.”

Myths and lore about the tunnels, referred to as the underground passageway by students in the 20s and 30s, have always been a part of the history. According to a Breeze article in 1927, Dr. Wayland would tell students stories about his encounters with ghosts in the underground passageway between Jackson and Harrison. Other articles mention upperclassmen spooking freshman with stories of the haunted passageway. In reality, small clubs would meet in the more lit areas because of the privacy the tunnels offered. The tunnels were also briefly nicknamed, “Curling Alley,” after Dr. Duke caught female students curling their hair since the tunnels had many electric sockets to use.

In 1968, Harrison Hall underwent a renovation. According to the facilities superintendent at the time, this is when pedestrian access to the tunnels was closed. This is also when myths and lore about the tunnels started to take a darker turn with rumors of suicide and murder. Students needed an explanation for why the tunnels were closed off to them.

“The tunnels and the legends surrounding the tunnels is something that is distinctive to JMU and not something that everyone gets to do, so when the opportunity presented itself, I just couldn’t say no,” said Jackie Dupuy, a 2017 alumna.

The tunnels are 20 feet wide with 15-foot ceilings. Pipes snake along the sides that are hot to the touch due to being used to heat the quad buildings. Dust coats every surface and bright bursts of graffiti adorn the walls. Small pockets of light from windows peering out onto the quad briefly illuminate. Sound is easily carried and echoes in the face of the trespasser.

“You could just tell that people didn’t pass through very often so if something happened you would just be stuck there,” said Dupuy.

“My oddest memory is the warmth,” said Nelson. “I thought it would be more damp and cold.” She ventured to the tunnels for a live show in a Studio Production class led by SMAD Professor Joe Hinshaw.

“My episode I was producing was the finale of our class, so our idea was to have zombies climb up from the tunnels, take over the camera people in the tunnels, and then proceed to overrun the studio and end the season that way,” explained Nelson. After receiving permission from the dean of the College of Arts & Letters, Nelson and others went live on a Wednesday.

Similar to Nelson, Pernell Whitfield and his group, “The Quad Squad,” filmed a news package in the tunnels.

“We were called the Quad Squad because we would do interviews on the quad,” said Whitfield, a 2013 alum. “We wanted to do stories that stood out.”

Not everyone has an entrance to the tunnels opened up for them.

“We got into the tunnels through a door in Jackson Hall in the basement,” said Dupuy. “There were two sets of doors and the first one was unlocked, and the second one was closed and all we had to do was jimmy the door a bit and it opened on up.”

There are a few locations in Ashby, Harrison and Jackson Hall that lead into the tunnels, but the majority are blocked off. A door outside Ashby Hall reads in bold red letters, “CAUTION CONSTRUCTION AREA.” A former doorway in Harrison Hall is filled in with white cinder blocks, blocking the entrance off forever. During the fall 2019 semester, a giant fence sprang up and encompassed the back of the vacant Jackson Hall.

“I think it’s a goal for JMU students to get in them because the tunnels hold this mystery behind them and with all the rumors about things that have happened down there, you kinda wanna go see it for yourself…in other words the curiosity is overwhelming,” said Dupuy.