The Gazebo Ghost of Mason Pond

One of the most persistent ghost stories at George Mason University revolves around the gazebo located beside Mason Pond. This spot is situated along a wooded path between Parking Lot K and the Center of the Arts, and it has been noted that this area is where the ghost of a young man approaches girls. According to the legend shared by the Folklore Roundtable Haunted Tour, the ghost of the young man haunts the gazebo after he drowned one evening, having been stood up by his date. His body was mysteriously found sitting in the gazebo the next morning, and since then, his spirit allegedly has been seen but vanishes without a trace. In some versions of the legend, the ghost is said to reach out and take young women by the hand, trying to pull them into his watery grave. Others report being followed by a dark shadow along the wooded path all the way to Parking Lot K, only for it to vanish once they’ve walked far enough away [18].  

According to a story shared by George Mason University alumna Kaitlyn Kinney, the ghost was also reportedly seen by a sorority sister. In this account, a student who had fallen behind her group on a walk to the nearby Giant grocery store noticed a man sitting alone on a bench by the pond. As she watched, he stood up, walked calmly into the water, and then vanished without a trace [16].

Adding to the mystery of Mason Pond is another story that also circulates; it takes place in 1976 and involves an engaged couple who go out on the pond for a romantic picnic. In this story, the engaged couple went on a picnic on Mason Pond in a boat the man had built himself. During their outing, the boat tipped over unexpectedly. While the man resurfaced, the woman never did. After a week-long search, authorities gave up, having never recovered her body. Grief-stricken, the man returned to the pond to search for her himself—but he, too, disappeared beneath the water and was never seen again [1].

Despite the popularity of these tales, university records indicate that the timeline does not align with the traditional accounts. According to the Mason Sustainability digital map, Mason Pond is a man-made stormwater pond constructed in 1989, 13 years after the alleged drowning incident involving the couple [15]. University Police Sgt. Judy Meade and Lt. Willie Morton report that no one has ever drowned in Mason Pond.“We did have a car end up in the pond once due to an accident,” Meade explained, “but no one drowned. There may be some interesting fish and animals in and around the pond, but I’ve never heard of any ghosts [18].” 

Whether or not a ghost lingers near the gazebo, it remains one of the most iconic and mysterious spots on campus. So the question remains, when you pass by Mason Pond after dark, are you truly ever alone?