Mount Angel Abbey — the haunted Benedictine monastery in Oregon

Mount Angel Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1882 near the town of Mount Angel in Oregon's Willamette Valley, has been the site of reported supernatural activity among the monks and visitors for decades. The abbey sits atop a butte overlooking the valley, and its library — designed by renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto — is one of the architectural treasures of the Pacific Northwest. Reports of activity include the sound of Gregorian chanting in empty chapels, footsteps in the corridors of the monks' dormitory at hours when all brothers are accounted for, and the sensation of a presence during prayer in the abbey church. Some monks have described seeing a figure in a Benedictine habit in peripheral vision who is not present when they look directly. The abbey's cemetery, where deceased monks are buried, has produced reports of lights appearing above the graves and the feeling of being peacefully observed. Unlike many haunted locations, the supernatural phenomena at Mount Angel Abbey are consistently described as serene rather than disturbing — more consistent with the spirits of devout men continuing their spiritual practice than with restless or malevolent ghosts. The monks themselves tend to treat the subject with quiet acceptance, viewing any spiritual presence as part of the abbey's deep prayer tradition.