George Mason University's haunted lore includes a story about "Old Man Johnson," a rower who drowned and is seen near the Occoquan River dam, a legend of a young man's body found in a gazebo by Mason Pond, who now beckons women to sit with him, and tales of spirits in Gunston Hall, where footsteps are heard and apparitions appear in mirrors and on the staircase. These stories are part of the university's folklore, often shared through campus traditions and folklore events. The most prominent ghost story involves a rower named Old Man Johnson who drowned in the Occoquan River in the 1970s. His apparition is reported near the dam, and a similar story tells of a young man who drowned in Mason Pond and whose body was found in the nearby gazebo, where he is said to lure women, according to Virginia Haunted Houses. At Gunston Hall, some report seeing a full-body apparition of a woman in period clothing with flowers in her hair, and others hear footsteps when the area is empty. It's speculated that a reflection might appear in a mirror with a visitor's face.