TACOMA, Wash — According to Chris Staudinger, the world is divided into two people: people who went to Stadium High School and people who wish they had.
Tacoma turned Stadium into one of the most beautiful high schools in the world after a fire had gutted the property which was originally intended to be a luxury hotel.
"It is essentially our Hogwarts, plucked right from the imagination," said Staudinger of the French chateau-style architecture.
Staudinger is the owner of Pretty Gritty Tours, which hosts a popular tour which will take you from the sub-basement of Stadium High School - all the way to the attic.
"You know, everyone always enters Stadium with a preconceived notion," said Staudinger. "They know the exterior is gorgeous, but people are blown away by how much they get to see and how expansive the building really is on the inside."
The library used to be the school's cafeteria in the 1990s when Stadium was the location for Heath Ledger's romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. The teacher's lounge still has props from the film.
However, one of the most surprising parts of the building, said Staudinger, is the attic.
At four stories tall, the attic still requires a lot of ducking under pipes and vents.
"The tradition has been since 1906 that every year at the end of the year, the principal invites an elite group of students up to sign their signature at the attic," said Staudinger.
The attic has a collection of over 100 years of signatures, with a strong rumor that Heath Ledger's signature is still on the wall. Sadly, we didn't find it.
However, we did see amazing views from the attic, the swimming pool, the underground tunnels that crisscross the school, and the boiler room, which is said to be the most haunted part of the tour.
Some guests are given the same detectors ghost hunters use to see if it senses any activity. One detector went off during the tour at the site of the old auditorium.
While it's hard to say what caused the activity, there's much more to see on this tour than just the haunted spots.
Stadium High School is a special place that makes everyone who walks its halls feel special too.
Book a Stadium High School Tour and more with Pretty Gritty Tours in Tacoma. Phone Number: (253) 480-4074.
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