Haunted Theaters Across America
The stage and screen brim with sensational tales. No wonder then that life begins to imitate art and the drama spills over into the theaters themselves. More than any other place, theaters are haunted. Ghost stories grown from long histories of flamboyant players, dedicated staff, and colorful patrons are almost guaranteed. At American Ghost Walks, with haunted history tours in 8 states, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, we’ve collected tales from haunted theaters from coast to coast and beyond.
Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre
Today’s Nederlander Theater was originally the site of the infamous Iroquois Theatre, destroyed by fire on December 30th, 1903. Many of the dead burned inside the building. However, the alley is known to be particularly haunted because about 125 of the 602 people who perished, jumped to their deaths in their attempt to free themselves from the flames.
In the aftermath, the paranormal activity began. Witnesses still report seeing apparitions of falling bodies, visions of fire erupting from the back of the current building, and the smell of smoke. Bystanders in the alley sometimes also hear whistling and feel that their hands have been grabbed by something unseen. Others have glimpsed the apparition of a woman in period clothing in the alley near the current theater’s stage door sign. Even a stage manager from the production of
Wicked claimed to have seen a female apparition in a hoop skirt and a big hat, who scolded him for smoking in the alley before promptly disappearing.
Go there yourself on our Original Chicago Hauntings Ghost Bus Tour
Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater
A venue for live musical performances today, the Riverside Theater opened in 1928 as a vaudeville theater. Legend has it that back in the 1930s, a projectionist died in the projection booth from a massive heart attack. Although this may have happened, there is no newspaper evidence to support it.
However, a patron did die of a heart attack while seated in the theater in 1931. Long-time stagehand Robert Scheffing, also collapsed from a heart attack in 1960 while working on the stage and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Perhaps these deaths account for the shadowy figures, strange lights, and whispers often encountered by staff.
See it for yourself on our
Milwaukee Shadows of City Hall tour.
Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
Built in 1894 by the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization similar to the Masons or Odd Fellows, the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor now serves as a venue for musicians and entertainers.
Ushers have heard their names called, but also felt as if they were physically touched by an unseen presence. Famous musician Richie Havens claimed that he got a fleeting glimpse of a shadowy apparition in the theater's foyer one sunny afternoon. A visitor watched the figure of a man in military uniform floating across the 3rd floor. This may have been a Knight of Pythias, since they wore similar attire and once met where the specter was seen. A professor from Duke University who was helping to build the set for an upcoming production later encountered another male apparition while working alone in the theater one night.
See it for yourself on our
Boothbay Harbor Ghost Walk.
Hilo’s Palace Theater
Built in 1925, the Palace was the island of Hawaii’s first theater. Featured on the TV Show Haunted Towns in 2019, Robin Worley, the theater’s former executive director, told the Tennessee Wraith Chasers about a projectionist who repeatedly encountered spirits in the projection booth.
Gina Ross, the former projectionist, often experienced the presence of two distinct male entities while she was busy at work. She and a co-worker frequently felt as if someone was looking over their shoulders and heard the slamming of doors or footsteps in the hallway. Other staff members have also reported shadowy apparitions throughout the building.
Experience it in person on the Hilo Ghost Walk on the Big Island of Hawaii.
San Juan's Teatro Tapia
Built in 1832, Teatro Tapia in Puerto Rico has the oldest operating stage in the Americas. Theater Director Lunna Garcia De Le Noceda reports that witnesses have seen a female apparition in the theater and employees have also heard mysterious footsteps and voices.
The haunting may originate with an actress who fell to her death during a live performance. Witnesses also report hearing ghostly playbacks of performances when the theater is otherwise empty. In 2011, Ghost Hunters International Investigator Scott Tepperman claimed an unseen force shoved him and knocked his MEL meter out of his hand during the paranormal investigation of the third floor.
Ghosts are performing nightly on our San Juan Ghost Walk.
Located in the heart of downtown Madison, the Orpheum Theater has been a local landmark since it opened in 1927. With its ornate French Renaissance architecture and vintage marquee, the theater has long attracted performers, moviegoers, and, according to legend, the occasional ghost. Over the years, staff and patrons have reported a range of paranormal activity, including unexplained footsteps, flickering lights, and the eerie feeling of being watched when no one else is around.
One of the most enduring ghost stories involves the spirit of a former projectionist who is said to still roam the upper levels of the theater. Staff have claimed to hear the clatter of film reels and footsteps coming from the projection booth long after closing time. Some even believe the spirit is protective, making sure the show goes on, even from beyond the grave. Whether it’s the energy of decades of performances or something more supernatural, the Orpheum remains one of Madison’s most haunted hotspots.
We explore it every weekend on our Madison Ghost Walks!
