haunted

Lincoln Square Theatre – Decatur, Illinois

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This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in August 2024. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.

On October 31, 1916, the Lincoln Square Theatre in Decatur, Illinois opened its doors. Designed by the local architectural firm of Charles J. Aschauer and Arthur M. Waggoner, it featured the Art Nouveau and Beaux Arts styles, which were popular at the time. The theater was considered fireproof, constructed of steel, concrete, and fireproof brick. It originally seated nearly 1,400 people and was equipped with a Barton theatre organ, featuring two 3-manual consoles. The public got its first glimpse of the theater during an event in early October 1916, with its formal grand opening occurring on October 27, 1916. The first performance featured George M. Cohan’s stage comedy “Hit-The-Trail-Holliday” starring Frank Otto and “My HomeTown Girl” starring John Hyams and Leila McIntyre.

In February 1926, the theater hired a 12-member orchestra to accompany stage productions and silent films. By June 1929, the theater “talkies” arrived in Decatur, first at the Empress Theater. The Lincoln began showing talkies 14 months later, marking the end of its vaudeville days.

Harry Blackstone, a famous magician, performed at the theater in September 1942. During his performance, a fire broke out at a neighboring drugstore. Blackstone cleverly and calmly evacuated the theater, convincing the audience of schoolchildren that they were part of a magic trick. No injuries were reported. Over the years, many famous performers graced the stage of the Lincoln Square Theatre, including Ethel Barrymore, and Bob Hope. Houdini was rumored to have performed at the Lincoln, but there’s no evidence to back that up. In March 1960, a fire heavily damaged the lobby, which was rebuilt a few months later.

View of the auditorium from the center of the balcony.

The theater was sold in 1974 to Plitt Theaters Inc., and later passed to the Kerasotes chain. The Kerasotes chain leased the building on a month-to-month basis until 1980, when their lease was terminated. Before leaving, Kerasotes removed much of the theater’s valuable equipment, leaving the projectors and speakers in disrepair.

Travel Channel’s Most Terrifying Places in America filmed an episode at the theater, dubbing it one of the most haunted theaters in the United States.

Throughout the 1990 and 2000s, efforts to restore the Lincoln Square Theatre began. It reopened for a few years but the theater closed in May 2017, unable to complete full restoration. However, in 2021, a nonprofit group called “Friends of the Lincoln Square Theater” (FotLSQ) took over the project. The theater reopened as a concert venue in 2022. The FotLSQ has repainted much of the theater, replaced the curtains, and the seating on the main level.

*I didn’t photograph the lobby as the original was destroyed, and the new one was not interesting.

“Haunted” Theatres

/ Matt / 4 Comments
Auditorium, Hanover Theatre – Worcester, MA

One superstition in the theatrical world is that every theater has a ghost because of this many of these buildings have traditions to appease the restless spirits. One common one is the use of a ghost light, which is a single light that is always on in the center of the stage. It’s said that this provides the spirits with the opportunity to perform on stage and keeps them from cursing the theater. In reality, the ghost light is there so that people will not trip and fall into the orchestra pit while walking across the darkened stage.

Full disclosure – I’m a complete skeptic when it comes to the paranormal. I’ve been visiting places that you’d assume would be full of ghosts: abandoned asylums, prisons, houses, and theaters. However, I have never come across anything that didn’t have a rational explanation. 

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays so I’ve put together a list of some of the theaters I’ve visited that have ghost stories attached to them. 

Warner Pacific Theatre, Hollywood, CA

The first theater is the Warner (Pacific) Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. It is allegedly haunted by the ghost of Sam Warner, of Warner Bros Pictures.  Warner died of pneumonia a day before the film he had been working on – the “Jazz Singer” premiered. His ghost was said to use the elevator in the theater until it stopped working after an earthquake in 1994. Warner’s ghost has also been blamed for many items going missing only to turn up in different locations hours or days later.

View from the balcony, Variety Theatre – Cleveland, Ohio.

Next is the Variety Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. Patrick Colvin, the building’s caretaker, has witnessed lights turning on and off, doors closing and opening, and has heard voices throughout the building when there is no one there. He has named many of the ghosts and greets them every time he enters the building. 

View from the side of the balcony, Lincoln Square Theatre – Decatur, IL.

The third is the Lincoln Square Theatre in Decatur, IL. The Lincoln Square is said to be haunted by a former theater worker named “Red”. People claim to have heard him whisper, and seen him walking around the stage area. According to one website, there was a stagehand nicknamed “Red” who worked at the theater during the vaudeville era. He took a nap in the theater after eating his lunch one day in 1927 and never woke up. 

Auditorium, Loew’s Poli Theatre – Bridgeport, CT

Fourth on the list is the Loew’s Poli (Palace) and Majestic Theatres in Bridgeport, CT. According to one site, the complex may have been built on a Native American burial ground due to artifacts found during the construction of the building. People have claimed to hear the muffled sounds of a crowd and see shadowy figures move through the auditorium.

Orchestra level, Rialto Theatre – South Pasadena, CA

Last is the Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, CA. Rumors that the Rialto is haunted have been around for years. One story says that it’s haunted by a woman who committed suicide on the balcony. Another story says that a man went insane in the projector room. It’s alleged that the ghost of an older man has been seen on the balcony and that the stalls in the girl’s bathroom shake when there is no one around. 

I’ll be back in a few days with an update post on what I’ve been doing these past few months. Happy Halloween!