Cue the spooky music! Happy Halloween from WorldStrides! Hopefully, there aren't any ghouls in your ensembles this fall, but, ghosts can be found any time of year in haunted performance venues.
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Touted as one of the most spooky places to visit in the US, Ryman Auditorium is the well-known (though not original) former home of the Grand Ole Opry and “Mother Church of Country Music. Though the show has since moved to a larger space in Opryland, the Ryman still hosts a variety of performers – even supposedly those of the ghostly variety!
Visitors have reported sightings of country music legend Hank Williams' ghost, as well as the mysterious “Gray Man,” believe to be a Confederate soldier. He's often seen during rehearsals or performances, sitting silently in the balcony and watching the stage before disappearing when approached. The theater's original owner, Thomas Ryman, is also said to check in from time to time, expressing his disapproval of risqué performances through loud, unexplained noises. Some even believe the venue is tied to the so-called “Grand Ole Opry Curse,” said to have led to the untimely deaths of several performers connected to the theater.
Ford’s Theatre – Washington, D.C.
Best known as the site of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Ford’s Theatre is also home to several reported hauntings. Visitors claim to hear footsteps – believed to be John Wilkes Booth's – running up the back stairs to the President’s box. Others have reported a ghostly voice shouting “Murder!” and even sightings of Mary Todd Lincoln leaning from the President’s box, shouting, “He has killed the president!”
Belasco Theatre – New York, New York
Located in the heart of Manhattan’s theater district, the Belasco Theatre is one of the most famous haunted theaters in America. Said to be haunted by its namesake, playwright, producer, and director David Belasco, this venue has a long history of ghostly encounters. Since Belasco's death in 1931, performers and staff have reported seeing him watch rehearsals from the balcony or his private box, recognizable by his trademark clerical collar. Other encounters include him speaking to performers, shaking actors’ hands, mischievously pinching actresses, and ransacking dressing rooms after bad performances. An old elevator, long out of service, is also heard traveling to and from Belasco’s sealed-off private apartment.
Orpheum – Vancouver, BC
The Orpheum, a popular live music venue in Vancouver, first opened as a vaudeville theater before later serving as a movie theater and eventually, returning to live performances. However, it seems several spirits from its earlier days have stuck around. The most famous of these is a vaudeville acrobat who reportedly fell to his death during a live performance. Theater staff have seen him onstage, as well as an orb of light that quickly vanishes once noticed. A ghostly washroom attendant is said to stand ready in the men's room downstairs. And performers at the Orpheum need not fear an empty house – there’s a female apparition in the upper balcony, who seems to give a standing ovation to a performance from the past.
Avalon Hollywood (formerly The Palace Theater) – Hollywood, CA
Now a nightclub, film and television location, and music venue, Avalon Hollywood first opened in 1927 as the Hollywood Playhouse. Later renamed as The Palace Theater, the three-story building is steeped in show business history and a few hauntings. Guests and staff have reported hearing disembodied jazz piano music drifting from the comedy room, smelling the perfume of a female spirit, and hearing a couple chatting and laughing in the balcony - even when the theater is closed to the public. A tuxedo-clad gentleman is often seen wandering around the theater, while "Harry," believe to be a 1940s electrician, is said to be the venue's resident prankster.
Hope this gave you a fun break from your busy fall season that and your performances remain ghost-free! Want to check out some of these haunted venues for yourself? Our Music Festivals take place in each of these cities!
