THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The historic Capitol Theater is said to be haunted by former performers and theater patrons. Employees have reported footsteps on the stage, ghostly voices backstage, and shadow figures moving through the balcony. Paranormal investigators have also documented unexplained electronic voice phenomena within the theater.
The ornate 1926 theater, in operation until 1973, sat empty for nearly 30 years until a 2002 renovation brought it back to life. An old theater legend involves a 1930s actress who was accidentally shot in the balcony. The shooter, her lover, was aiming for his rival, another lover of hers. Another story told here is that a live performance of a swordfight went awry and one of the actors was accidentally stabbed to death. Although no record of these events has been found, folks say the deaths resulted in the theater’s hauntings: Witnesses have seen apparitions in the balcony and dressing rooms and heard unexplained voices and footsteps as well as the sound of a baby crying.