Eerie Abandoned Cinemas In Ohio Locals Swear Are Haunted
Ohio’s forgotten movie palaces hold more than just memories of silver screen magic. Behind their crumbling facades and dusty marquees lurk stories that send shivers down the spines of locals brave enough to share them.
I’ve gathered tales of phantom ushers, mysterious cold spots, and unexplained sounds that echo through these once-grand theaters across the Buckeye State.
Whether you’re a ghost hunter or history buff, these abandoned cinemas might make you think twice about exploring after dark.
1. Liberty Theater’s Phantom Projectionist
Locals in Springfield whisper about the old Liberty Theater’s ghostly projectionist who refuses to leave his post. The building has stood empty since 1989, yet residents report seeing strange lights flickering from the projection booth late at night.
My cousin swears he heard film reels spinning while passing by one foggy evening, though nobody had operated that equipment in decades. The most bone-chilling accounts come from urban explorers who’ve snapped photos containing unexplainable orbs and misty figures seated in the decaying auditorium.
Did you know? Former employees claim the haunting began after a dedicated projectionist named Harold suffered a fatal heart attack during the theater’s final screening. Apparently, he’s still waiting to roll the credits one last time.
2. Rialto Cinema’s Weeping Woman
The Rialto Cinema in Cleveland Heights harbors a spectral patron forever searching for her lost love. Abandoned in 1978 after a devastating fire, the theater’s charred remains have become a hotspot for paranormal enthusiasts.
I’ve interviewed three separate security guards who quit after encountering what they describe as a woman in 1940s attire wandering the balcony area, softly crying. Temperature drops of 15-20 degrees have been recorded near seat J-13, where she supposedly waits. The legend traces back to a young woman who received news of her fiancé’s death during WWII while watching a matinee.
Urban explorers report finding fresh teardrops on the dusty seat despite the building having no roof or plumbing for decades.
3. Palace Theater’s Vanishing Usher
The Palace Theater in Marion closed its doors in 1975, but something still guides visitors through its darkened halls. Former residents recall the theater’s distinctive red-uniformed ushers, particularly head usher Franklin Miller who worked there for 42 years.
Now, urban explorers report encounters with a helpful elderly man in a faded red jacket who appears at the entrance, then vanishes when they try to thank him. Many have captured photos showing a misty red figure near the concession stand. Franklin died just weeks before the theater’s closure, and his obituary mentioned his heartbreak over losing his beloved workplace.
The building has housed various businesses since, but none stay long. Employees consistently report items moving overnight and flashlights turning on by themselves as if someone’s still showing moviegoers to their seats.
4. Majestic Cinema’s Phantom Orchestra
Zanesville’s Majestic Cinema sits empty except for the ghostly orchestra that apparently still performs there nightly. Built in 1929 for both films and vaudeville shows, this grand theater featured a full orchestra pit that locals claim never truly went silent.
I spoke with neighboring business owners who regularly hear faint orchestral music around 10pm the time when evening shows once began. The building has been abandoned since 1991 after several failed revival attempts. Most unsettling are recordings made by paranormal investigators capturing distinct violin and piano notes despite no instruments remaining inside.
The phenomena intensified after 2008 when developers removed the original orchestra pit during a renovation attempt that was ultimately abandoned. Perhaps the musicians are protesting the destruction of their performance space?
5. Orpheum Theater’s Restless Children
Youngstown’s Orpheum Theater carries the haunting echoes of children who never made it out. Originally opened in 1904, the theater suffered a catastrophic fire during a Saturday matinee in 1942. Officially, all children escaped, but paranormal investigators believe otherwise.
Several downtown workers have reported hearing children’s laughter and running footsteps from within the boarded-up building. My hair stood on end when a maintenance worker showed me small handprints that appear in the dust covering the lobby floor only to vanish hours later.
Though abandoned since 1985, the theater’s marquee lights occasionally flicker on their own. The most compelling evidence? Temperature readings showing cold spots shaped like small bodies clustered near the emergency exits that were reportedly blocked during that tragic fire decades ago.
6. Grand Opera House’s Disappearing Actress
Converted to a cinema in the 1930s, Akron’s Grand Opera House harbors a vanishing starlet who still seeks her audience. According to local legend, aspiring actress Eliza Montgomery disappeared without a trace after her final performance in 1923. The theater operated as a movie palace until 1976 before being abandoned.
Security cameras installed during a 2005 redevelopment attempt captured a woman in period costume appearing on stage at exactly 11:17pm reportedly the time of Eliza’s final bow. Workers refused to continue renovations after tools would mysteriously relocate overnight and the scent of vintage perfume would fill sealed rooms.
If you’re brave enough to peek through the building’s broken windows, locals suggest looking toward the stage around midnight. Many claim to have seen a figure taking elegant bows to an empty house, forever seeking the recognition she never received in life.
7. Paramount Cinema’s Territorial Manager
Mr. Peterson still enforces the rules at Toledo’s Paramount Cinema despite being dead since 1963. As the theater’s notoriously strict manager for over 30 years, his presence apparently didn’t leave when the cinema closed in 1998.
When I visited the building with a local historian, we both felt an inexplicable sense of being watched. Former employees who worked there in the 1990s share stories of hearing a stern voice saying “No talking during the feature!” when alone in the projection room. The building has remained vacant after three different restaurant ventures failed, with owners citing “uncomfortable feelings” and unexplained cold spots.
The most convincing evidence? Security footage from 2012 showing theater seats folding down and up on their own – as if an invisible manager was checking rows before a showing that would never begin.
8. Avalon Theater’s Ticket-Tearing Ghost
Columbus’s Avalon Theater stands empty except for Matilda, the ghostly ticket taker who still guards its entrance. Former employees recall Matilda working the booth for over 40 years before passing away in 1972 the same year the theater closed permanently.
Strange phenomena began immediately after her funeral. Construction workers attempting to convert the space into offices in 1980 reported finding torn ticket stubs appearing on the floor each morning despite the building being securely locked. Even more bizarre, several workers claimed to feel their shirt sleeves being tugged while passing the former ticket booth.
Though weathered by decades of abandonment, the Avalon’s ticket booth remains strangely intact compared to the rest of the deteriorating structure. Neighborhood residents avoid walking past the theater at night, claiming to hear the distinctive sound of an old-fashioned ticket machine operating in the darkened building.
9. Roxy Cinema’s Laughing Comedian
Dayton’s Roxy Cinema harbors the spirit of a vaudeville comedian who performed his final act there in 1935. Before becoming exclusively a movie house, the Roxy hosted variety shows, including comedian Franklin “Giggles” Johnson, who reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack after delivering his final punchline.
The theater closed in 1982, but maintenance workers in neighboring buildings report hearing muffled laughter and applause from within the abandoned structure. I felt goosebumps when a former projectionist showed me photos of unexplained silhouettes appearing in the wings of the stage area.
Most disturbing are accounts from homeless individuals who occasionally sought shelter there during winter, only to flee after hearing someone whisper jokes in their ears. The building has resisted multiple demolition attempts equipment mysteriously malfunctions when crews attempt to take down the structure.
10. Starlite Drive-In’s Spectral Car
Though not a traditional theater, Ravenna’s abandoned Starlite Drive-In deserves mention for its legendary phantom 1957 Chevrolet. The drive-in closed in 1989, yet locals report seeing headlights moving through the overgrown lot on summer nights.
When I investigated with paranormal researchers last year, we recorded unexplainable engine sounds and captured thermal images of a car-shaped heat signature where nothing was visibly present. The legend stems from a young couple who supposedly disappeared from their vehicle during a showing of “The Blob” in 1958. Their car was found empty with the engine running and popcorn still warm.
The most convincing evidence? The drive-in’s speaker poles have all been removed except for one which paranormal investigators claim registers electric current during full moons despite being disconnected from any power source for over three decades.
11. Century Theater’s Trapped Firefighter
Cincinnati’s Century Theater stands as a monument to heroism and tragedy that locals believe is haunted by a dedicated firefighter. During a massive blaze in 1978, firefighter Michael Donovan went back inside to check for remaining moviegoers but never emerged.
The badly damaged theater never reopened. Since then, neighboring business owners report hearing heavy footsteps and seeing flashlight beams moving inside the sealed building. Most chilling are the wet boot prints that sometimes appear on the sidewalk outside leading from the theater’s emergency exit before vanishing.
Urban explorers have captured EVP recordings of a man’s voice saying “Anyone in here?” and “Time to go” near where Donovan was last seen. The building has resisted redevelopment, with two separate construction companies abandoning restoration projects after workers refused to enter certain areas where they reported feeling someone watching them.
12. Bijou Theater’s Protective Caretaker
Lima’s Bijou Theater stands empty except for Old Tom, the ghostly caretaker who still maintains his rounds. Thomas Williams served as the theater’s maintenance man from 1932 until his death in 1968, living in a small apartment above the lobby.
The theater closed in 1983, yet neighboring shop owners report seeing lights moving through the building at night as if someone’s carrying a lantern. When vandals broke in during the 1990s, they fled after reportedly hearing a gruff voice warn “You don’t belong here!” I interviewed a former owner who abandoned renovation plans after tools would mysteriously return to their proper places overnight.
Perhaps most interesting is how the building remains in surprisingly good condition despite decades of abandonment. Local historians note that while other vacant structures suffer rapid deterioration, the Bijou seems mysteriously preserved as if someone’s still taking care of it from beyond.
