Since I am doing the “Scary Places” series, I figured I would toot my own hometown’s horn and talk about one of its scariest places, the Orpheum Theater in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Most Memphians are aware of the story of Mary. It is even said that she has a favorite seat – C-5.
The Orpheum was built in 1890. However, that original building burnt to the ground in 1923. It was rebuilt and the “new” Orpheum was completed in 1928. It was after the rebuild that reports of a ghost named Mary started to surface.
Mary is a little girl whose ghost is said to live in the Orpheum. It is believed that the real Mary was killed in an accident on Beale Street in 1921. This was determined by a group of paranormal students from the University of Memphis who visited the theater in the 1980s. The Orpheum isn’t very far away from Beale Street, so many believe she made her way down there to be entertained by the shows there as well as all the people. Others think she may be been killed in front of the Orpheum in 1928 when she was struck by a trolley.
Mary is said to be a harmless, but playful spirit. She has not disrupted an on-stage production, but has played several pranks behind the scenes. In 1977, the stage production of Fiddler on the Roof was at the Orpheum. The cast members held a seance in the upper balcony, but agreed that she was a harmless spirit. Cast members and actors in other productions have also felt the presence of Mary.
She does like to play the theater’s organ on occasion. Sometimes people report hearing what they assume is her favorite song “Never Never Land” being played, while other times just random notes on the organ are played. What makes people assume this is Mary playing around? The organ is always off when these sounds are heard. It is rumored that Mary even helped fix the organ back in the 1960s. A many named Harlan Judkin was working on the organ, but he was having a hard time fixing it. After taking a break, he came back to find the organ mysteriously fixed. Could it have been Mary helping out with the organ she so loved?
Mary is said to often be heard giggling or running up and down the aisles in the theater. In addition to the organ playing, there are also doors that open and close without explanation.
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Scary Places: The Amityville Horror House