Fulton Theatre

Lancaster's haunted landmark, built partly on the foundations of the old Lancaster jail. Before the theatre existed, 14 Conestoga Indians who had escaped a massacre were held here in 1763, but a mob rushed the jail and tortured them to death. Between 1834-1851, three men were hanged inside its walls.

The Fulton Theatre in Lancaster is the most haunted theater in Central Pennsylvania, with a dark history stretching back centuries before the current building was constructed. The site sits on the foundations of Lancaster's original prison, and in 1763, a vigilante group called the Paxton Boys massacred the last members of the Conestoga Indian tribe here—one of the most brutal incidents in colonial Pennsylvania history.

The most famous ghost is Marie Cahill, better known as the "Woman in White," who haunts the area near an old wooden spiral staircase stage right. A diva actress who performed at the Fulton during the late 1880s and early 1900s, Marie was known for being difficult to work with. A stagehand once encountered her apparition and asked her name; she responded "Marie." Researchers later confirmed that an actress named Marie Cahill had indeed performed here multiple times. The Lady in White reportedly "has some jealousy issues" and appears frequently to leading ladies, perhaps envious of their time in the spotlight. Marie was born when the Fulton became an opera house and died when the theater started showing movies—perhaps she's still waiting for her big break.

The "Whistler" is another well-known spirit—a man in a three-piece suit with white pants, white vest, light jacket, and a straw boater hat, often spotted on stage or on the fly rail above. A construction worker saw him on a staircase during electrical work, and he's always accompanied by his distinctive whistling.

The saddest ghost may be "LG" (Little Girl), possibly connected to the 1763 Conestoga massacre or the site's prison history. Her presence reminds visitors of the terrible violence that occurred here long before the theater was built.

Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman investigated reports of a "Portal to Hell" at the Fulton for their paranormal show, joined by psychic Chris Fleming—making them the first to investigate the location on television. Staff and performers continue to report unexplained phenomena in this historic theater where the past refuses to fade.