Majestic Theatre

The Majestic Theatre in Chillicothe has a history stretching back to 1853, when the building was constructed on the site of the city's first bank. It operated as the Masonic Opera House from 1876 until becoming the Majestic Theatre in 1915, hosting performers including Milton Berle, Sophie Tucker, and Laurel and Hardy. The theater's most tragic chapter came during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, when it served as a temporary morgue for victims from nearby Camp Sherman.

During the Spanish Flu outbreak, when nearly 1,200 people died at Camp Sherman, the Majestic Theatre's stage was used for embalming, with bodies stacked in dressing rooms waiting their turn. Blood drained from the bodies flowed into "Bank Alley" behind the theater, which became known as "Blood Alley." The ghosts of flu victims now walk the theater. A man in a dark suit and top hat floats down the aisles, walking a few feet above the current floor level where the original floor once was. The apparition of a dead soldier has been seen lying on the stage during performances. A little girl in an old-fashioned dress appears in the audience, giggling at comedies and crying during sad scenes before vanishing when approached, leaving only the faint smell of peppermint candy. A ghost in blue has a favorite seat and reacts badly when living patrons sit there. Actors have seen someone peering down from the empty control booth.