Haunted Arkansas: Royal Theatre in Benton home to mischievous ghosts

Benton, Arkansas – You’ve probably heard tales of haunted locations in Arkansas. The ghosts that haunt the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs and the mystery behind the Gurdon ghost light.

However, others assert that Benton’s Royal Theatre is home to a separate group of ghosts.

Some people believe that the curtain of the Royal Theatre communicates secrets from bygone eras.

Spirits in the spotlight walk the aisles with grace, and actors share the stage with a frightening presence.

Director Matthew Burns believes that the dark is the specters’ domain and that the stage is their playground.

“It’s intriguing because you get this weird feeling when it’s dark in here,” Burns said. “I usually never go anywhere inside of this place without some sort of light on.”

They go through empty rooms, their footsteps echoing with every creak and whisper.

“It can be really warm in here and then it gets cold all of a sudden,” Burns said.

They are said to be spirits from the bygone ages.

“You have a man in a top hat that just walks across,” Burns said. “A few people have seen silhouetted figures during shows of people in top hats that weren’t in the show.”

The histories are unknown to the spirits.

“We don’t really have the stories of it,” Burns said. “They always have jokes of Flashlight Freddy from back in the days of the movie theatre.”

The haunted theater serves as a stage for spectral mischief.

“There’s been a few times where you’ll walk around a corner and you’ll be like, oh, my paintbrush is moved or the drill that I’m using has been pushed all across the other side of the stage,” Burns said.

Do the ghosts only seek for their own spotlight? Again, for applause?

“Nobody’s really gotten scratched or anything so I would say they’re pretty friendly,” Burns said. “Nothing is going to jump out at you and boo-ha!.”

In the quiet of the night, at the Royal Theatre, you can see both the past and the present vying for attention.

“If you do see a ghost, ok,” Burns said. “They’re not gonna hurt. But they might move your tools.”

The Fourth Annual Haunted House is being held at the Royal Theatre. Click this link for additional details.