Stanley Theatre

Utica, NY · Theaters

Stanley Theatre, aka Stanley Center for the Arts, was built in the late 1920s as a movie palace. Witnesses say they have heard footsteps and seen shadows and apparitions onstage and in the balcony area. Legend has it that one seat, or a row of seats, remains unsold to leave room for the theater's ghosts. Reports from people who have sat in the seats reserved for ghosts have felt something icy cold sit on them or try to push them out of the seat. There's also a ghost in the ladies' restroom, witnesses say.

Geographic Information

Address
259 Genesee Street
Utica, NY
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GPS
43.0992289, -75.2353734
County
Oneida County County, New York
Nearest Towns

Quick Answers

Is Stanley Theatre really haunted?
Visitors rate Stanley Theatre at 80.7 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 6 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.
Where is Stanley Theatre located?
The address is 259 Genesee Street, Utica, NY. GPS coordinates: 43.0992289, -75.2353734.
What kind of haunted place is Stanley Theatre?
Stanley Theatre is listed under Theaters in our New York section.
What is the nearest town to Stanley Theatre?
Utica, NY is the closest town, about 0.2 miles away, with Yorkville (2.0 mi.) and New York Mills (2.9 mi.) also nearby.

Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other regulations.

Share Your Experiences

Comments (6)

  • Michelle dybas |

    I know it is I work there.

  • Tina Mistric |

    We (actors) had a tour of the basement and everyone there said their core or soul immediately felt weighed down and that they could feel presence, especially in the girls downstairs bathroom and the boiler room. I even took a Polaroid in the boiler room and a debatable small floating orb or spirit is in the photo.

  • Torii Rodriguez |

    One day when my fellow cast mates of Sweeney Todd in 2014 took a tour of the entire theatre, and when we were being told about the spirits in the basement, I turned to look at the old smoking room/woman's dressing room, I saw a woman pacing and could smell a strong scent of smokes. When we continued down the long concrete hallway, I turned back and saw a figure standing around a corner, watching us. And, we took a cast picture on the grand staircase, and there was an orb photobombing us. It was a great chilling and fun time! I would happily go back to communicate.

  • mike |

    who would i contact about a paranormal investigation here please email me at whitelawparanormal@gmail.com or text me 3158135704 or if you know of any haunted locations

    • Bernadette Rice |

      My team would like to know the same thing we have been trying to get in here since last year

  • Josh Hamler |

    My daughter took a picture of the stage at about 12:00 I’m the afternoon. She noticed an orb and tracked it with her phone. It stopped right above the ladder on the stage and she took a picture. The orb was right above the ladder and disappeared. We tried to recreate the picture but nothing was to be seen. Needless to say she was freaked out for the rest of the tour. Zoom in on the bottom right of the photo above the ladder.

Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the truest sense, ghost stories. Haunted Places makes no claims that any of these stories are factually accurate or scientifically provable.