The Fowler Theatre In Indiana Has A Beautiful And Spooky History
By Tori Jane|Published April 27, 2021
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Let’s face it: Indiana is an old state, with tons upon tons of interesting history. However, sometimes, that history can be a little weird or, in some cases, kind of dark. In the case of the Fowler Theatre, there were some pretty dark times – a manager was said to have committed suicide in 1968, though whether he died at the theatre or not is debated. But, for the most part, the history remains fairly innocuous. However, what occurred at the theatre once renovations began was, and is to this day, some legitimately scary stuff. The Fowler might be one of the most haunted places in Indiana, but honestly, we are totally about it.
The Fowler Theatre was built in 1940, and it opened in March of the same year.
It's a well-built, Art Deco-style theater, and it's still got its original marquee to this day. It glows a brilliant blue at night, beckoning visitors to come on inside and sit for a spell.
Originally, the theater could seat up to 442 patrons, though today, following extensive restorations and renovations over the decades, it only seats 196.
The Fowler slid into disrepair in the early 1990s, and by 2001, it had been abandoned and closed. However, that was not to be the end of the beloved local icon's life - soon enough, a not-for-profit group by the name of Prairie Preservation Group decided to restore, renew, and reopen the old landmark.
But, as it often goes, during the renovations of the Fowler Theatre in the early 2000s, bizarre and downright spooky things began occurring with such an alarming frequency that word of the "haunted" Art Deco theater spread like wildfire.
The stories of eerie happenings on the grounds are plentiful; everyone from employees to patrons to management and media seemed to leave with a story to tell.
Lights would flip on and off, but not like a flicker - it seemed to be a deliberate finagling of the light switches, though nobody was there to physically do so.
Doors would open and slam shut on their own accord, and eventually, people began reporting hearing disembodied voices whispering in the halls or speaking in a theater otherwise known to be vacant. It became so persistent and so reliable that to this day, the Fowler Theatre offers paranormal investigations on their grounds.
Despite the eerie goings-on, the Fowler officially re-opened in December of 2001, and it's undergone several remodels and updates since.
The strange goings-on never stopped, and to this day, there are still allegedly very active ghosts roaming the halls of the Fowler Theatre. It's believed that there are three restless spirits there - one is thought to be the original owner of the theater, one is thought to be the soul of the manager who took his own life in the 1960s, and the last is that of a child, which is the specter most commonly reported at the Fowler these days.
One thing is for sure: the theater is as visually attractive as its story is spooky, but that's part of what makes it fun.
So, what do you think? Would you book a paranormal investigation at the theater for yourself or would you go on a tour? Do you have any tales of spooky happenings at the Fowler of your own? What haunted places in Indiana would you like to see us cover? Tell us about it all in the comments!
Craving more creepy Indiana? Check this article out for an awesome ghost town road trip!
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