Petaluma's 1904 Hill Opera House, reborn
201 Washington Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Public concerts, all-ages youth programs, and community events. Show tickets vary; exterior viewing is free.
Access
Limited Access
Historic theater with stairs
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1904 · 1904 Hill Opera House · Historic Petaluma music venue · All-ages punk and alternative scene anchor
The building at 201 Washington Street in Petaluma was opened in 1904 as the Hill Opera House by builder William Hill. Its stage hosted performers including Harry Houdini, Enrico Caruso, and Lily Langtree during the early twentieth century.
In the early 1920s a fire forced the theater to close, and by 1925 it had been restored and reopened as a movie house. The California Movie Theater chain purchased the property around 1935 and renamed it the California Theater. On August 5, 1957 a second fire took the roof of the building. The Tocchini family restored and renamed it the Showcase Theater, and Petaluma native Jeff Dorenfeld booked the first live concert at the venue. In 1983 the building was renamed the Phoenix in recognition of its repeated rebirth from fire.
For more than four decades the Phoenix has operated as an all-ages music venue and youth community center. The roster of performers who have played the Phoenix on their way up includes the Ramones, Green Day, Metallica, Primus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, and Pennywise.
Sources
Phoenix Theater staff and regulars have reported a range of phenomena across decades. The balcony, which is normally kept locked except during major shows, is the most frequently cited location, with witnesses describing white figures or shadow forms seen in peripheral vision. Backstage and bathroom areas are sources of unexplained sounds. The basement is consistently described as the most oppressive part of the building.
Local Petaluma writing connects the activity to the theater's repeated fires, beginning with the early-1920s blaze and the August 1957 roof fire. The Phoenix Argus-Courier and the Petaluma Historian have published staff accounts of the spirit of a young fan in the balcony and of a projectionist. Members of the band AFI, longtime Phoenix regulars, have publicly described their own experiences in the building.
The Phoenix Theater operates as an all-ages music venue and youth community center. Past performers include the Ramones, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and Sublime. Catch a show or stop in during open hours to see the historic balcony and stage areas.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Stockton, CA
The Fox California Theatre opened October 14, 1930, designed by Clifford Balch and Floyd Stanberry in Spanish Colonial Revival style with a seating capacity of 2,500. It was one of only two movie palaces built in California's Central Valley. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the theatre underwent an $8.5 million restoration and reopened September 2004 as the Bob Hope Theatre, renamed in honor of entertainer Bob Hope at the request of lead donor Alex G. Spanos.
Redwood City, CA
The Fox Theatre at 2215 Broadway in Redwood City opened in 1929 as The New Sequoia. It operated as a neighborhood movie house through the mid-20th century, closed, was restored, and reopened as a concert and events venue. The 2022 renovation brought contractors into the building's attic, where they discovered an urn containing human ashes — a find that the theatre's management confirmed publicly.
Pasadena, CA
Gilmor Brown founded the Pasadena Playhouse in 1916 with a traveling acting troupe and built the current 686-seat Spanish Colonial Revival theater at 39 South El Molino in 1924–1925. The California legislature designated the Playhouse the official State Theatre of California in 1937. Brown ran the theater until his death in 1960, producing more than 2,000 plays and training actors who went on to Hollywood careers.