Guided Tour Booking Required
Attend a performance
Catch a touring Broadway show or pre-Broadway tryout in the 1914 Swazey-designed house that has hosted more than 600 out-of-town tryouts and 300+ world premieres.
- Duration:
- 2.5 hr
Theater / Performance Venue
Shubert Theatre
Albert Swazey-designed Broadway tryout house that opened December 11, 1914 with 'The Belle of Bond Street' and earned the nickname 'Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits,' long rumored among staff and patrons to be haunted.
247 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 4 sources
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by production; lobby and exterior viewable free.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Modern accessible entrances; historic interior with stairs to upper levels.
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1914 · 1914 Albert Swazey-designed Broadway tryout house · 'Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits' — 300+ world premieres · Closed 1976, reopened 1983 under city ownership · Active touring-Broadway venue
The Shubert Theatre opened on the evening of December 11, 1914 with a production of 'The Belle of Bond Street.' It was designed by Albert Swazey of New York and constructed by the H.E. Murdock Construction Company for Lee, Sam, and J.J. Shubert; the brothers named the house in memory of Sam S. Shubert, who had died in a railway accident in 1905. Its location, a short rail ride from Manhattan, made it ideal as a pre-Broadway tryout venue.
Over more than a century the Shubert hosted over 600 out-of-town tryouts, more than 300 world premieres, and more than 50 American premieres — including landmark productions of 'Oklahoma!', 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' 'My Fair Lady,' and 'The Sound of Music.' That track record produced the venue's enduring nickname, 'Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits.'
The theater struggled financially in the 1970s and closed in 1976. After acquisition by the City of New Haven and a renovation, the Shubert reopened in 1983 and has operated since under the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and successor operators. It is documented by the Internet Broadway Database, BroadwayWorld, and the Yale-affiliated Walk New Haven project, and remains an active touring-Broadway and presenting venue.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shubert_Theatre_(New_Haven)
- https://www.shubert.com/about/history
- https://www.broadway.org/theatres/shubert-performing-arts-center-new-haven
- https://ovrtur.com/venue/1343
Apparition believed to be a former usherAnomalous lights in upper boxes after hoursFootsteps in empty lobby; voices in empty house
According to a Fox 61 news segment and multiple independent ghost-tour and ghost-listing sources — US Ghost Adventures' New Haven Ghost Tour, CTvisit's New Haven Hauntings & Nightmare Necromancy walking tour, CT Haunted Houses, and HauntedPlaces.org — staff and patrons at the Shubert have long reported unexplained activity inside the empty 1914 house: figures glimpsed in the back of the orchestra after performances, anomalous lights in the upper boxes, footsteps in the empty lobby, and indistinct voices. The most-cited entity is described as a former usher who, per Fox 61's reporting, died accidentally on-site; the ghost is said to remain attached to the theater.
The theater follows the traditional Broadway practice of leaving a 'ghost light' burning center-stage when the house is dark — a practice rooted equally in stage superstition and in basic safety. Theater management has publicly acknowledged the haunted reputation in the Fox 61 piece. The Shubert is a regular stop on US Ghost Adventures' New Haven ghost tour and is listed among the Elm City's haunted venues by CTvisit and HauntedPlaces.org.
Notable Entities
Apparition attributed to a former usher
Media Appearances
- Fox 61 news segment — Ghosts take center stage at New Haven's Shubert Theatre
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Drive-By
Exterior visit
View the College Street facade and historic marquee from the sidewalk.
- Duration:
- 15 min
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shubert Theatre family-friendly?
Working performing-arts venue; family-friendliness depends on the production booked. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Shubert Theatre?
Ticket prices vary by production; lobby and exterior viewable free.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, reservations are required.
Is Shubert Theatre wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Shubert Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Modern accessible entrances; historic interior with stairs to upper levels..