A 1922 Vaudeville House Where the Switchboard Works Alone
109 N Bay St, Eustis, FL 32726
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by production. Check eustisstatetheatre.org for current season schedule and pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Street-level historic theater; some areas with limited accessibility
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1922 · Florida Theater History · Vaudeville Heritage · Community Theater · Lake County Cultural History
The State Theatre opened in 1922 on North Bay Street in downtown Eustis as a vaudeville and entertainment venue. The building's design reflected standard entertainment architecture of the period: a curved balcony-mezzanine for additional seating, a fly loft above the stage for scene management, proper acoustics, an orchestra pit, and a large main floor with good sightlines.
After the vaudeville era ended, the theater fell vacant. It remained unused for decades until Bay Street Players revived it in 1974-1975 as a nonprofit community theater organization. The renovation preserved the building's original bones while making it functional for contemporary productions.
A 1985 renovation costing $200,000 introduced new lighting equipment, seating, and stage infrastructure. The investment produced a venue that punched above its small-city weight: performers who developed their craft at the State Theatre included Sabrina Lloyd, who went on to television roles in Father Hood and Sliders, and concert pianist Tzimon Barto, who built an international career.
Bay Street Players' 2025-2026 season continues the theater's uninterrupted programming. The organization maintains a Young People's Theatre program and regular main stage productions.
Sources
The light board at the State Theatre of Eustis has a reputation among staff for independent operation. Spotlights dim or blink without apparent cause. The switchboard activates lights on its own. The pattern is consistent enough that it has become part of how the building's personnel describe their workplace.
The upper floor — where costume and prop storage is located — is where screaming has been reported. Staff working alone in that area describe auditory phenomena without an identifiable source.
A more visually striking account involves the balcony: at least one visitor has reported seeing a man suspended by his neck from a structural opening in the ceiling. The circumstances under which the image was seen — the time, the lighting, the witness's position — are not detailed in the available accounts.
The space beneath the stage, referred to as 'The Hole,' is associated with cold spots and a persistent feeling of being watched. Investigators who have examined the building describe it as producing unexplained sensory data consistent across multiple visits.
A fire that destroyed an adjacent ice cream shop left burn marks on the theater's wall and damaged the original ceiling above the former counter. Those marks remain visible.
Notable Entities
See a Bay Street Players production in the 1922 theater where the switchboard reportedly operates itself. The season runs year-round with main stage productions, youth theater, and special events. The 2025-2026 season is scheduled with tickets on sale through the venue website.
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