Museum Visit Booking Required
Attend a performance
Catch a production at Riverside Theatre Works in the restored 1897 French's Opera House, which contains a 156-seat opera house auditorium and rehearsal spaces.
- Duration:
- 2.5 hr
No photograph
on file
Est. 1899on file
HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
- 01Footsteps in empty corridors
- 02Sense of presence on upper floors
- 03Movement of small objects in dressing-room and scene-shop areas
Theater / Performance Venue
Riverside Theatre Works
Community Theater in Hyde Park's 1897 French's Opera House
45 Fairmount Avenue, Boston, MA 02136
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticketed performances at published rates; youth education programs are separate.
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story 1899 building with stairs
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1899 · French's Opera House (rebuilt 1899 after 1898 fire) · Riverside Theatre Works community theater operating since 1981
The French's Opera House at 45 Fairmount Avenue in Hyde Park, Boston was constructed in 1897 by L.J. French, a local grocer who arrived in Hyde Park in 1875. The original building suffered a fire approximately 15 months after opening, and was immediately rebuilt larger than before, with the new structure completed by 1899. The rebuilt building included a 700-seat opera house auditorium on the upper floors and a Masonic hall on the third floor, with retail space at street level.
The opera house anchored Logan Square's commercial life through the early 20th century. The building continued in various uses through the mid-century before the upper floors fell into disuse.
Riverside Theatre Works was founded in 1981 by lifelong Hyde Park resident Marietta Phinney, who began by teaching children drama and music in her backyard. In 1983 the program moved into one room in the former French's Opera House and gradually expanded into all of the building's top two floors. The current facility includes a 156-seat opera house, a dance studio and rehearsal space, a scene shop, a lounge, and several meeting rooms - approximately 14,000 square feet of theater space.
Sources
- https://inspirearts.org/riverside-theater-building/
- https://rtwboston.org/about/
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/10/07/riverside-theatre-works-hyde-park-rebound/3JWromtZ9ljTwLEi8DOcyL/story.html
Footsteps in empty corridorsSense of presence on upper floorsMovement of small objects in dressing-room and scene-shop areas
Riverside Theatre Works' haunted reputation grows out of the long history of the opera house building, including the 1898 fire that destroyed the original 1897 structure before its immediate rebuild. Local Hyde Park tradition tells of a woman named Esmeralda associated with the early opera-house years; the documentary trail for that specific tradition is thin, and visitors should treat the name as a piece of local lore rather than verified history.
Cast and crew reports collected through the company's modern operating life describe footsteps in empty corridors during late rehearsals, a sense of presence on the upper floors, and occasional movement of small objects in the dressing-room and scene-shop areas. These reports are typical of the kind of layered atmosphere that older theater buildings often produce among the people who use them at night.
The theater treats the tradition as part of the building's character rather than as a programmed attraction.
Notable Entities
Esmeralda (per local tradition; not verified in surviving records)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riverside Theatre Works family-friendly?
Family-friendly community theater. Production content varies by show; check the season schedule. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Riverside Theatre Works?
Ticketed performances at published rates; youth education programs are separate.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, reservations are required.
Is Riverside Theatre Works wheelchair accessible?
Riverside Theatre Works has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Multi-story 1899 building with stairs.