Boothbay Opera House

The Opera House is recognized as one of Maine's most actively haunted performance venues, with the most documented phenomenon centered on a broken player piano located on the second floor. Witnesses have reported hearing music playing autonomously in 1949, 1957, and 1977, despite the instrument being non-functional. The apparition, nicknamed 'Fingers' by staff, is widely believed to be Earl Cliff, who performed piano accompaniment for theatrical productions in the early 1900s. Some speculate Cliff remains restless over the numerous transformations the venue has undergone throughout its 130-year history.

Beyond the spectral pianist, multiple staff members have documented experiences with disembodied voices. Ushers working the theater have independently reported hearing someone call their names in empty corridors and hallways. Physical contact has also been documented — several staff accounts describe feeling touched or pushed by an unseen presence, with one instance involving violent shaking of a theater employee. More unusually, musician Richie Havens reported encountering a shadowy figure in the foyer, while other visitors have described seeing a man dressed in military attire floating across the third-floor balcony area. A Duke University professor reported observing a 19th-century apparition accompanied by visible heat waves emanating from the entity, with the surrounding room temperature dropping dramatically during the encounter. Recently, staff arrived to find theater chairs mysteriously scattered throughout the seating area despite having secured and left the building empty the previous evening.