1932 Art Deco theatre in Bar Harbor with a Prohibition speakeasy past and a reported projectionist ghost
35 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by event; see the theatre's website or its Tixr ticketing page for current shows.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Downtown Bar Harbor theatre with a balcony, projection room, and basement level
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1932 · 1932 Art Deco theatre · National Register of Historic Places · Prohibition-era basement speakeasy · Reopened by the Harper House Music Foundation in 2025
The Criterion Theatre was built in 1932, an Art Deco movie palace that took its name from a London theatre. It opened during Prohibition, and by local account its basement operated as a speakeasy; the proprietor of that operation had served time for running rum from Canada into Maine.
The theatre is a contributing building on the National Register of Historic Places and sits on Cottage Street in downtown Bar Harbor. It survived the Fire of 1947 that destroyed much of the surrounding resort district, and it continued to operate as a cinema and event space for decades, though its fortunes varied with the town's seasonal economy.
After a stretch of operational uncertainty, the Harper House Music Foundation acquired and reopened the venue in 2025, restoring it to active use for concerts, films, and live performances. The 1932 interior, with its balcony and projection room, remains the centerpiece, and the theatre is now both a working cultural venue for Mount Desert Island and a stop on the downtown ghost tour.
Sources
The Criterion's haunted reputation centers on the projection room and balcony. The most frequently named figure is Roy Blake, described as a former projectionist of the theatre, with reports of a dark figure seen in the projection booth and the upper seating. The building's basement, used as a speakeasy during Prohibition, is part of the lore that has built up around the venue.
These accounts come from a paranormal-interest feature and from regional television coverage of the theatre around Halloween, as well as from the Bar Harbor ghost tour, which lists the Criterion among its stops and tries to bring groups inside when the theatre's calendar allows. Interior access for the tour is not guaranteed on any given night.
Because the Criterion is an operating performance venue rather than a paranormal attraction, the most reliable way to spend time in the building is to attend a show. The Art Deco interior, the balcony, and the projection room are the spaces the stories attach to, and they are the same spaces a ticket holder will see.
Notable Entities
The Criterion Theatre is an operating performing-arts venue presenting concerts, films, and live events. Tickets for current programming are sold through the theatre's website and its Tixr page. The 1932 Art Deco interior, balcony, and projection room are part of the experience for ticket holders.
The Original Bar Harbor Ghost Tour names the Criterion as a stop and tries to access its interior when the theatre's schedule allows. Interior access is not guaranteed on any given night.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Tucson, AZ
The Fox Tucson Theatre opened on April 11, 1930, as a combined vaudeville and movie house. After closing in 1974 and standing vacant for 25 years, the building was purchased in 1999 by the non-profit Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation for $250,000 and reopened in 2006 following a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration.
Joliet, IL
The Rialto Square Theatre opened May 24, 1926, designed by Chicago firm Rapp & Rapp for the six Rubens brothers. Its Neo-Baroque interior — modeled in part on the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles — earned it a place on the American Institute of Architects's '150 Great Places in Illinois' and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ashland, KY
The Paramount Arts Center opened September 5, 1931 in Ashland, Kentucky as one of the first movie palaces purpose-built for sound film. Designed by Rapp and Rapp, the theater closed in 1971 and was rescued from demolition by the Greater Ashland Foundation, reopening as a performing-arts center in 1972.