Springfield's oldest operating theater, open since 1909 — a 1920 fire gutted the stage, and the building has accumulated decades of unexplained reports.
311 E Walnut St, Springfield, MO 65806
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Theater tickets required for performances; check Springfield Little Theatre website for current schedule and pricing. No standalone paranormal tours currently offered.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic theater interior with main floor and balcony levels; elevator access available
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1909 · Second-oldest and largest civic theater in Missouri · 1920 fire gutted stage; no fatalities · 35th facility worldwide to acquire sound film (1928) · First network color TV series outside NYC/Hollywood broadcast from here (1961) · National Register of Historic Places, listed August 12 1977
D.J. Landers, a Springfield lumber merchant, built his theater in 1909 using wood-heavy construction reflective of his trade background. Architects Carl Boller and Brother, with local firm Hickenlively and Mark, designed the exterior in French-influenced neoclassical style with Missouri limestone and terra cotta detailing. The building opened September 18, 1909.
On December 18, 1920, fire broke out in the basement starting at 12:45 pm, believed to have originated in a boiler explosion that ignited nearby coal. The fire completely gutted the stage area. No one was killed. A fireproof asbestos curtain preserved the main house, and subsequent renovations reconfigured the orchestra pit and removed the segregation-era separate ticketing facilities that had been part of the original design. In 1928, the Landers became the 35th facility in the world to acquire sound film technology.
From 1961, the theater broadcast NBC's Five Star Jubilee — the first network color television series to originate outside of New York City or Hollywood. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1977. Today it serves as the home of the Springfield Little Theatre, the city's primary community theater organization, and operates as a working performance venue year-round.
Sources
The Landers Theatre has accumulated paranormal accounts over more than a century of continuous operation. KSMU's 2014 investigation found a consistent cluster of reports: a figure in period dress described as Shakespearean appearing on the fourth floor, green orbs observed floating through the balcony areas, the sound of babies crying from empty portions of the building, high-heeled footsteps in the lobby with no visible source, doors shaking in closed hallways, and at least one account of jewelry moving without contact.
The most widely circulated story — that a janitor named 'Ned' died in the December 1920 fire — is not supported by the historical record. KSMU's reporting found no documentation of a fire fatality at Landers. Historical accounts confirm the 1920 fire caused no deaths; the janitor story appears to have originated from a Ouija board session and accumulated fictional detail over subsequent retellings until it became treated as established fact in local paranormal circles.
The theater has been investigated by local and regional paranormal groups over the decades, with activity reports concentrated in the balcony, fourth floor, and backstage areas. As a working theater, access for investigation is not regularly offered to the public.
Attend a Springfield Little Theatre production at the 1909 venue. The theater is the second-oldest and largest civic theater operation in Missouri. For paranormal interest, the balcony and fourth floor are the areas most associated with reported activity.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
St. Louis, MO
The Fabulous Fox Theatre opened in January 1929 as one of five 'Fox' picture palaces commissioned by film magnate William Fox. Designed by C. Howard Crane in a 'Siamese Byzantine' style, the 4,500-seat auditorium was the second-largest in the United States at its opening. After decades of decline the theatre closed in 1978 and was restored by the Fox Associates beginning in 1981, reopening in 1982 as the centerpiece of Grand Center.
Wausau, WI
The Grand Theater opened in November 1927 on the site of the 1899 Grand Opera House, which it replaced after the original structure was demolished. It serves as Wausau's primary performing arts venue and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Springfield, MO
Maurice Earnest Gillioz built the theater in 1926 using steel and concrete construction in Spanish Colonial Revival style, securing a lease on a piece of Route 66 frontage to draw travelers. The $300,000 structure introduced talking pictures in 1928 and Technicolor in 1936, hosted a Ronald and Nancy Reagan premiere in 1952, and closed in 1980 before a $1.9 million restoration returned it to operation in 2006.