A 1929 downtown movie palace now a performing arts center, where a ghost named Antoine moves objects, hums to himself, and leaves footsteps in an otherwise empty building.
201 Forrest St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by performance; check website or Ticketmaster
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic downtown building; street-level entry on Forrest Street
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1929 · Opened Thanksgiving Day 1929 as part of the Saenger Theatres movie-palace chain · Served as temporary shelter and triage point during 1936 Hattiesburg disaster · Restored and operated as downtown Hattiesburg's anchor performing arts center
The Saenger Theater opened on Thanksgiving Day 1929 at 201 Forrest Street in historic downtown Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It was part of the Saenger Theatres chain, founded by brothers Julian and Abe Saenger, which built ornate movie palaces across the South in the late silent-film era. The Hattiesburg venue brought the chain's characteristic mixture of atmospheric interior design and affordable entertainment to Forrest County.
In 1936 a significant disaster struck Hattiesburg — local accounts cite a tornado — and the Saenger was pressed into service as a temporary shelter and triage point. Some traditions hold that a victim treated at the building during this period never left, remaining as the spirit locals came to call Antoine. Whether this specific origin story is documented in contemporaneous newspaper coverage has not been confirmed in sources reviewed.
The theater seats 978 and operates today as a performing arts center hosting comedy, music, theatrical productions, and dance. It is considered one of downtown Hattiesburg's anchor cultural institutions. The building's physical character — balcony, ornate lobby, original stage area — survives from the 1929 construction.
Sources
The Saenger's resident ghost goes by Antoine. Staff and visitors over the years have described a consistent set of experiences: objects moved between shows, humming with no apparent source, and footsteps crossing empty areas of the building during hours when it should be unoccupied. The phenomena are not concentrated in one part of the theater — accounts locate them in the lobby, the auditorium, and backstage areas.
The theater's own Facebook page has publicly asked 'Are there ghosts in Hattiesburg's Historic Saenger Theater?' — making the haunting part of the venue's identity rather than a rumor it distances itself from. Visit Hattiesburg's official tourism directory confirms the 'Antoine' ghost as part of the theater's local reputation.
The connection between Antoine and the 1936 disaster is the most specific origin account: the story holds that someone treated at the Saenger when it functioned as a temporary hospital and shelter never recovered, and never left. The name Antoine and the human details behind it have not been independently documented in newspaper archives consulted for this entry.
Notable Entities
The Saenger seats 978 and hosts comedy, music, theatrical productions, and dance. The theater's marketing acknowledges its resident ghost Antoine, and the building's 1929 movie-palace bones — balcony, ornate lobby, original stage — are part of the draw. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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