1919 Boonton Vaudeville Theatre with a Unique Under-Stage Entry
615 Main Street, Boonton, NJ 07005
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by event; second-run films and live shows
Access
Limited Access
Historic 900-seat theater with reverse-entry uphill aisles
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1919 · 1919 vaudeville theater by Clair Darress · Unique reverse-entry under-stage aisle design · 1923 Theo Hardeen (Houdini's brother) performance · 2021 purchase by Town of Boonton
The Darress Theatre at 615 Main Street in Boonton, New Jersey opened in 1919 as a vaudeville stage seating about 900 patrons. The theater was the project of Clair Darress, a local architect and inventor. Darress designed the building to be fireproof and devised a unique reverse-entry layout in which patrons enter the auditorium from beneath the stage and walk uphill through the rows to their seats. The design served both safety and acoustics.
In the 1920s, the theater hosted vaudeville and silent film. Notable acts included a performance by Theo Hardeen, Harry Houdini's brother, in 1923. George Burns later recalled performing on the Darress stage early in his career; he and Gracie Allen had not yet met when Burns played Boonton, but he wrote affectionately of the town in his memoir 'Gracie - A Love Story.'
The theater was renamed the 'State Theater' in 1934 and operated primarily as a movie theater for decades. It went through periods of closure and reopened with a children's-theater program (productions of 'Snow White' and similar) in addition to movie screenings.
The town of Boonton purchased the building in February 2021. The theater continues to operate with second-run films and live performances, and it is funded in part through the New Jersey Historic Trust.
Sources
Late-night staff and volunteer crew describe the Darress as a building with a 'busy' acoustic personality after audiences leave. The most consistent reports are auditory: voices in the empty auditorium, footsteps in aisles or backstage, and seat cushions found in different positions than how they were left.
A distinctive recurring report is the sound of singing coming from the auditorium when the theater is empty. The reports do not identify a specific named entity; they are part of the building's century-old tradition rather than a single-ghost narrative.
The under-stage entry, the projection booth, and the backstage area are the most active spaces. With the town's 2021 acquisition and ongoing restoration, staff interest in the theater's history has documented additional small reports, though Boonton officials and theater management treat the lore as part of the building's character rather than as a commercial paranormal attraction.
See a film, live performance, or magic show at the 1919 Darress Theatre. Enter from beneath the stage and walk uphill through the unique reverse-aisle plan that Clair Darress designed for fire safety and acoustics. The town of Boonton purchased the theater in February 2021.
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