1869 Poughkeepsie opera house where staff are told to hum to keep the resident ghost company
35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Research updated June 2026
Age
Varies by production
Cost
$$$
Ticket prices vary by performance; see the Bardavon box office
Access
Wheelchair OK
Restored 19th-century theatre with orchestra and balcony seating
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1869 · Oldest operating theatre in the Hudson Valley · 1869 Collingwood Opera House · National Register of Historic Places (1977) · Home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic
The Bardavon 1869 Opera House stands at 35 Market Street in downtown Poughkeepsie. It opened in 1869 as the Collingwood Opera House, built by the lumber dealer James Collingwood and designed by architect J.A. Wood. From 1869 into the early twentieth century it hosted touring theatrical companies, concerts, lectures, and civic gatherings, and over those decades performers including Sarah Bernhardt and John Barrymore appeared on its stage.
The building was renovated in 1905 under architect William Beardsley. In 1923 it was renamed the Bardavon and, like many opera houses of its era, shifted toward film, operating primarily as a cinema from the 1920s through the mid-1970s while still presenting occasional live performances, including vaudeville. A Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ was installed in 1928, and a movie marquee was added in 1947.
In 1975 the theatre faced demolition as part of a downtown redevelopment plan. A group of local residents organized to preserve the building, and their effort succeeded; the Bardavon was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1977. Since then it has operated as a nonprofit performing-arts center presenting theater, dance, music, opera, and film.
The Bardavon is the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the Hudson Valley. It anchors Poughkeepsie's downtown arts district and programs a year-round season of touring and regional performances.
Sources
Among Hudson Valley theatre lore, the Bardavon is one of the most frequently named haunted stages. Staff accounts describe a resident presence, sometimes referred to as Roger, and a long-standing custom in which employees working alone in the building are advised to choose a song to hum to keep the atmosphere calm.
The most-repeated single episode dates to 2002, when a security sweep was conducted ahead of an appearance by then-Governor George Pataki. According to the account, the bomb-detection dog brought in for the sweep whimpered and refused to enter the basement room that once held the theatre's coal bin, while moving through the rest of the building without incident.
Staff have also described a more aggressive presence on at least one occasion, which they said led them to bring in a spiritual practitioner from nearby Highland to address the activity. As with most theatre ghost stories, these accounts come from employee recollection rather than documented investigation, and the sources present them as reported experiences rather than confirmed events.
The Bardavon's age, its long stretch as a darkened cinema, and the warren of backstage and basement spaces common to nineteenth-century opera houses have all helped keep its haunted reputation in circulation among Poughkeepsie residents and Hudson Valley ghost-tour operators.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
See a concert, play, dance program, or film at the Bardavon, the oldest operating theatre in New York's Hudson Valley. The 1869 interior retains its original proportions, its 1928 Wurlitzer pipe organ, and the marquee added in 1947. The Bardavon is the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and programs a year-round season.
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