Jamestown's 1874 Allen's Opera House — rebuilt after two fires, refurbished in Spanish Revival style in 1927, and now home to staff reports of a male apparition seen on stage, in the practice room, and in the boiler room.
18 East Second Street, Jamestown, NY 14701
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by production; subscriptions and individual tickets available via Ovationtix. Box office currently by appointment.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Indoor theater with 402-seat capacity; ADA access available.
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1874 · Allen's Opera House opened 1874; destroyed by fire 1881 and rebuilt · Second fire 1894; sold to Charles Samuels 1898 · Spanish Revival rebuild 1927 by architect Victor A. Rigaumont · Little Theatre of Jamestown acquired 1968; modern interior rebuilt 1969 · Renamed for Lucille Ball 1991; Ball performed at predecessor venue 1945
Allen's Opera House opened on September 3, 1874 at its current East Second Street address in downtown Jamestown, New York. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1881. Owner Abner E. Allen rebuilt it, but financial losses from a second fire in 1894 led to the property's sale to Charles Samuels in 1898. Under Samuels ownership it became Samuels Opera House.
In 1919, the Shea theater circuit acquired the venue. Beginning in 1927, architect Victor A. Rigaumont oversaw an extensive rebuild of the structure, giving it the Spanish Revival facade and interior that remain the building's visual identity today. During this era the theater operated under the Shea name.
The Little Theatre of Jamestown — a non-profit community theater organization established in 1936 — purchased the East Second Street building in 1968 and built a modern theater within the historic shell, reopening in 1969. The organization offers 402-seat productions, a Jr. Guilders youth program, and volunteer opportunities. In 1991, both the company and the theater were officially renamed for Lucille Ball, Jamestown's most famous resident. Ball had performed at the predecessor venue in 1945 and donated costumes throughout her life, including a garment from *Gone with the Wind*.
The building's 402-seat capacity and Spanish Revival exterior make it one of downtown Jamestown's most architecturally distinctive structures. It remains active as of 2026 with a current-season lineup.
Sources
The paranormal reports at the Lucille Ball Little Theatre come primarily from staff and company members working in the building during off-hours. The most consistent accounts involve auditory phenomena: people alone in the building hear their name called, originating from the library, where no one is found. A physical sensation — a hand placed firmly on the shoulder from behind — has been reported by more than one person, with no one present when they turn around.
A male apparition has been documented by staff at three distinct locations within the building: on stage during rehearsal hours, in the practice room, and late at night in the boiler room. The figure appears as a visible male form but carries no identifying characteristics in the accounts — no name has been associated with it across any documented source.
Photographic anomalies — specifically white orbs appearing in images taken inside the theater — are mentioned in regional paranormal documentation alongside the experiential reports. Objects have gone missing from known locations and been found elsewhere without explanation. The accounts do not reference any specific historical death or traumatic event within the building that has been verified in primary sources.
Notable Entities
Attend a production by the Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown, the non-profit community theater company that has operated in the Spanish Revival building since 1968. The 2026 season includes Footloose (June) among other productions.
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