Built in 1885 for the Millionaire's Colony crowd, this Queen Anne theater — the fifth-oldest in New York State — hosts official ghost tours after staff documented an unknown singer rehearsing in empty wings after hours and high-profile performers refusing a specific dressing room.
13 Main Street, Tarrytown, NY 10591
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Ghost tours $29 per person (fees included). Regular concert tickets vary by performance.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic theater; ghost tour includes stair climbing and extended periods of standing. Tour is 45 minutes. Arrive 15 minutes early.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1885 · Built 1885 by William L. Wallace; architects De Lemos and Cordes · Opened December 12, 1885 with The Mikado · Fifth-oldest theater in New York State; one of oldest in the nation · Among first theaters in America to show silent films, 1901 · Saved from demolition 1980; exterior restored 2014 · Official stop on the Haunted History Trail of New York State
The Tarrytown Music Hall was constructed in 1885 by William L. Wallace, a wealthy candy manufacturer who wanted an entertainment venue for Tarrytown's affluent summer community. Wallace commissioned architects Theodore De Lemos and August Cordes, who had designed Grand Central Palace and the Macy's building at Herald Square. The resulting structure is Queen Anne in style — one of the smaller number of surviving American theaters from before 1900.
The hall opened December 12, 1885 with a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. From the beginning it served the wealthy Hudson Valley families who kept estates in the area during the Gilded Age: Rockefellers, Goulds, Vanderbilts, and others who had made Tarrytown their seasonal retreat. Among the early performers and speakers documented at the hall: Irving Berlin, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson.
In 1901 the Music Hall became one of the first theaters in the country to show silent films. It operated as a single-screen movie theater from the 1930s under local benefactor Robert Goldblatt and later his family, then closed in 1976 when multiplex competition made it unviable. The building was rescued from demolition on Valentine's Day 1980 by board members Helen and Berthold Ringeisen, and a $1.5 million exterior restoration funded by state and federal grants was completed in 2014. The hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an official stop on the Haunted History Trail of New York State.
Sources
The Tarrytown Music Hall's paranormal reputation is grounded in staff observations rather than one-time visitor reports. Lights turning back on after the building is closed and secured — with no mechanical explanation found — is among the most frequently noted phenomena. Staff have also described hearing what sounds like a singer warming up with vocal scales in the backstage wings during off-hours, when the building is otherwise empty. Neither phenomenon has been attributed to a specific historical figure.
A third account involves performers: multiple high-profile artists have declined to use one particular dressing room, telling staff they 'sensed a presence.' The hall does not identify the room publicly or the artists involved.
In 2019, the Gotham Paranormal Research Society conducted several formal investigations at the venue's invitation. Investigators documented electronic voice phenomena (EVP) audio recordings and anomalous electromagnetic field (EMF) readings. The findings are described on the Haunted History Trail of New York State's official listing, where the Music Hall is an enrolled site.
The building's age and the concentration of unexplained events have made it a recurring subject for paranormal enthusiasts in the Hudson Valley. Jonathan Kruk's guided ghost tours — running since at least 2024 — have formalized the venue's role as a legitimate dark-history destination.
A 45-minute guided tour led by Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk. The tour begins in the lobby and proceeds balcony to backstage, covering the hall's documented paranormal history including the unknown singer, the refused dressing room, and findings from the 2019 Gotham Paranormal Research Society investigations. Stair climbing and extended standing required. Max 25 patrons.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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