HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
A 1906 church-turned-theater where three resident spirits — including a mischievous girl struck by a streetcar — have been reported for decades.
16 10th St, Toledo, OH 43624
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by production; see website for current schedule
Access
Wheelchair OK
Theater in a converted church; main level wheelchair accessible
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1906 · Built as a church in 1906 · Converted to theater use in 1934 · One of Ohio's oldest continuously operating community theaters · Listed by Destination Toledo as a haunted attraction
The building at 16 10th Street in Toledo's downtown district was constructed in 1906 as a church — the denomination is noted in local sources but not confirmed in documentation reviewed here. It served religious purposes for nearly three decades before a 1934 conversion that gave it a second life as a performing arts space.
The Toledo Repertoire Theatre, founded in that conversion period, has operated continuously in the building for over 90 years. It now stands as one of the longest-running community theaters in Ohio, producing a season of plays annually with a resident volunteer and professional company. The theater's production history spans from classical drama through contemporary works.
Destination Toledo's official visitor guide lists the Toledo Repertoire Theatre as one of the city's notable haunted sites, and Haunted Toledo's paranormal research site published a detailed 2025 investigation of the building documenting three distinct entities reported over the theater's operational history.
Sources
Haunted Toledo's 2025 investigation documented three reported entities at the Toledo Repertoire Theatre, each associated with different areas of the building. The first is a man described as sitting or standing at the back of the house — the rear audience section — during performances and rehearsals. Actors and directors have reported sensing a presence there when the house is otherwise empty; some describe seeing a vague shape that disappears when approached.
The second figure is a woman described as appearing in the prop storage room. The specific account, documented by Haunted Toledo, is that she has been heard or sensed to ask visitors to turn off the lights — a request that has reportedly been heard by multiple independent witnesses in the space.
The third and most detailed account involves a young girl believed to be approximately six years old, said to have been struck and killed by a streetcar on Washington Street in the early 1900s. The child's energy is described as mischievous rather than distressing — objects moved, lights toggled — and the connection to Washington Street has been a consistent element across accounts documented over decades of the theater's operation.
No documentary record of the streetcar fatality was located in research for this entry. The account is presented as oral tradition.
Notable Entities
Toledo Repertoire Theatre operates as one of the oldest community theaters in Ohio. Attending a production provides access to the house, lobby, and backstage areas of the former church building.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Macon, GA
Charles Henry Douglass opened the Douglass Theatre on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in 1921, establishing it as the primary entertainment venue for Macon's African American community during the era of legal segregation. The theater hosted Otis Redding, Little Richard, and James Brown, among others, and became a cornerstone of Macon's Black cultural life. It fell into disuse and disrepair before a community-led restoration returned it to operation in 1997.