Restored 1926 Woonsocket movie palace investigated on Ghost Hunters, with reports tied to its builder
28 Monument Square, Woonsocket, RI 02895
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by show. The theatre is a working performing-arts center; buy tickets through the box office or venue website.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Restored downtown theatre with lobby, orchestra, and balcony seating.
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1926 · 1920s vaudeville-era movie palace · National Register of Historic Places · Anchor of downtown Woonsocket restoration (reopened 2001)
The Stadium Building on Monument Square opened in 1926 as a movie and vaudeville house, developed by Arthur Darman, a Woonsocket textile industrialist. Designed in the era's ornate movie-palace style, it was among the larger entertainment venues in the Blackstone Valley and operated for decades as a cinema before falling into disrepair in the second half of the twentieth century.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and a community restoration effort brought it back into use. The theatre reopened in 2001 as the Stadium Theatre Performing Arts Centre and Conservatory and has since hosted touring concerts, musicals, community theatre, and arts education. The Rhode Island state preservation office documents the Stadium Building's architecture and significance to downtown Woonsocket.
The theatre is operated by a nonprofit and remains a working venue, presenting a full season of programming rather than functioning as a museum or attraction. Its restoration is frequently cited as an anchor of downtown Woonsocket's revitalization.
Sources
The theatre's reputation centers on Arthur Darman, the industrialist who built it; staff and performers have described him as a presence still watching over the house. Reports gathered during the building's restoration included footsteps, doors opening and closing, and apparitions—accounts of women seen in the theatre, one described as looking for tickets.
In 2014 the cast and crew of Syfy's 'Ghost Hunters' (TAPS, the Rhode Island-based investigation group) conducted an overnight investigation at the Stadium. The resulting episode, 'The Plot Thickens,' aired in the show's tenth season. As reported by the Valley Breeze, the team described captured audio and time-lapse footage that appeared to show a dark mass moving down a staircase at the same moment investigators reported hearing noises in that area.
The Stadium does not operate as a haunted attraction. These accounts are folklore and television content tied to a working theatre, and any paranormal claim should be read as anecdote rather than documented fact.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
The Stadium operates as a working performing-arts center hosting concerts, theatre, and community arts programming. Buying a ticket to a show is the standard way to visit the restored 1926 interior. The theatre does not advertise a regular public ghost tour; the box office can confirm any special events.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
St. Louis, MO
The Fabulous Fox Theatre opened in January 1929 as one of five 'Fox' picture palaces commissioned by film magnate William Fox. Designed by C. Howard Crane in a 'Siamese Byzantine' style, the 4,500-seat auditorium was the second-largest in the United States at its opening. After decades of decline the theatre closed in 1978 and was restored by the Fox Associates beginning in 1981, reopening in 1982 as the centerpiece of Grand Center.
Joliet, IL
The Rialto Square Theatre opened May 24, 1926, designed by Chicago firm Rapp & Rapp for the six Rubens brothers. Its Neo-Baroque interior — modeled in part on the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles — earned it a place on the American Institute of Architects's '150 Great Places in Illinois' and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ashland, KY
The Paramount Arts Center opened September 5, 1931 in Ashland, Kentucky as one of the first movie palaces purpose-built for sound film. Designed by Rapp and Rapp, the theater closed in 1971 and was rescued from demolition by the Greater Ashland Foundation, reopening as a performing-arts center in 1972.