El Paso's longest-running community theater, housed in a century-old former church on Montana Avenue and reportedly haunted by a technician killed during a long-ago performance.
2501 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX 79903
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Community-theater ticket prices vary by production; check the season page for current shows.
Access
Limited Access
Century-old former-church building with historic wood stairs and limited accessibility; contact the theater for accommodations.
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1925 · El Paso's longest-running community theater company (founded 1963) · Former church structure converted to performing arts use · Founding patronage of William Kastrin · Continuing community-theater programming for 60+ years
The El Paso Playhouse is El Paso's longest-running community theater company, founded in 1963 and originally known as the Festival Theater. Since its founding, the company has operated out of the building at 2501 Montana Avenue, which served as a church before its conversion into a theater approximately five decades ago. The structure itself is reported to be more than a century old, predating the Playhouse's occupancy by many decades.
Local businessman William Kastrin provided the original financing that allowed the company to acquire and outfit the property, an act of patronage credited in the Playhouse's official history. The company has maintained continuous community-theater programming at the location since 1963, with a season of plays, musicals and special programming including a Halloween-season tradition of horror-themed productions.
The Playhouse's current programming includes its 2025-2026 season under continuing community-theater operation. The building's wooden stairs, balcony spaces, and converted-church interior are among its distinctive features, and the venue is recognized in El Paso heritage and arts coverage as a long-standing cultural institution in the Kern Place / Montana Avenue corridor.
Sources
According to KISS El Paso's 'Haunted El Paso' series and Haunted Rooms America, the most commonly cited resident spirit at the El Paso Playhouse is a technician believed to have died in an accident during a performance in the theater's early years. The accident is not documented in a single newspaper archive cited by the sources but is the consistent in-house explanation across multiple retellings.
In 2011, Paranormal Science of El Paso conducted an investigation at the Playhouse and reportedly captured electronic voice phenomena (EVPs). Staff describe whispering near the concession area and spotlight booth, the unexplained sound of toilets flushing when restrooms are empty, footsteps echoing on the wooden stairs at night, and the experience of being laughed at by an unseen presence — an account specifically attributed to technical director Christine Ambriz, who reported the laughter while working alone on a ladder late one night.
Apple Polishing media coverage in 2022 and ongoing KISS El Paso reporting describe the Playhouse as a long-recognized haunted location in El Paso. Other reported entities include a shadow figure, a female presence upstairs near the lighting and sound booth, two children believed to be tied to the nearby train tracks, and an apparition believed to be an actor from many years past.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Catch one of the El Paso Playhouse's community theater productions in the century-old former-church building on Montana Avenue. The 2025-2026 season includes a regular roster of plays and musicals.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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