Renaissance Revival 1921 vaudeville and movie palace on Dallas's historic Theater Row; the first Dallas building listed on the National Register, long associated with founder Karl Hoblitzelle's lingering presence.
1925 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75201
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by event; the theater is a public performing-arts venue operated by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Restored vaudeville-era movie palace with accessible main floors
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1921 · National Register of Historic Places (1977 — first Dallas building listed) · Renaissance Revival Architecture · John Eberson, architect · Karl Hoblitzelle / Interstate Amusement Company flagship · Dallas's historic Theater Row
The Majestic Theatre opened on April 11, 1921 along Elm Street in downtown Dallas's historic theater district. The five-story Renaissance Revival building was designed by John Eberson — the architect best known for popularizing the 'atmospheric' theater style — and was built as the flagship venue of Karl Hoblitzelle's Interstate Amusement Company chain of vaudeville and movie houses.
Karl Hoblitzelle (d. 1967) was a major figure in early-twentieth-century American entertainment. He directed the design of the Dallas Majestic personally and kept a fifth-floor office in the building for years. The theater hosted vaudeville performances by Mae West, Houdini, and the Marx Brothers before transitioning to movies, and later closed in 1973.
In 1977 the Majestic became the first building in Dallas listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After a major restoration the theater reopened in 1983 as the city's primary performing-arts venue, used today for musicals, dance, concerts, and dramatic productions under the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
The theater is one of the most-covered haunted venues in Dallas, featured in CandysDirt, CultureMap, and the Wikipedia article on the building.
Sources
The Majestic's signature ghost is Karl Hoblitzelle himself. According to CandysDirt's 2024 feature on Dallas's eeriest historic buildings, Dallas Terrors, and the CultureMap 'Famous Ghosts of Dallas' list, staff have for decades attributed unexplained phenomena at the theater to its founder, who died in 1967. The most-cited account is a single light above one balcony seat that turns itself on overnight, which the theater interprets as Karl reserving a seat for the next performance — a request staff honor by leaving that seat unsold.
Maintenance and stage staff describe doors that are locked at close found unlocked or open by morning, unexplained chills (particularly on the fifth floor where Hoblitzelle's office once was), and the sound of footsteps in empty corridors. Stage technicians have reported backdrops and scenery shifting on their own, props vanishing and reappearing, and at times the smell of food cooking with no kitchen in operation.
The Wikipedia entry on the theater notes the haunted reputation but does not record any specific deaths at the property; the underlying historical anchor for the lore is simply Hoblitzelle's long personal investment in the building. Coverage is consistent across CandysDirt, CultureMap, and Dallas Terrors.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Catch a performance at the Majestic. Backstage and front-of-house lore attributes activity to founder Karl Hoblitzelle, including a single balcony light that turns on by itself — interpreted by staff as Karl reserving his seat, a request the theater honors.
The restored Renaissance Revival facade on Elm Street fronts the city's historic Theater Row and is best appreciated at street level.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Austin, TX
The Millett Opera House opened on October 28, 1878 as an 800-seat opera house built by Austin lumber merchant Charles F. Millett to a design by Italian-born architect Frederick Ruffini. At the time of its opening it housed the largest enclosed performance space in Texas. The building has been the home of The Austin Club, a private social club, since 1981 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Birmingham, AL
The Lyric Theatre opened in January 1914 as a B.F. Keith vaudeville house in downtown Birmingham. Designed specifically for vaudeville acoustics, it seated approximately 1,500 patrons and was notable as one of the first Southern theaters to admit Black and white audiences to the same performance — though with the segregated seating typical of the era. The theater closed in the late 20th century and underwent an extensive restoration that culminated in its January 2016 reopening as a live-performance venue, operated by Birmingham Landmarks, Inc.
El Paso, TX
The Plaza Theatre opened September 12, 1930 on Pioneer Plaza in downtown El Paso. Developer Louis L. Dent commissioned the Spanish Colonial Revival movie palace in 1927, and the inaugural night drew a crowd of 2,410. Its lavish interior was designed to evoke 'the fabled beauty of Old Spain and the charm of Old Mexico.' After decades of decline, the theatre was extensively restored and reopened as a performing-arts venue, now home to the Plaza Classic Film Festival and a wide range of touring performances.