Guided Tour Booking Required
Touring Show or Concert
Attend a Broadway tour, concert, or comedy show in the 2,264-seat atmospheric auditorium with its star-and-cloud ceiling.
- Duration:
- 2.5 hr
Photo coming soon
Theater / Performance Venue
Majestic Theatre
John Eberson's 1929 atmospheric movie palace, a National Historic Landmark, hosts performances by day and ghosts by night — from a vaudeville-era magician to phantom ballerinas.
224 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 3sources
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticket prices vary by show; lobby tours occasionally available through ATG.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Accessible seating available; historic building with some narrow access points.
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1929 · Opened June 14, 1929 — John Eberson's flagship atmospheric movie palace in Texas · First fully air-conditioned theater in Texas · National Register of Historic Places (1975); National Historic Landmark (1993) · Home of the San Antonio Symphony 1989-2014 · Operated by Ambassador Theatre Group
The Majestic Theatre opened on June 14, 1929, at 224 East Houston Street in downtown San Antonio. It was designed by John Eberson, the leading architect of the 'atmospheric' theater style, in which auditoriums are decorated to evoke an outdoor scene under a domed plaster sky lit with projected clouds and stars. The Majestic's auditorium is styled as a Mediterranean village courtyard, and the constellations on its ceiling were laid out with reference to National Geographic Society star charts.
Commissioned by Karl Hoblitzelle for the Interstate Theatres circuit, the Majestic was the first theater in Texas to be fully air-conditioned — a powerful selling point in the late-1920s Texas summer. With 2,264 seats, it was for several decades the largest movie palace in the state.
The theater declined with the rise of suburban multiplexes and was nearly demolished in the late 1980s before being rescued and restored by Las Casas Foundation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark on April 19, 1993.
The Majestic housed the San Antonio Symphony from 1989 to 2014 and has since served primarily as a touring Broadway and concert venue. It is currently operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and is paired with the adjacent Charline McCombs Empire Theatre under the 'Majestic Empire' management umbrella.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majestic_Theatre_(San_Antonio)
- https://ghostcitytours.com/san-antonio/haunted-places/majestic-theatre/
- https://www.majesticempire.com/
Apparition of 'Zoroastro' the vaudeville magician near the stagePhantom ballerinas in upper boxes and corridorsWoman in period dress on the marquee levelDisembodied footsteps in empty corridorsSense of being watched from the balcony
According to Ghost City Tours and US Ghost Adventures, the most-named entity at the Majestic is the spirit of a stage magician who performed during the theater's vaudeville era and is remembered locally as 'Zoroastro.' Tour operators report sightings of a tuxedoed man near the stage and in the wings, sometimes accompanied by sudden cold drafts. Reports of phantom ballerinas — sometimes described as a small troupe glimpsed in the upper boxes or rehearsal corridors — have circulated for decades.
The building above the theater contains apartments, and according to local press and tour-operator accounts, a woman fell to her death from an upper-floor apartment window onto the marquee in the modern era; the date most commonly cited is 2004. Some tour operators link subsequent reports of a woman in period dress on the marquee level to this incident. The fall is referenced in multiple San Antonio ghost-tour sources but is not detailed in the theater's official history; primary news documentation of the year and floor remains thin.
Additional reports include disembodied footsteps in empty corridors, doors closing in the rehearsal hall, and a sense of being watched from the upper balcony when the house lights are down. Like most historic-theater hauntings, claims here are experiential and tour-collected rather than independently verified.
Notable Entities
ZoroastroThe phantom ballerinasThe woman on the marquee
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Majestic Theatre family-friendly?
Family-friendly performing-arts venue. Ghost lore is folkloric and not part of the show; no overnight access. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Majestic Theatre?
Ticket prices vary by show; lobby tours occasionally available through ATG.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, reservations are required.
Is Majestic Theatre wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Majestic Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Accessible seating available; historic building with some narrow access points..