Texarkana's 1924 Italian Renaissance theater — the Saenger chain's 'Gateway to the Southwest' — offers annual TRAHC ghost tours through halls where staff report phantom applause from an empty house.
221 Main St, Texarkana, TX 75501
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Annual Halloween ghost tours $12 in advance / $15 at door. Performance ticket prices vary; see website.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic theater with accessible entrances; interior stairs to upper seating levels
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1924 · National Register of Historic Places · Texas State Landmark · Saenger Theatre Chain (1924) · Italian Renaissance Architecture · Library of Congress Documented
The Saenger Amusement Company built the theater and opened it on November 18, 1924, marketing it as the 'Gateway to the Southwest.' Architect Emil Weil designed the house in Italian Renaissance style; the ornamental plasterwork, painted ceiling, and detailed proscenium arch have been preserved through successive restoration campaigns. The Saenger hosted live vaudeville, stage productions, and silent films in its early years; performers including Will Rogers, Annie Oakley, and Douglas Fairbanks appeared on its stage.
The Paramount chain acquired the theater in 1931, and it operated as a first-run movie house through mid-century before closing in 1977. A $2.5 million restoration between 1979 and 1980 returned the building to live performance use. The restoration earned the theater a listing on the National Register of Historic Places and Texas State Landmark designation. It was subsequently named for Ross Perot, the Texas billionaire, whose family had supported local arts efforts.
The Library of Congress holds photographs of the theater's interior and exterior by Carol M. Highsmith, taken in 2014. Since 1980, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council has operated the Perot as the region's primary performing arts venue.
Sources
The theater's paranormal accounts have accumulated through decades of staff experience and late-night productions. The most frequently reported phenomenon is phantom applause: the sound of a full audience clapping in an auditorium where no audience sits. Staff who have worked late shifts in the building describe hearing this from the wings or backstage corridors.
Separate accounts describe whispering voices that sound like actors reading through scripts in the backstage areas, and the swishing of costumes and footsteps from empty dressing room corridors. Multiple staff members have reported the sensation of being watched while working alone in the basement or the tunnel areas beneath the stage.
The most specific visual accounts involve what appear to be two children — a small boy and a girl — seen playing hide-and-seek in the wings. At least one account, documented in secondary paranormal sources, describes a crew member following what appeared to be a real person through the backstage area, only to watch the figure walk directly through a wall. The Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council has formalized the theater's reputation through annual Halloween ghost tours, led by guides, storytellers, and theater staff, that walk participants through the dark interior including the basement.
Notable Entities
Seasonal Halloween ghost tours presented by the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council (TRAHC). Guides, storytellers, and Perot Theatre staff lead participants through the darkened hallways, rooms, basement, and stage areas. Visitors may bring personal paranormal equipment and flashlights.
The Perot hosts touring productions, concerts, ballet, and community performances year-round in its restored Italian Renaissance auditorium with original ornamental plasterwork and proscenium arch.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Texarkana, TX
The Perot Theatre opened November 18, 1924, as the Saenger Amusement Company's Texarkana flagship, designed by architect Emil Weil in Italian Renaissance style. After restoration in 1979-80, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Texas State Landmark. It is operated by the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council.
Nacogdoches, TX
The Griffith Fine Arts Building houses the W.M. Turner Auditorium, named for Dean William M. Turner who led the SFA College of Fine Arts from 1965 to 1978. The building underwent a major renovation and expansion from 2020 to 2023, reopening with updated acoustics and technical facilities as part of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts.
Paris, TX
Built in 1927 in Art Deco style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building now operating as the Paris Community Theatre began its life as the Plaza Theatre. It has anchored the northeast corner of the Paris town square for nearly a century and remains an active performing arts venue.