A 1927 theater built on the site of the 1899 Grand Opera House, where a former theater manager is said to haunt the building and an old jukebox activates on its own in a cold hallway.
401 N 4th St, Wausau, WI 54403
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticketed performances; prices vary by event
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic downtown theater; main floor generally accessible
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1927 · National Register of Historic Places · Replaced the 1899 Grand Opera House · Wausau primary performing arts venue since 1927
The Grand Theater at 401 N 4th St in Wausau opened in November 1927 on the footprint of the 1899 Grand Opera House, the city's earlier premiere entertainment venue. The Grand Opera House had anchored Wausau's cultural life for nearly three decades before being replaced with the current structure.
The 1927 theater was designed in a style consistent with the atmospheric and picture palace theaters of the era, serving as both a movie house and live performance venue. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its architectural significance and its role in Wausau's cultural history. Wikipedia confirms the address at 401 N 4th St and the 1927 opening date.
The Grand Theater continues to operate as Marathon County's primary performing arts venue. It has hosted touring Broadway productions, concerts, and community events across its history. The building's operational continuity makes it one of the better-documented theaters in central Wisconsin's cultural record.
Sources
The Grand Theater's paranormal reputation centers on a former theater manager — identified only by role, not name, in available sources — who died more than a decade ago and is said to remain in the building. The Wausau tourism office documented the accounts, describing whispered voices and strange sounds captured during paranormal investigations of the building.
A specific detail sets the Grand Theater's story apart from generic theater hauntings: an old jukebox located in a cold hallway has been reported to activate without being triggered. The combination of temperature anomaly and object activation is a consistent pattern in the documented accounts. The Wausau Paranormal Research Society has included the theater on its ghost tour, indicating the reports have been treated as credible enough for organized investigation.
No public record naming the deceased manager or specifying the nature of his death was located in available sources. The accounts documented by Wausau's tourism office are institutional rather than individual — the city itself has chosen to include the Grand Theater in its official haunted history.
The Grand Theater Wausau is a named stop on the Wausau Paranormal Research Society's annual ghost tour. The tour covers the building's history and the reported haunting by a former theater manager.
A fully operational performing arts theater hosting concerts, Broadway touring shows, and community events in the 1927 building. The former manager's ghost is reported in backstage and hallway areas.
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.
Bangor, ME
The Bangor Opera House at 131 Main Street is the longtime home of Penobscot Theatre Company. The current building replaced an earlier opera house on the site that was destroyed by fire in 1914. Penobscot Theatre Company has operated out of the building since the late 1990s.
Tucson, AZ
The Fox Tucson Theatre opened on April 11, 1930, as a combined vaudeville and movie house. After closing in 1974 and standing vacant for 25 years, the building was purchased in 1999 by the non-profit Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation for $250,000 and reopened in 2006 following a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration.