HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
1889 Iowa County opera house with accounts of phantom cigar smoke, singing from an empty stage, and two figures said to remain from deaths within the building
139 High St, Mineral Point, WI 53565
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Event-based ticketing; pricing varies by performance — see mineralpointoperahouse.org for current schedule
Access
Limited Access
Historic 1889 building; multi-story with stairs; accessibility details not confirmed
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1889 · 1889–1890 Iowa County opera house in continuous use · Victorian-era performing arts venue in one of Wisconsin's oldest cities · Mineral Point's Cornish mining heritage and late 19th-century civic development
Mineral Point, platted in 1827 and one of Wisconsin's oldest communities, built its opera house in 1889–1890 during a period of civic investment in the city's downtown district. Situated on High Street in the heart of the commercial district, the building served as the primary venue for traveling theater companies, lectures, and community events in Iowa County throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The opera house at 139 High St retains its marble lobby floor, an architectural detail that stands out in accounts of the building's history. It has operated as a performing arts venue into the present day under the name Mineral Point Opera House, hosting concerts, community theater, and seasonal events. The building's continuous use has kept its Victorian-era interior largely intact.
Mineral Point itself carries a distinct identity among Wisconsin's historic communities: the city drew a significant population of Cornish miners during the lead-mining boom of the 1830s and 1840s, and Pendarvis — a collection of restored Cornish stone cottages — operates nearby as a Wisconsin Historical Society site. The opera house is a product of the city's later prosperity once the mining era had passed.
Sources
The paranormal accounts tied to the Mineral Point Opera House are anecdotal and appear primarily in Wisconsin haunted-places directories rather than in contemporaneous news coverage or official records. The accounts describe two distinct figures: a man reported to have died in his sleep while seated at his desk inside the building, and a second associated with a fall from the third-floor landing to the marble floor below — the latter reportedly still marked by a stain.
Witness accounts collected by local paranormal enthusiasts describe phantom cigar smoke appearing in areas of the building with no smokers present, unexplained singing heard from the stage when the auditorium is empty, and lights and camera equipment activating without apparent cause. The marble lobby floor figures in several of these accounts.
Neither death described in the folklore has been independently documented in newspaper archives or county records reviewed for this entry. The accounts are preserved in Wisconsin paranormal directories and passed through local oral tradition. The building continues to operate as a working theater, and the opera house does not appear to organize paranormal investigation events.
Visit the Mineral Point Opera House at 139 High St during public performances or events. The building retains most of its 1889 interior, including the marble floor of the lobby. Self-guided exterior viewing is possible; interior access is event-dependent.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Lake Charles, LA
ACTS Theatre is the only pre-WWII theatre structure still standing in Lake Charles. The building occupies a site marked by a 1952 fire death — William Portie, a neighborhood fixture known for selling candy from a basket to local children, died of smoke inhalation in an apartment above an adjacent grocery fire on April 21, 1952.
Sumter, SC
The Sumter Town Hall-Opera House was built in 1893 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style on N Main Street in downtown Sumter, South Carolina. The building survived a major fire, the aftershocks of the 1886 Charleston earthquake, and extended periods of disrepair before being restored. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to host performances.
Green Bay, WI
The Meyer Theatre opened in 1930 as one of Green Bay's premier entertainment venues, built in the Art Deco style during the height of the movie palace era. The building has operated continuously as a performance venue and anchors the city's Washington Street arts district.