This Haunted Oregon Theater and Pub Still Gives People the Creeps After Dark

I never thought a night at the movies could feel unsettling, but the Bagdad Theatre in Portland quickly changed my mind.

Opened in 1927, this ornate old gem has been dazzling audiences for almost a hundred years, yet its most talked-about performances supposedly happen long after the lights go down.

Whispers swirl among staff and regulars about footsteps pacing the halls when no one’s there, shadowy figures lingering in the balcony, and sudden cold drafts that have nothing to do with the AC.

Sitting in those plush seats, surrounded by glowing chandeliers and intricate details, it’s easy to feel like the past never really left. More than once, I caught myself glancing over my shoulder, convinced someone was watching from the wings.

The Bagdad is beautiful, no doubt, but there’s an edge to it, a presence that makes the experience feel slightly charged.

Maybe it’s just imagination, or maybe this historic theater really does have a few longtime guests who refuse to miss the show.

Either way, it’s not just the film giving you goosebumps.

The Mysterious Balcony Apparitions That Keep Appearing

Walking into the Bagdad Theatre at 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214, I couldn’t help but stare up at that gorgeous balcony. Staff members have told me they’ve seen shadowy figures moving between the seats up there when the theater is completely empty.

One usher described seeing what looked like a woman in vintage clothing just sitting there, watching the screen, before vanishing into thin air.

The balcony section dates back to the original 1927 construction, and something about those old velvet seats holds onto the past. Multiple visitors have reported feeling watched from above during movies, only to glance up and see nothing but empty rows.

Cold spots frequently appear in specific balcony seats, even when the heating system works perfectly everywhere else.

I sat up there myself during a screening, and honestly, the atmosphere felt different. The air seemed heavier, almost thick with history.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, that balcony definitely carries an energy that makes your neck hairs stand up at the strangest moments.

Phantom Footsteps Echo Through Empty Corridors

Late night employees at the Bagdad have shared some seriously creepy experiences with me. They describe hearing distinct footsteps walking through the corridors long after the last movie ends and every patron has left.

The sound echoes off the walls with a rhythm that suggests someone strolling leisurely, yet when staff members investigate, they find absolutely nobody there.

These phantom footsteps seem most active near the restrooms and backstage areas. One manager told me she heard what sounded like high heels clicking down the hallway, assuming a customer had stayed behind.

She called out but received only silence in response, and when she rounded the corner, the hallway stretched empty before her.

The building’s age contributes to its acoustic quirks, but staff insist these sounds are too consistent and deliberate to be explained by settling floors or temperature changes. I’ve heard recordings captured by curious employees, and honestly, they sound exactly like someone walking with purpose through those vintage halls, even though security cameras show nothing moving at all.

The Ghostly Figure That Appears On Screen

This phenomenon absolutely fascinates me because multiple people have witnessed it independently. During certain movies, a dark figure appears on the screen itself, moving across the projection in ways that don’t match the film playing.

The shadow looks humanoid, sometimes appearing to walk from one side of the screen to the other before disappearing completely.

Projection staff have checked the equipment repeatedly, finding no mechanical explanation for these occurrences. The figure doesn’t appear in every showing, making it impossible to predict or study systematically.

Some witnesses describe it as translucent, while others insist it appears solid and blocks portions of the movie momentarily.

I spoke with a projectionist who’s worked at the Bagdad for over a decade. He admitted seeing this shadow figure at least six times, always when running late night screenings.

The weirdest part? Security footage from the projection booth shows nobody entering or passing between the projector and screen.

This Oregon theater seems to have its own cast member that nobody hired, performing in shows without permission or explanation.

Unexplained Cold Spots That Defy Logic

Temperature anomalies happen throughout the Bagdad, but certain areas consistently feel twenty degrees colder than surrounding spaces. I experienced this firsthand near the downstairs restrooms, where I suddenly felt like I’d walked into a freezer despite the comfortable temperature everywhere else.

My arms broke out in goosebumps instantly, and I could almost see my breath in the air.

HVAC technicians have inspected the system multiple times, finding no mechanical issues that would explain these isolated cold zones. The spots move too, appearing in different locations throughout the building without any pattern.

One week the cold spot might hover near the concession stand, the next week it migrates to a specific seat in the theater.

Staff members use these cold spots as informal ghost detectors now. When someone reports feeling suddenly chilled in a specific area, others often confirm experiencing the same thing in that exact location.

The phenomenon happens year-round, even during hot Portland summers when the entire building should maintain consistent cooling.

Something in this historic venue clearly prefers cooler temperatures than the living patrons do.

Strange Whispers Heard Throughout The Building

Patrons and employees alike report hearing whispered conversations when nobody is nearby. These aren’t random sounds that could be mistaken for ventilation or street noise.

People describe hearing actual words, sometimes their own names being called softly from empty rooms or darkened corners of the theater.

I interviewed a bartender at the Backstage Bar who told me she frequently hears whispered discussions coming from the pool table area when she’s closing up alone. The voices sound conversational, like two people chatting quietly, but they stop abruptly when she approaches.

She’s learned to just acknowledge the sounds and continue her closing duties without investigating anymore.

The acoustics in a building this old can play tricks, bouncing sounds from the street or adjacent rooms in unexpected ways. However, multiple witnesses describe hearing these whispers in the middle of movies, during quiet dramatic scenes when ambient noise is minimal.

Some visitors report the whispers sounding urgent or distressed, while others describe them as casual, almost friendly.

Whatever causes these phantom voices, they’ve become such a regular occurrence that longtime staff barely react anymore when discussing them.

Electrical Malfunctions With No Explanation

The Bagdad’s electrical system seems to have a mind of its own, particularly those stunning chandeliers that dominate the main theater space. Lights flicker at odd moments, sometimes in response to specific scenes in movies or when staff members discuss the building’s haunted reputation.

Electricians have rewired sections multiple times, yet the problems persist in random patterns.

One particularly strange incident involved the sound system cutting out during a horror film, going completely silent for thirty seconds before roaring back to life at maximum volume. Technical staff found no loose connections or equipment failures that would explain the outage.

These malfunctions happen too frequently to be coincidental, yet too sporadically to diagnose properly.

I watched the lights dim and brighten rhythmically during my visit, almost like something was playing with the switches. The chandeliers would dim to near darkness, hold for several seconds, then gradually brighten back to normal illumination.

Staff members working that night just shrugged, telling me it happens all the time.

In Oregon, apparently even the electricity acknowledges the supernatural presence haunting this beautiful historic theater.

Objects Moving On Their Own

Small items throughout the Bagdad seem to relocate themselves when nobody’s looking. Staff members report placing cleaning supplies or equipment in specific locations, only to find them moved several feet away minutes later.

Keys disappear from hooks and reappear in completely different rooms. Programs stack themselves in neat piles overnight when they were left scattered across tables.

The Backstage Bar experiences particularly active poltergeist-like behavior. Bartenders describe pool balls rolling across tables when no game is in progress, and billiard cues falling from their racks without anyone nearby.

These incidents happen too frequently to be explained by vibrations from street traffic or uneven floors. One bartender told me he’s watched a glass slide six inches across the bar top, stop, then slide back to its original position.

I’m naturally skeptical about these claims, but the consistency of reports from different staff members over many years is compelling. People who’ve never met each other describe identical experiences with moving objects.

The building’s 1927 construction means it has plenty of quirks, but watching your belongings rearrange themselves definitely crosses into unexplainable territory that keeps this Portland landmark firmly on Oregon’s haunted location list.

The Inexplicable Smells That Come And Go

Phantom smells rank among the strangest paranormal phenomena, and the Bagdad Theatre experiences them regularly. Staff and patrons report sudden strong scents of old perfume, specifically described as floral and vintage, appearing in areas where no one is wearing fragrances.

The smell arrives abruptly, lingers for several minutes, then vanishes just as quickly without any logical source.

Other reported scents include tobacco smoke in areas where nobody has smoked for decades, and occasionally the smell of burning film, which terrifies staff members until they confirm no actual fire exists. These olfactory experiences happen in specific locations repeatedly, suggesting residual hauntings or impressions left by past events.

One usher told me she smells roses near the balcony stairs at least once a week, always in the exact same spot.

I didn’t personally experience any phantom smells during my visit, but enough people have reported them that I believe something unusual is happening. The human brain doesn’t typically hallucinate smells without cause, and when multiple unrelated people describe identical scents in the same locations, it suggests something beyond imagination.

These aromatic anomalies add another layer to the already impressive collection of haunted happenings at this historic Oregon venue.

The Building’s Dark History And Legends

Every haunted location needs a backstory, and the Bagdad Theatre delivers with nearly a century of history since opening in 1927. While I couldn’t verify any specific tragic deaths or dark events in the building’s past, the sheer number of people who’ve passed through these doors over decades creates an incredible amount of residual energy.

Thousands of emotions, experiences, and memories have soaked into these walls.

Local legends suggest various theories about who might haunt the theater. Some believe it’s a former projectionist who loved the building so much he never left.

Others think it’s a patron who died during a screening and chose to stay for eternal movie nights. A few people insist it’s actually multiple spirits, which would explain the variety of paranormal phenomena reported throughout different areas of the venue.

What I find most compelling is how the building’s current owners, McMenamins, embrace rather than hide the haunted reputation. They even offer historical tours that discuss the paranormal activity alongside the architectural details.

This Oregon theater has earned its place among the state’s most haunted locations, and honestly, I’m ready to catch another late show there tonight!