Rohs Opera House
The oldest operating theater in Kentucky may also be the most haunted venue in the Bluegrass State
Paranormal Activity at the Rohs Opera House
- The figure of a Lady in White is seen
- Disembodied voices and laughter are heard
- Doors shut and latch with no known cause
- Sounds of playful children are heard
- Ghostly footsteps walk the halls
- Unseen entities sit down beside people in the theater
- Eerie whistling is heard throughout
Cynthiana, Kentucky has a unique relationship with the dead. The town is actually the childhood home of Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead. And Cynthiana is proud of its history, with all the zombies and scary stories that entails. But while you can find multiple Walking Dead references around Cynthiana, there’s only one place in town where the dead truly walk.
Rohs Opera House has been a treasured community theater in Cynthiana for over 150 years. And these days, it’s also known as the most haunted building around. Visit at the right time, and you might encounter a few wayward souls still walking the halls.
Timeline of Rohs Opera House's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Rohs Opera House through the years
1871
First opened in 1871, the Rohs Opera House started life as the Aeolian Hall Music Association. At the time, the theater consisted of only a small, simple venue on the second floor of a downtown building. But two years later, enterprising local H.A. Rohs purchased the theater and renamed it the Rohs Opera House. Rohs’s stewardship helped the theater flourish in its early years.
The venue soon became a family business, with H.A.’s son, Karle, helping operate the theater as well.
1941
In 1941, a major renovation project came to the Rohs. The opera house had gone through many changes in the early 1900s. The Rohs family added silent movie projectors in the 1910s, before also accommodating ‘talkies’ into the 1930s. All these changes eventually required a total overhaul of the theater. A ‘new’ Rohs Opera House opened later in 1941.
This included a completely new main theater, with the original 1871 venue being shut away and used for storage. The modernized venue was a hit in Cynthiana…at first.
1980
Through the late 1900s, the Rohs struggled for business. Modern theaters became more attractive to moviegoers, while fewer people went to live performances. Through the 1970s and 80s, the Rohs went through a variety of owners and names, including Downtown Theater and Studio Cinema. It also closed down regularly in this era.
It wasn’t until the early 1990s when both the historic name, and the old business’s stability, returned.
1990
Restarted in the 1990s as the New Rohs Opera House, the Rohs began a slow return to its historic success. New operators arrived in 2006, and since then have refurbished and reopened as many interior spaces as possible. Along with the large main theater, the original 1871 venue was reopened as a community room.
But as modern owners have restored and preserved the Rohs’ history, they may have also stirred up a few historic hauntings.
Is the Rohs Opera House Haunted?
Many theaters have tales of shadowy ladies still wandering the aisles and corridors. But few ghostly theatergoers are encountered as often as the Lady in White at the Rohs Opera House. The mysterious woman’s white-clad figure has been seen wandering around the building for years.
Still today, visitors and staff may have a run-in with her at any time of day, and just about anywhere in the building. But though the Lady in White roams all around the Rohs, she has a few well-known hotspots.
Kentucky’s Lady in White Ghost
The Lady in White’s figure is said to frequently manifest on the main staircase, only to walk a few steps and then disappear. Staff also see her in the hall leading to the balcony seats, as she heads into the theater for a show.
The balcony seats are often still closed to the public. So the Lady in White causes a stir when she barges through to get a balcony seat anyway. Staff sometimes follow this mysterious woman to lead her to the theater’s general seating, only to watch her vanish when they get close.
Rohs Opera House’s Friendly Younger Ghost
Though the Lady in White is the most famous phantom at the Rohs Opera House, the main auditorium is frequently alive with other kinds of activity. An unknown child’s spirit purportedly runs around and plays in the main theater, usually around one of the side stage doors.
Along with a playful young boy’s ghost, another unseen entity likes sneaking into the aisles to sit down beside visitors. Mysterious disembodied footsteps are also reported around the stage and nearby halls. Though they’re noticed less often since carpeting was installed.
Otherworldly Whistling in this Famous Kentucky Theater
A curious, haunting whistling can sometimes break the quiet air around the Rohs Opera House. Most of the time, the ghostly whistling is only a random note or two. But some staff members report entire songs being whistled through the building by some strange, unseen entity.
And whenever they’re not whistling while they wander, the ghosts of the Rohs Opera House laugh and talk amongst themselves. These phantom laughs and disembodied voices are now some of the most common paranormal claims in the theater.
Ghosts in the Original Rohs Theater Space
The Rohs Opera House’s original theater, now the community room, is also notorious for hauntings. Disembodied footsteps frequently echo throughout this area. Some visitors also report unexplainable eerie feelings that disappear the moment they leave. The original theater spaces are now some of the favorite explorations of Kentucky ghost hunters.
But some who saunter through the original theater have a hard time leaving. This is because the ghosts seem to enjoy trapping ghost hunters in the original 1871 balcony. They will slam the doors, latch them, and even completely unscrew the door knob. All just to give visitors a memorable startle.
Visit Haunted Rohs Opera House in Kentucky
As the oldest operating theater in Kentucky, the Rohs Opera House has a grand reputation to uphold. And the historic venue’s hauntings do everything they can to help support the cause. The Rohs hosts numerous performances throughout the year and shows movies regularly. But the ghost stories remain a popular attraction by themselves.
While not a usual offering, the Rohs does open its doors to ghost hunters when their schedule allows. Any interested explorer can reach out to their offices and inquire about availability. If there are no shows or movies on the schedule, you might get the chance to experience the next Rohs ghost story. Just don’t let yourself get locked in the balcony seats.
