Haunted Stage

From its founding in 1856, Lorain County has been the scene of countless unexplained events and eerie sightings. What really happened down in Swift Hollow nearly a century ago? Just who is that man in the brown coat and hat lingering around the stage of the Lorain Palace Theatre? Who are the shadow people dancing in the light of the fire down in Smugglers Den? And what was the source of the screams that chased a North Ridgeville family from their home in the dead of night? Join local author Eric Defibaugh on a quest to answer these questions and more about Lorain County's ghostly history.

Many of Cleveland's dearly departed haunt the Forest City to this day. A spirit lingers in the ballroom, and a little girl cries on the third floor of Franklin Castle, the most haunted site in the city. The man in the green hat will not leave the stage at the Palace Theater. Chief Joc-O-Sot still wanders Erie Cemetery centuries after his death, unable to rest in his grave, while a phantom in full Civil War uniform paces inside the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Authors Beth A. Richards and Chuck L. Gove of Haunted Cleveland Ghost Tours share the chilling tales of the city's spectral past.

Talented entrepreneur Carl Laemmle led and won the fight against Thomas Edison's filming monopoly and built Universal City out of the dirt of Hollywood. He created a place of wonder and imagination, and now, decades later, Universal Studios is filled with rumors of ghosts. Frank Stites, an aviator killed while performing stunts during the grand opening celebrations in 1915, is said to still roam the backlot. Lon Chaney, a silent film actor, plagues sound stage no. 28, while Alfred Hitchcock haunts Steven Spielberg's office. Lucille Ball has been spotted more than once long after her death. Authors Brian Clune and Bob Davis explore the eerie and haunting history behind this entertaining façade.