The Haunted Music Hall
On this Halloween, I thought it would be cool to take a look at the Haunted Music Hall of Cincinnati. Opened in the 1870s, the Cincinnati Music Hall has been a major contributor to the artistic development of the city for almost a century and a half!
But ask the people who work there, and they will tell you it’s not only music they hear late at night...
During renovations to the building in 1927, workers digging a connecting tunnel unearthed 3 coffins! One of the coffins contained the remains of George Pollack, a Scottish immigrant who lost his life at the age of 52.
It turns out the Music Hall was constructed on top of an old Potter’s Field -- a commoner’s cemetery for poor immigrants who could not afford proper burials.
Today, guests can hear more than music in the late hours of the night. After the concert lights have dimmed, mysterious things begin to happen in the Hall. Famed conductor and music director of the Cincinnati Pops, Erich Kunzel, spent many late evenings in the halls programming music and making arrangements. He once told someone, “They are definitely in this building, some sort of spirits. If anybody thinks I'm nuts, come here at 3:00 in the morning, 4:00 in the morning.”
Another employee tells the tale of bringing his young son to the stage of the Music Hall:
[The boy] all of the sudden he looked over and said ''Daddy, who's that man in the box?'' That was (then Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Music Director) Jesus Lopez-Cobos' box, which is box 9, and his father Tom said, ''There's nobody in the box, Charlie.'' ''Yes there is. He's waving at me right now.'' And so with that, they packed up and left very quickly.
If you’re interested in learning more, perhaps you can muster the courage to take one of the ghost tours offered by The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall.
To learn more, visit their site: http://www.spmhcincinnati.org/
Source:
“Is Music Hall Haunted?” The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall http://www.spmhcincinnati.org/history/features-of-music-hall/is-music-hall-haunted/
