Ghostly guests at the Orpheum Theater

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - With Halloween just days away it is that time of the year for scary ghost stories, and there's an old theater in downtown Phoenix chalked full of them.

The Orpheum Theater was originally built in 1929 and underwent a huge restoration between 1986 and 1997. Many people have reported spooky activity at the theater, so FOX 10 joined in on a new, special tour hoping to have a brush with the supernatural.

The Orpheum Theater is a stunning landmark, beautifully restored to it's 20's gilded glory. But not everything inside is so pretty and bright. In fact many say the place is haunted by ghosts.

Joe Atredies is the guide on the tour, which gives an hour long glimpse into the building and its haunted history. The first step is the second story office of the original owner Harry Nace. He died mysteriously from two gunshots; now he's said to haunt this very room.

"Some people have heard male voices call out to them and talk to them, and even call out their name which is probably the creepiest thing you can get," said Joe Atredies.

In the theaters balcony, some have seen a ghost named "Maddie." She's interrupted shows, hit patrons on the head, and even been captured in snapshots.

It's not just humans haunting the theater, a resident cat from the 1920's still lingers too. "In the early 2000's people were reporting that they would hear a cat moving around purring and that sort of thing above their heads, and it's where no cat really has a place to stand," said Atredies.

If the ghosts seem shy on your Halloween Tour wait for the haunting pipe organ, it just may summon the spirits and at the very least send chills down your spine.

Tours start October 28 and run through Halloween Night. They are 1 hour and $30/person. The tour benefits "Friends of Orpheum," an organization that brings kids to the theater, provides assistance devices for the hearing impaired at shows, and helps maintain the building.