(Part 1) Our Visit to the Haunted Coleman Theater at Miami, Oklahoma

Would you like to enjoy a paranormal experience while taking in some exquisitely beautiful architecture? Then follow our lead and see the Coleman Theater. We visited with the intention of enjoying the architecture... we left with chills! If you're looking for haunted places in Oklahoma, where you can have a real and personal ghostly experience, this is one of the free and nice places you can go!

OUR HAUNTED OKLAHOMA THEATER TOUR BEGINS

The weather was gorgeous on Saturday, August 29th 2009. My husband and I decided to spend a little time together and drive our motorcycles to some nearby tourist hotspots and have a look around. (Yes, you heard right, I am a lady driver, not rider.) The temperature was perfect and, although there were quite a few clouds, not a drop of rain fell upon us.

We decided to travel to Miami, Oklahoma as our first stop on our little excursion, with the first destination being the historic Coleman Theater. We heard rumors that the theater was haunted, and one of the most famous haunted locations in Oklahoma. I had always heard of the theater, and had even passed by it a few times during my life, but I had never stopped nor been inside. My husband also had never been to the theater. Since tours were held for only a couple of hours on this date, we decided that making it our first stop would be the best choice. In addition, Coleman Theater was featured on a "Haunted Places in America" television show, and we thought, why not go and see how "haunted" the theater is for ourselves!

OUR ARRIVAL TO THE HAUNTED THEATER LOCATION

When we arrived at the so-called haunted theater, only one other car was parked outside. We entered the Coleman Theater via the front door and was greeted by a kind woman, who was manning the concession stand. She welcomed us to the Coleman Theater and asked if we had come for a tour. Theater tours are given on a walk-in basis, so thankfully no reservations were necessary. A gentleman also welcomed us and gave us a paper listing the various shows that would take place in the next few months. The Coleman theater is in regular use today and hosts many different types of broadway plays, movies, silent films, music festivals, and so forth.

It didn't seem like the Coleman was a haunted theater at all when we first looked around, although the architecture is really old and makes you wonder. The interior of this building is awe-inspiring at the least, and breath-taking at the most. A truly magnificent work of art, with ornate detailing in every corner. It reminds me of the exquisite entertainment halls often showcased on movies about the 16th or 17th centuries, where nobility would go to see plays or hear songs. Looking at the outside of the building (although it is beautiful too), one would never guess that such a masterpiece lies within.

FIRST HAUNTED EXPERIENCE/SPOOKY EXPERIENCE IN COLEMAN THEATER

We were introduced to the photograph of Mr. George Coleman, who was the founder and financing agent of the Coleman Theater. It is a spooky picture, in which the eyes and the body of the gentleman seems to follow you as you move all the way around it. I took a video of this phenomenon, and interestingly enough, the eyes followed in the video too! We're sure its just a trick of the lighting/painting or some sort of other technology, but it is weird all the same.

After a few minutes we were instructed to go through the auditorium, onto and behind the stage, and all the way down to the basement. Since this was our first visit to theColeman theater the gentleman showed us the way. Little did we know the paranormal experience that would soon follow! Strange things started happening, and hair-raising experiences were one after the other. Is the Coleman a haunted theater? We were soon going to find out!

HAUNTED GREEN ROOM AT THE COLEMAN THEATER

In the basement of the Coleman Theater we found another gentleman, our tour guide, talking with a couple of women who were from Fayetteville. This basement serves as the green room. The tour guide told us that the term "green room" began when gas lights were used instead of electricity. Apparently the waiting areas behind the stage, where actors and actresses would patiently await their turn, was both painted green (because of techical color spectrum reasons that he explained but I can't remember) and also the gas lights gave off a greenish tone. They would sit in this room in order to allow their eyes to adjust to the high, bright lights before going on the stage. Thus, because of the gas light hues and the paint these waiting areas for all theaters everywhere were called "green rooms." Once electricity came into use, the green paint or green hues of the gas lights were rarely found, but the name "green room" had stuck and remains today. Our tour guide told us that when visitors from other countries come to see the Coleman theater, they do not understand what a "green room" is, because it is essentially an American term.

While we sat in this theater green room my husband's legs from the knees down started to feel very, very cold. He did not tell me this at the time, but did later on after we had returned home. During this same period of time my right leg felt slightly chilled while my left one did not. I was holding the camera and taking pictures of this room. Then the tour guide told us of a ghost named Stuart, who is a little boy about the age of eight or nine. He said that if it feels like we just stepped into a deep freeze while we are walking around in the Coleman theater, do not be alarmed, it is more than likely just Stuart wrapping his little arms around us to give us a hug. He also said that Stuart tends to attach himself to the ladies, especially kind hearted ones, and follow them around the theater. Sometimes Stuart has flicked at ladies earrings or tapped them gently. I looked at my husband, he looked at me, and we grinned knowingly. I took some pictures of my cold leg, just in case something showed up on the film when we got home. It seemed very strange that the deep freeze feeling on our legs went away as soon as we moved from the position. Is the Coleman Theater a haunted place in Oklahoma? We were quickly being convinced!

MORE HAUNTED EXPERIENCES IN THE COLEMAN THEATER

Another couple joined the Coleman theater tour at this point. We all sat together chatting in the green room.

While attempting to take pictures of the green room area, all of them for some reason turned out very, very fuzzy. And this fuzziness had no explanation whatsoever! Even when I tried to hold the camera very still and positioned, the pictures still looked like a big blurr. I have posted these blurry pictures in my slideshow of the coleman theater, for you to see for yourself. I heard (or maybe read somewhere) that some ghosts will mess with your digital equipment and either totally drain the batteries or make the pictures a massive blur. Strange, don't you think?

OUR OKLAHOMA HAUNTED THEATER TOUR CONTINUES

After this point we were taken into the props room behind the green room, where molds are made and various items are stored. Our tour guide made some jokes, saying that this room was the "most haunted room in the theater". He informed us that the Coleman Theater can no longer give official "haunted" tours due to insurance reasons. We took some pictures of a stuffed red velvet hooded phantom with bouncy arms. Other guests used it as a photo op. In the back of this room there is a red rust colored liquid running down the walls. The guide said that there is an artesian spring that runs right behind this wall, and the water seeps through and brings with it the promotion of rust. Makes for a very unusual backdrop for our would-be haunted theater tour!

My husband was standing by a back wall when he said, "Honey, take a picture of me right here. Right here. Quick." He stood very, very still while I snapped a few shots around his body and head. After doing so he told me to feel of his lower arms. Both were as cold as ice, but only on the lower arm parts. He said that the sensation came over him suddenly, as if he stuck his forearms down into a vat of cold ice water. When I touched his arm, my hand and arm got cold too. When we left the room, our arms warmed right back up. I heard on a number of haunted experiences TV shows that if you feel cold like that chances are there is a ghost right there.

HAUNTED OKLAHOMA THEATER ENTERTAINS TOUR GUESTS WITH AMAZING MUSIC

We were then ushered back to the stage, where our Coleman theater tour guide treated us to the magnificent sounds of the fully restored Wurlitzer pipe organ. What a great accompanyment to our haunted Oklahoma experience! A magnificent musical instrument, the pipes are strategically hidden behind the box seat curtains. The sound of this pipe organ playing was, by far, the most soul-inspiring sound I have ever heard in my whole life. The organ is strictly off limits to everyone other than a professional, master organist. Otherwise, it is played with the help of a computer, which was the case during our visit. Renditions from The Phantom of the Opera were played for us. The pipes only missed two notes, in the mid-range octave. I took videos of the music playing, the curtains bellowing from the pipe organ's expulsion of air, and the blinking organ keyboard. The music heard in the video, however, does not do any justice at all to the sheer grandeur of the live performance.

NOTHING BEATS A GOOD, REAL-LIFE GHOST STORY WHILE TOURING A HAUNTED LOCATION!

After the music was finished, the women from Fayetteville left the tour, but the other young couple stayed behind. They were from a small town in Missouri and shared with us some personal experiences with strange, unexplained, seemingly paranormal activities. I took two video shoots of them telling their stories. If you would like to hear these stories for yourself, click on my profile picture, then on the right center side of my contributor's page do a search for "Coleman". Not only will you get the direct links to these videos, but you'll see lots of pictures too, including a few that just might be real orbs!

OUR HAUNTED TOUR CONTINUES - THE GOLDEN GOOD LUCK STATUE

Our tour guide then took us back out into the lobby area, talked about the history of the Golden Statue (also known as "Our Lady of the Light"), and its historic significance. Apparently it has been a tradition since the theater's opening night to always come and touch the golden statue for good luck in numerous things.

After a quick touch to the base of the statue, we were taken to the second floor of the Coleman Theater. Here we found some original restroom areas, which included indoor plumbing - a marvelous feat in the 1920's that was reserved only for the upper crust of society. There were numerous sitting areas, which we were told were often used by guests as they waited for their friends or loved ones to come out of the restrooms during intermission periods. We can only imagine what it must have been like to visit the Coleman theater in those days.

BALCONY OF THE HAUNTED COLEMAN THEATER

Next we were ushered into the balcony area, which has doors on both sides of the second floor. Interestingly enough, every single seat inside the Coleman theater provides you with a perfect view of the stage below, even if you are sitting in the very top row! We gaze upward at the 1-Ton antique chandellier as our tour guide tells us about the pain-staking efforts involved in restoring it. He changes the colors of the lighting for us as we look on with amazement. I took a video of the changing lights as well, which you can also see by doing the search mentioned above.

We had many more experiences during our haunted places in Oklahoma visit, so feel free to read part 2 of this trip. My fingers are tired from typing tonight, so I will end this account here. Also, I have posted our pictures and videos from the Coleman Theater here on Associated Content.

Source:

Personal experiences while visiting the coleman theater, a haunted places in Oklahoma destination.

PS... Here is part 2 of this story. Things get dark and creepy from here on in!:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2136933/part_2_our_visit_to_the_haunted_coleman.html?cat=16