Perched on the corner of Capitol Boulevard and Main Street in the heart of downtown Boise, Idaho, the Egyptian Theatre has been captivating audiences since 1927. Modeled after the newly discovered tomb of King Tutankhamun and decorated from floor to ceiling with hieroglyphs taken directly from the ancient Book of the Dead, this grand movie palace was practically built to be haunted. Today it operates as a beloved performing arts venue and historic landmark — but many believe something from the past never left the projection booth.

In this episode, Pat and Rebecca explore the history and hauntings of the Egyptian Theatre, widely considered the most haunted building in Boise.

By the early 1920s, Boise had outgrown its rowdy frontier image and was eager to establish itself as a city of culture and refinement. Local businessman Leo Falk saw an opportunity and commissioned prominent Boise architect Frederick C. Hummel of the firm Tourtellotte & Hummel to design a grand picture palace. The timing was perfect — the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb had set off an Egyptian revival craze across the country, and Falk embraced it fully. The result was a stunning 850-seat theater decorated with lotus bud pillars, gilded scarabs, sphinxes, and murals copied from the Book of the Dead.

The Egyptian Theatre opened on April 19, 1927 with a showing of John Barrymore’s silent film Don Juan, accompanied by the theater’s original Robert-Morton pipe organ — which still stands beside the stage today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, narrowly escaping demolition during Boise’s urban renewal era thanks to an anonymous donor and later the preservation efforts of businessman Earl Hardy. A full restoration was completed in 1999, returning the theater to its original Egyptian glory.

Today the Egyptian is the last remaining single-screen downtown theater in Boise and one of the few surviving movie palaces from the silent film era in the entire country.

Visitors, staff, and paranormal investigators have reported decades of unexplained activity throughout the theater.

The most well-known spirit at the Egyptian is believed to be a former projectionist named Joe, who worked at the theater from the late 1920s until he suffered a fatal heart attack on the stairs leading to the projection booth in the 1950s. Staff and visitors regularly report doors opening and closing on their own, lights flickering or switching on and off, strange sounds, and unexplained aromas drifting through the auditorium.

During a formal paranormal investigation, a researcher standing on the stage looked up toward the projection booth and saw the dark silhouette of a man staring down at him. When he went to check, the door was locked — and no one on the team had a key. Back on the stage, a detection device showed the distinct outline of a man standing directly beside him. The same investigation also captured a disembodied laugh and multiple reports of being touched on the shoulder.

A former theater manager recounted that she and friends used a Ouija board in the hallway after closing. The moment they began, the planchette shot to “no” — and the projection room door slammed shut as every light in the building went out. Years later, her daughter visited the same hallway and watched her drink tip over on its own with no explanation.

On November 27, 2016, during a Brothers Osborne concert, a large piece of the theater’s ceiling crumbled and crashed onto the stage, narrowly missing the band. It happened a second time that same night. The theater had been fully restored just years before, and no structural cause was identified.

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Music for this episode was performed by Michael Rivers

“Pat Facts” and “Ghost Story” themes by Mondo

“Time for a Debate” theme by Gail Gallagher — gailgallaghermusic.com