Liberty Theatre

Built in 1925 in downtown Astoria, this theater once welcomed Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, and Al Capone. Today it hosts performing arts — and paranormal investigation nights.

On December 8, 1922, a devastating fire destroyed over 200 establishments across nearly thirty blocks of downtown Astoria, gutting the heart of what was then Oregon's second-largest city. From those ashes rose the Liberty Theatre, opening its doors on April 4, 1925, as both an entertainment venue and a symbol of the city's determination to rebuild. Designed in Italian Renaissance style, the theater was part of the larger Astoria Building complex that included offices, shops, and dance studios. Local artist Joseph Knowles painted twelve mural-style oil-on-canvas works depicting Venetian canal scenes for the interior, and a Wurlitzer organ was installed for accompaniment, with Portland resident Heri A. Keates performing at the opening night screening of Harold Lloyd's comedy "Hot Water." In its heyday, the Liberty hosted Jack Benny, Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington, and even drew the attention of Al Capone.

The theater sits atop a vast underground network spanning nearly two square city blocks beneath the streets of Astoria. These tunnels, remnants of the city's waterfront commerce and smuggling history, were featured on the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, when Zak Bagans and his team entered through a lower-level door of the theater to investigate the passages that run beneath the town. The underground is disorienting and enormous, easy to get lost in, and suffused with a heavy atmosphere that investigators describe as oppressive.

The Liberty's most famous resident spirit is known as Handsome Paul, a ghost who appears dressed in formal evening attire as though suited for a night at the theater. He's been seen in various parts of the building, always impeccably dressed, as if attending one of the grand performances from the theater's golden age. Two additional male figures wearing top hats have been spotted near the elevator, their clothing suggesting they date to the same 1920s era as the building itself. An elderly woman's ghost has also been observed on the premises, though her identity and era remain unknown.

The activity at the Liberty goes well beyond sightings. Employees arriving for early morning shifts have found the soda fountains and popcorn machine running on their own, having apparently activated during the night with no one in the building. Door knobs rattle without being touched, doors knock from the inside of empty rooms, and objects move from where they were left. One volunteer who worked at the theater from 2016 to 2019 reported having their hair pulled sharply while standing alone in the lobby. Another witness described a visit in 1980 during which blankets were pulled from a bed and a grayish mist emerged from a closet.

The Liberty Theatre declined in the latter half of the twentieth century, but a citizen-led restoration effort spearheaded by Steve Forrester, then publisher of The Daily Astorian, began in the early 1990s. The theater has since been fully restored and expanded its programming, now hosting touring performers, local music groups, and its Kids Make Theatre program that reaches hundreds of students weekly. The Liberty also partners with Ghostoria to present nights of paranormal investigation in its underground spaces, inviting the public to explore the tunnels and encounter whatever may still linger beneath Astoria's streets. The theater celebrated its centennial in 2025, a hundred years of entertainment, community, and strange occurrences in a building that rose from fire and has never quite let go of its past.