Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Haunted Lucas Theater

Savannah Ghost Tours make the Historic Lucas Theater a main stop nearly every night. It is a beautifully haunting building, even when it is all lit up!

Savannah Ghost Tours at the Lucas Theater

Photo by Haunted Savannah Tours

Let The Show Begin

It all begins with a man named Arthur Melville Lucas Jr.. Although he was born in Florence SC and he grew up in Savannah, GA.

His parents lived in a home on Victory Drive and his brother, Marion, was the Superintendent of Police. Arthur Lucas kept close ties to his family, even though he spent much of his life in Atlanta.

Arthur Lucas wore many hats throughout his varied careers. In 1919, he served on the board of directors for the Exchange Bank of Savannah. He was a contract agent for the Georgia Telephone and Telegraph Agency and Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Agency. In 1917 he purchased the Times-Recorder Newspaper of Americus, GA only to sell it in 1922. Arthur also ran a Ford dealership and renovated the B.H. Levy Department store which is now the SCAD library.

Savannah Ghost Tours | Lucas Newspaper

Moving Pictures

Savannah Ghost Tours at the Lucas Theater

Savannah Morning News, 1907

1907 was the debut of Arthur Lucas in the motion picture industry where he held many prominent positions. Early on, Arthur directed the Grand Theater in Savannah.

In 1920, Arthur became the president of the American Theaters Corporation whose focus was the operation of theaters across the south. With a plan to develop theaters in Savannah, he took over the Folly and Odeon theaters. He then began forming construction plans for The Lucas Theater. Arthur Lucas had built over 40 theaters by the end of his career, the Lucas being the only one bearing his name.

Arthur obtained the rights to build on the site of the Houston-Johnson-Screven House which sat at the corner of Abercorn and Congress streets in 1920. In the same year, the construction of The Lucas began.

Haunted Lucas Theater

Photo provided by the Georgia Historical Society.

Opening Night

You may overhear on one of our Savannah Ghost Tours that on the night of December 26, 1921, The Lucas Theater premiered with a showing of two films featuring some of the biggest silent film stars at the time.

Those two films were “Hard Luck” starring Buster Keaton and “Camille” starring Alla Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino. This premiere not only launched the success of the Lucas Theater, but also Valentino who went on to gain great fame and star in the movie The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse which was the first movie to gross $1,000,000.

The Lucas Theater enjoyed continued success over the years, even installing an air conditioning unit in the building in 1926! The Lucas was the first public building in Savannah to have such luxuries.

Hard Luck Buster Keaton | Savannah Ghost Tours

Hard Luck starring Buster Keaton

 

Good Things Come To An End

Haunted Savannah Tours at the Lucas Theater | Savannah Ghost Tours

Photo provided by the Georgia Historical Society

The Theater closed it’s doors in 1976. The new owners, ABC Southeastern Theaters, petitioned the Historic Savannah Foundation to demolish the building. Thankfully, that request was denied.

After many meetings to discuss the future of the Lucas Theater, in 1987, Emma and Lee Alder formed a non profit that was committed to restoring the theater. That non profit was the Lucas Theater for the Arts. The Alders and others, known for their historic preservation work, began their first capital campaign that year.

Even though efforts to restore the theater began in 1987, it wasn’t until 1995 that construction began.

In 1997, Clint Eastwood ( director of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) held the film’s wrap up party at the Lucas. Ticket proceeds and an auction featuring props from the film went to benefit the restoration cost of the theater. Kevin Spacey, who played Jim Williams, donated $200,000 of his own money to the fund.

On December 1, 2000, the Lucas Theater held a Grand Re-Opening with a special three showing of Gone With the Wind. The Lucas once again, became a gathering place in Savannah for film, productions and the arts.

Haunted Lucas Theater | Haunted Savannah

Photo by Haunted Savannah Tours

The Ghosts of the Lucas Theater

On some Savannah Ghost Tours, you may hear a legend that in 1928, a group of gangsters drove by the Theater and opened fire on a crowd of people who were waiting to see a show. According to legend, a ticket taker was shot in the back as he attempted to flee. There are tales of seeing his spirit as he flings the doors open and falls to the floor in the lobby. To “prove” this story, guides will point out the repair job of “bullet holes” that can be seen on the theater’s facade.

 

According to James Caskey in his book Haunted Savannah: America’s Most Spectral City, a theater executive named Jon Leisure recalled his ghostly tale.

While preparing for the December premiere of 2000, they were having problems with an air conditioner located above the balcony. It was leaking water. They devised a solution of hose into a bucket. When they reopened the next day, the apparatus was moved in such a way as it only could have been done by hand.

 

Gangsters | Lucas Theater Savannah

Even during the renovation the ghost stories where abundant. One worker recalls hearing the whirring sound and light from a projector coming from the old projection booth, however, there was no projector installed as of yet!

Other tales you may hear on Savannah Ghost Tours include the applause of a phantom audience, feelings of being watched, and an unknown shadow ghost that roams the theater.

The Lucas Theater has certainly become a Savannah staple for culture, art, and the supernatural!

If you would like to visit the Lucas Theater you can find them at 32 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401 or call them at (912) 525-5040.

The Real Story Behind ‘The Most Haunted City’ Title

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Reading Time: 7 minutesSavannah, Georgia wears its haunted reputation like a well-worn shroud—elegant, mysterious, and just a little tattered at the edges. But how did this Southern city earn the title “America’s Most Haunted”? In this chilling blog, Haunted Savannah Tours uncovers the real story behind the ghostly claims—from yellow fever graveyards paved over with playgrounds, to spirits still roaming the halls of centuries-old mansions. Whether you’re a skeptic, believer, or just here for the goosebumps, this tale of war, tragedy, and restless souls might just change how you see Savannah after dark.

Savannah Psychics: A Haunted History Through the Centuries

Reading Time: 32 minutes

Reading Time: 32 minutesLong before Savannah was crowned America’s Most Haunted City, it was already something more mysterious — a place where the veil between worlds wore thin and belief in the unseen flowed beneath polite society like a hidden current. In Savannah Psychics: A Haunted History Through the Centuries, we uncover the forgotten legacy of conjure women, trance mediums, palm readers, and spirit healers who helped shape the spiritual fabric of this Southern city. From shadowy alleyways to candlelit parlors, these mystics practiced quietly, often in secret, yet their influence endured. Blending fact, folklore, and atmospheric storytelling, this book explores how Savannah became synonymous with the supernatural — a place where intuition runs deep, ghosts still linger, and that strange little tug in your gut might just be the sixth sense Savannah is known for.

Bark Side of the Moon River: Dog-Friendly Haunts of Savannah

Dog-Friendly Activities in Savannah, GASavannah, Georgia, with its historic charm and Southern hospitality, is a haven for dog lovers seeking adventures with their four-legged companions. From scenic parks to pet-friendly tours, the city offers a plethora of...

Spies, Secrets, and Specters: Savannah’s Haunted History of Espionage

Reading Time: 30 minutes

Reading Time: 30 minutesSavannah’s historic streets have witnessed more than Southern charm – they’ve played host to daring spies, whispered secrets, and ghostly apparitions from two of America’s greatest wars. In this article, historian and paranormal guide Chris Allen unveils the hidden history of Revolutionary War and Civil War espionage in Savannah. You’ll walk alongside Patriot scouts sneaking through British lines, Confederate agents evading Union patrols, and the restless spirits left in their wake. From the 1778 betrayal that cost Savannah its freedom to the covert Union spy network that helped Sherman take the city without a fight, this article blends riveting ghost tales with vivid historical detail. It’s like a spooky guided tour and vivid history lesson in one – revealing why Savannah Ghost Tours are such an unforgettable way to experience the Hostess City’s past. Discover how the spies of Savannah lived, lied, and died… and why some say their ghosts still wander the moss-draped squares, keeping their secrets alive.

Ghosts in the Gaslight: Victorian Séances in Old Savannah

Reading Time: 18 minutes

Reading Time: 18 minutesIn the hush of Savannah’s candlelit parlors, whispers echoed from beyond. Hands trembling, hearts aching, mourners sat united by grief, seeking solace through Spiritualism. Behind elegant facades, séances were not mere entertainment; they were lifelines for souls shattered by war and disease. Through the gaslight’s flicker, a mother strained to hear her lost child’s voice, while a brother hoped for reassurance from the battlefield’s ghostly echoes. Here, beneath the shadowed gaze of Victorian decor, the living reached desperately toward the dead, embracing a fragile communion in the uncertain darkness.