Entry No. 7 — the Spokane file — filed under: haunted
Bing Crosby Theater (formerly The Met)
This 1915 theater opened as the Clemmer movie house, later ran as "The Met," and in 2006 was renamed for Spokane's own Bing Crosby. It carries two long-told resident ghosts. One is a former stage manager said to have died of a heart attack on a backstage ottoman and still glimpsed on the green-room divan; the other is a young woman tied to a fatal plunge from the balcony, said to have jumped after a lover never came to meet her. Local TV stations have aired segments on the sightings, and ghost-tour groups gather beneath the marquee.
The story
Before it bore the name of Spokane's most famous crooner, 901 West Sprague Avenue opened in 1915 as the Clemmer movie house—a venue operating right as a young Bing Crosby was beginning his career in town. Decades later, following a major overhaul in 1988, the space re-emerged as the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center (popularly shortened to "The Met") before being officially renamed for Crosby in 2006. But despite the celebrity rebrand, the auditorium's dark history refused to stay in the wings.
Two distinct specters dominate the backstage lore, both documented by local news crews and ghost hunters over the years. The first is a former stage manager who suffered a fatal heart attack on a backstage ottoman; staff and visiting acts still report glimpses of a figure reclining on the green-room divan. The second is far more dramatic: a young woman in period clothing who supposedly threw herself from the upper balcony after her lover failed to appear. If you ask around, locals will tell you she still haunts the upper tiers when the house lights go down.
What it's like
You can't just stroll in off the sidewalk to peek at the green room—the theater only unlocks its doors for ticketed performances and live events, so check their schedule before you head downtown. On show nights, you'll see ghost-tour groups gathering beneath the illuminated marquee outside on Sprague Avenue. Once inside, grab your seat, but take a minute during intermission to walk up to the balcony railing and look down; that's where the phantom pacing woman is most often spotted.
The move: Catch a live show, then linger near the balcony at intermission to scan for the theater's pacing woman in period dress.
📍 Before you go Interior access is during ticketed performances; check the events calendar for show dates.
- 📍 Downtown Spokane
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 901 W Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Spokane Ghost Tours (Two Dog City Tours / Chet Caskey) — Chet Caskey's ghost tour regularly pauses beneath the theater's marquee to lay out its hauntings before guiding you through the rest of downtown.
- The Historic Davenport Hotel — Located right down Sprague Avenue, this 1914 grand hotel pairs seamlessly with the 1915 theater for a night of early-20th-century Downtown architecture and tragedy.
- Baby Bar — Duck a block over after the final curtain to slip behind a burrito counter into this microscopic, red-lit dive bar for a quiet drink.
- Petunia & Loomis — Walk three blocks north after a show to trade ghostly theater legends for tangible oddities, wet specimens, and taxidermy.
Good to know
Can I go inside the Bing Crosby Theater just to look around?
No. General public interior access is limited to ticketed events and live show dates.
What ghosts are said to haunt the theater?
A former stage manager who died of a heart attack on a backstage ottoman (often glimpsed in the green room) and a woman in period dress tied to a fatal leap from the balcony.
What was the venue called before it was the Bing Crosby Theater?
It opened in 1915 as the Clemmer movie house and later operated for years as the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center (or "The Met").
Where is the theater located?
At 901 W Sprague Ave in Downtown Spokane, Washington.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: krem.com · Official site · Wikipedia · usghostadventures.com · cinematreasures.org
last checked: 2026-06-24