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Updated: 9:07 PM May 5, 2009
A Haunting in Rockford?
Some say Rockford's Coronado Theater is haunted. A behind-the-scenes ghost tour investigates.
Posted: 4:39 PM May 5, 2009 |
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6 Comments 
Some say ghosts haunt the Coronado Theater and although many people believe this to be nonsense, the theater is offering us a chance to see for ourselves.
"One of the main places, actually he's standing up there right now, Mr Van Matre is standing up there at the balcony." said spirit communicator Mark Dorsett as we walked into the main lobby. We didn't see anything, but he claimed he could.
Are there some ghosts in town? Dorsett has been to the Coronado many times and every time he's goes he sees ghosts. Now he's using his ghost glimpsing gift to offer tours through the historical theater, tours about some things he says he sees.
Dorsett says the Coronado Theater is haunted by three spirits. The first, Willard Van Matre, built the theater and was it's first owner. Miss Kileen, the second ghost, was the first office manager and has been known on occasion to spray people with her flowery perfume. The final spirit, Louis St. Pierre was the Coronado's first theater manager.
Stagehands at the theater have reported being tapped on the shoulder when they were working backstage, even though nobody was nearby. Could it have been the perfectionist poltergeist St Pierre?
"We had another person who at the same time someone was having a personal experience they took a picture and there was a bright orb exactly where the person said 'You got to take a picture right there.'" says Dorsett.
All of the ghosts have their own personalities and hangouts according to Dorsett. He plans to reveal them all on the tour. He even has an explanation as to why these ghosts are still hanging around, including Mr. Van Matre.
"I mean he loves this place. He literally built this theater and when he passed he just couldn't leave it. This is as close to heaven as he needs."
Dorsett says Van Matre likes to stand at the door and welcome people to his theater. Dorsett says none of the spirits are malicious so there is no reason to fear them.
The Wisconsin-Illinois Paranormal Society is co-hosting the tour May 30th with the Coronado. This tour is for people over the age of 18 and all proceeds will go straight to the theater. Tickets cost $7 a person. A 20 person minimum is required, if they cannot achieve this number the event will be canceled and your money will be returned.
Please contact Ann Behringer at wipscasemanager@comcast.net or call 815-451-1662 to reserve your spot. Last minute walk inns will not be admitted. Additionally, payment will need to be received by May 15 to reserve your spot. Any cancellations after that date will result in your payment being donated to the theater.
Latest Comments
My sister and I went on the tour Oct. 31st, 2011. We have pictures of orbes in almost the whole theatre.
I used to work there in the early to mid 80's and I will tell you, heck yes, the place is haunted. I used to have several jobs here and I would be there by myself cleaning and hear the piano plinking by itself, footsteps on the mezzanine while in the lobby, cold air breeze between to cement walls, no way a breeze can blow through two solid walls! Voices saying to "Get out of here" 2x. Apparitions that made my dog go insane. (istarted taking her there after the above things were happening and she would run like a kid in a playground everywhere in the theatre until we saw the apparition and after that she would have nothing to do with that area, she would dig all four paws into the carpet and try to get away while snarling and whimpering just so she didn't have to go over there. I never made her I would just test her to see if she was still freaked out. We used to tell our friends these stories then show them how our dog would react and everyone would be totally freaked out after that!!!!
i am a first hand wittness to the coronado haunting and i will tell you it is a real good spot. there is a lady who died of a heart attack back in the 80's an usher who loved his job so much he never quit an actress and a bunch of others i worked there in the 90s for the metro centre as security and it was the best thing to go in befor any one else and just talk to the folks who are there and i will tell you it is in metro centre files about the ghosts and my boss at the time we will call him (bill)was the police cheif for the metro and he refused to go in alone. others have wittnesed the goings on. during the renovations the g.m. had to ask permission to do the work because things would happen (lights would turn off the power would not come on people would see shadows on stage ect.) it is all in incedent reports with the friends of the coronado. if the will let you have access to them.
