One of the most iconic buildings in the city of Alliance is the Alliance Theatre. It has a remarkable, yet unexpected history that spans over 120 years, a story starring travelers, live performances, countless tubs of popcorn, a tragic incident, and, if you can believe this, one ghost.

It began in 1903, with the opening of The Charter Hotel in downtown Alliance. For six years, the building was a home away from home for folks traveling through the sandhills of Nebraska. In 1910 though, big changes were on the horizon for the hotel. No longer open to travelers, the building became the Imperial Theatre and welcomed those with a hankering for the performing arts. Legend has it that during this time, a terrible accident took the life of an actress named Mary, when a piece of lighting equipment broke free, careening towards the stage, killing her on the spot and giving the audience much more than they bargained for.

But as they say, the show must go on, and the Imperial Theatre continued to offer live performances until the 1930s when it was remodeled into the Alliance Theatre. The Art Moderne Style building instantly became a showpiece on Box Butte Avenue, with the neon lights of the marquee creating a stunning kaleidoscope of colors on the bricks in downtown Alliance. On November 23, 1937, as the curtain rose on a showing of “The Perfect Specimen” starring Errol Flynn, the audience, with tubs of popcorn in hand, settled in for the show. Mary, the resident ghost, was also in attendance. Before long, there were reports that the theater was in fact haunted. Witnesses began reporting shadowy figures, footsteps running down the aisles, and the sound of clapping hands echoing throughout the theater.

Through the years, the Alliance Theatre has undergone several renovations, including the acquisition of the JCPenney building, which was converted into additional theaters. Today, the theater continues to bring the magic of the big screen to this small community of Alliance, showing four first-run films every weekend. And if all this talk of being haunted is leaving you spooked, don’t worry, Mary is a friendly ghost.