The Haunted Teatro Tapia in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Nov 10

History of The Teatro Tapia

Ground broke in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1824 and 8 years later the San Juan Municipal Theater opened to much acclaim. Many residents dressed in their best attire to watch the opera and ballet performances.

In 1935 it was renamed the Antonio Paoli Theater and then renamed the Teatro Alejandro Tapia y Rivera in 1937 though many just refer to its shortened name Teatro Tapia.

Despite multiple changes to its name and a few renovations the theater fell into disrepair during the 1930s and was scheduled to be torn down in the 1940s. Mayor Felisa Rincon then initiated a successful campaign to restore the theater to what it once was.

Since then the theater has been remodeled once more in 1987 and is regarded as a historic and cultural landmark in Puerto Rico.

With its age it is then not surprising the Teatro Tapia has its own haunted history to tell.

The Ghosts of The Teatro Tapia

Many who visit the Teatro Tapia not only called it one of Puerto Rico’s most beautiful destinations but also one of its most haunted.

Like many other theaters in the world, there have been many reports of patrons hearing footsteps or voices coming from dark hallways and empty rooms. But the Teatro Tapia supposedly has two ghosts that wander the theater appearing for a few quick moments.

One ghost is said to be a woman who many believe was once a frequent visitor to the theater, though no one knows exactly who it might be. She is said to appear in a red dress behind guests sitting in box 105 before vanishing. Imagine staring across the crowded theater and seeing a ghostly apparition appear behind some seated guests and then disappearing a moment later!

The other spirit is reportedly a former actress who will appear on stage before shows and perform to an empty crowd before disappearing. The story goes this spirit belongs to an actress from the 1800s who was once performing to a sold-out crowd and lost her footing. Falling from the stage she broke her neck, dying instantly.

In researching the ghosts I couldn’t find any verifiable accounts that any of this happened but that’s not surprising given the story is said to have occurred almost 200 years ago. If you take a trip to the Teatro Tapia you might catch glimpses of the spirits yourself or you may hear someone singing a ghostly tune on your way out.