Madame Modjeska & The Calumet Theater

If you are ever going around the Upper Peninsula looking for something to do...go check out a show at Calumet Theater, This theater is located in Calumet, MI which is just north of Houghton

This theater had been the location for many local productions for people in the Calumet area. But, more importantly to me it houses the ghost of an opera singer. Polish opera singer Madame Helena Modjeska passed in 1909. This is just a few years after the theater opened, and Madame Helena only got the opportunity to perform 3 times in this theater.

Throughout the years many different actors have said that they have seen Madame Modjeska roaming throughout the theater. One story that has been passed around for many years now goes like...

In 1958, an actress started to stumble over her lines during a performance of The Taming of the Shrew. She said that Madame Modjeska appeared to her on the theater's balcony and mouthed the lines, which then helped her know what she was supposed to be saying. But, also probably scared the crap out of her.

Many directors and janitors have caught sight of her ghostly figure. The room will get colder and darker. Doors randomly lock on their own.

Helena Modjeska was born in 1840 in Poland. Helena had a very interesting upbringing. Her father never actually confirmed but suspected to be a prince, and her mother a widow of a wealthy merchant. Helena always said her father was a musician (the wealthy merchant) but it was speculated that she is actually the product of an affair with a polish prince. Due to her families musical upbringing she became very active in the theater.

She suffered a stroke in 1909 due to an illness. But, whats weird is she died in CALIFORNIA.

So, why would her ghost be in Michigan? That seems a little weird.

The Calumet Theater is suggested to be one of the most haunted locations in the Copper Harbor area.

But, as I am researching this..wondering why a lady from California would be haunting a theater in BFE..I stumble onto the Italian Hall Disaster.

73 men, women and children were crushed to death during a stampede when a person yelled "FIRE!" at a Christmas party while there was no fire. This disaster happed Christmas eve of 1913. Hearing the person scream fire made everyone rush for doors to escape. This caused a stampede. This killed over 70 people. It is speculated that whoever yelled fire did so to disrupt the party as strikes had been happening within the mining community.

Couldn't this incident be the cause of hauntings in this area? That would make more sense to me than ghost from across the country hanging out.

Another ghost that haunts the theater is of a man that was murdered in the theater in 1903. He's seen from time to time wandering around. And, heard screaming. The screams are mostly in the middle of the night.

There is also the ghost of a little girl. This little girl is said to be of Elanda Rowe. This little girl died mysteriously in the theater, and her screams are also heard within the theater.

This theater has been featured on multiple scary shows such as "Most Terrifying Places on Earth."

Is it just THAT scary?

Guess, we will have to find out.

XOXO - Hank