Is the Egyptian Theatre of Dekalb haunted?

posted by jwballer on February 8, 2010 at 7:56 pm

The DeKalb Egyptian, like many other Egyptian Revival structures, is meant to create an air of mystery. The imagery of the ancient Egyptian symbols has fostered the popular belief that there is a hidden meaning behind the architecture and color scheme in and on the DeKalb Egyptian. The theatre said through a spokesman in 2006 that both the colors and the decorations were picked for their beauty and no other reason.
While there are no hidden messages in the architecture, there have been numerous occurrences and reports of alleged ghostly phenomena. The Egyptian has been widely rumored to be the home of two ghosts. One is said to be that of Irv Kummerfeldt, co-founder of PET; Kummerfeldt had a heart attack and died at the top of “Aisle One” in the Egyptian Theatre’s auditorium. His ghost has been reported in that area of the theatre ever since. The second ghost, “Bob,” as theatre workers and preservationists have dubbed it, is much more free roaming. Bob has been seen throughout the building; objects have moved on their own, doors have opened on their own, and people have felt a tap on their shoulder when no one else is around. Occasionally, footsteps have been heard echoing across the auditorium. The theatre operators and preservationists lend enough credence to the ghost sightings and stories to keep an eye out for any information in old newspapers on who the ghost might have been.