One of the most unique ghost stories in Georgia is the tale that surrounds the stunning Springer Opera House in Columbus.
Built during the turbulent years of the Reconstruction Era, the Springer has hosted some of the world's top actors and political leaders over the years. Will Rogers once entertained audiences from its stage and William Jennings Bryan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt discussed their dreams for the future of America in the Springer.
But if old Columbus legends are to be believed, one of the theater's most famous guests is still hanging around.
Actor Edwin Booth, the brother of John Wilkes Booth who killed President Abraham Lincoln, came to the Springer to revive his career during the 1870s. With other members of his family, he had gone into voluntary seclusion following the Lincoln assassination. As time passed, however, he decided to try for a "come back" and the Springer was a key stop on that road.
Booth, as the story goes, so loved the Springer and its cheering audiences that he came back after his death to haunt the beautiful old theater. Described as a playful ghost, he supposedly teases female visitors and is said to enjoy causing trouble in the wardrobe area.
To learn more about the Ghost of Springer Opera House, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/springerghost.
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