Dark City: Touring the Hidden History of Famous & Forgotten Places
Every place has a shadow, every shadow a story. Join us, dark tourists, as we uncover the hidden true crimes, scandals, and hauntings lurking in hotspots and forgotten stops. We dive deep into the research and spill the historical tea with dark humor. No tourist fluff, no sanitized versions. Just the real and sometimes terrifying truths that will surprise even the locals.
Season 2: Phoenix is now streaming, with occasional detours to cities and towns with stories too good to wait.
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Genres: Travel, History, True Crime, Paranormal, Culture
Dark City: Touring the Hidden History of Famous & Forgotten Places
39. HAUNTED: Phoenix’s Palace of Stories and Secrets
Phoenix, AZ | The Orpheum Theatre has endured every challenge history put in its path, and so have the spirits of those who once filled its halls. From vaudeville spectacles and Hollywood premieres to decades of neglect and a $14.5 million restoration, the Orpheum has been the stage for both Phoenix’s triumphs and its growing pains. Today it dazzles with cutting-edge technology, but its most unforgettable performances may come from the ghosts who never left.
Special Note: Jarrod Riddle of Spirit of Arizona Tours provided a personal experience for this episode. Learn more about him and sign up for a tour here: https://spiritofarizonatours.com/
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📚 Our key sources for this episode are listed below. A complete list of sources can be found on our website.
- 12 News. (2019, October 23). Haunted happenings inside the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y39nKgxDCEA
- Airdo, J. J. (n.d.). The Orpheum: A Monument to Phoenix’s Memory Lane. Images Arizona. https://imagesarizona.com/the-orpheum-a-monument-to-phoenixs-memory-lane/
- Arizona Daily Star. (1953, July 1). Harry Nace obit. Newspapers.com. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-harry-nace-obit/11210210/
- Arizona PBS. (2023). The Orpheum Theatre | Arizona Stories Shorts [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPOyF-M7BbQ
- Boehm, J. (2025, February 3). See inside Phoenix’s upgraded Orpheum Theatre. Axios Phoenix. https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/02/03/phoenix-orpheum-theatre-upgrades
- Branning, D. (2019). Haunted Phoenix. The History Press.
- Friends of the Orpheum Theatre. (n.d.). Friends of the Orpheum Theatre official website. https://www.fototphx.org
- Gleich, M. (2025, February 10). The Orpheum Theatre Phoenix debuts new renovations. Arizona Foothills Magazine. https://www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com/valleygirlblog/grand_openings/the-orpheum-theatre-phoenix-debuts-new-renovations/
- Goldstein, S. (2019, October 31). Haunted Phoenix: Reawakening sleeping spirits at the Orpheum Theatre. KJZZ. https://www.kjzz.org/2019-10-31/content-1280136-haunted-phoenix-reawakening-sleeping-spirits-orpheum-theatre
- Leatherman, B., & Cusimano, L. (2024, October 29). 12 most haunted places in Phoenix, Tempe and around Arizona. Phoenix New Times. https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/haunted-places-in-arizona-orpheum-casey-moores-lost-dutchman-6554798
- Magahern, J. (2016, February 1). Nice guys finish last. PHOENIX Magazine. https://www.phoenixmag.com/2016/02/01/nice-guys-finish-last/
- Mike Hume’s Historic Theatre Photography. (n.d.). Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.historictheatrephotos.com/Theatre/Orpheum-Phoenix.aspx
- Orpheum Theatre. (n.d.). Orpheum Theatre official website. https://www.orpheumphx.com/
- Reiner, D. (2022, January 13). From the circus to the Orpheum: The colorful career of Joseph Elmer Rickards. Arizona Republic. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-history/2022/01/13/phoenix
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👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)