The Tampa Theatre – Part 2

For more than nine decades the Tampa Theatre has operated non-stop, meaning the ornate downtown theater has seen more than its fare share of patrons. But theater marketing director Jill Watecki and Jeremy Reddig of Genesis Paranormal Services is convinced some of those patrons and past employees have never left.

Part two of this story discusses several entities spotted within the building, including the Woman in White, the Man in the Fedora and one simply referred to as “The Trickster.”

Hear their first-hand accounts of their encounters with the spirits of the Tampa Theatre in part two of this in-depth interview.

TAMPA THEATRE

I’ve lived in Tampa Bay for almost 20 years and one of the most beautiful buildings downtown is the Tampa Theatre. This theatre was built in the 1920s and its lobby and theater section still look just like it did when it opened, minus the new cash registers and up to date bar and refreshment area.

I attended a film festival there back in the early 2000s and immediately fell in love with it. You could get a sense of exactly how Tampa residents lived 90-plus years ago just by walking past the ticket booth! When I went downstairs to use the restroom I had that feeling we all know – I didn’t really have the privacy I expected to have.

Of course, I soon learned that the theater is teaming with the spirits of past guests and employees and I was so excited when Jill Watecki and Jeremy Reddick shared their experiences with me in person, it made sense that we had settled into the projection booth – the location that is still haunted by the beloved projectionist “Fink.”

Throughout the interview I felt like I was sitting right in the midst of history and hearing Jeremy discuss his investigations and findings – some of which were in the very room we were sitting – made me that more excited to be focused on this episode.

There was so much information and so much information connected to the Tampa Theatre that I turned it into a two-parter! One of the most difficult jobs as a podcaster is deciding what to include and what to exclude for the sake of time. The Tampa Theatre inspired me to share as much as I could in a format that I hope thrills you as much as it thrilled me.

Part one and part two of this episode contain information about the building’s history, its multiple ghosts and even a theory as to why it’s so haunted. I hope you enjoy listening.