The brand new Fox Theatre Ghost Tour goes beyond the docent-led history tour and brings a number of personalities to "life", some from years before the Fox was even built!
Tour-takers begin their evening in the Spanish Room, accessible through the Arcade on Peachtree Street. Many of us enjoyed snacks and beer and wine—cash bar, standard rates—before our tour began.
There are multiple tours each evening they're offered, one every 15 minutes, and each one leaves precisely on-time...don't be late! Each group has a tour guide and a wrangler—the person who keeps everyone together and moving along.
Our tour guide Gwen was awesome, as was our cheerful wrangler, Jill. Our tour began in the Lobby where Gwen shared some housekeeping points and regaled some of the history of the Fox Theatre. Whether you're a local, new to Atlanta or are just visiting, I believe you'll find the storied history of the Fox Theatre fascinating and mesmerizing.
Our first stop was a visit to the Ladies Lounge—quite opulent! Then over to the Men's Lounge where we met none other than movie-mogul "Mr. William Fox" himself! He enthusiastically shared a bit of his own story and how he came to acquire the Fox Theatre.
Did you know that the Fox Theatre has a hospital? That was our next stop, where we met Nurse Ruth. In her period nurse uniform, and in character, Nurse Ruth explained how the hospital worked from from the Theatre's opening day in 1929 until nurses were replaced by EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), but not before a theatre guest gave birth in this very room!
Next we were off to the star's dressing rooms! We passed through a stairwell that has a timeline, with photos, chronicling the Fox's history pre-1929 to present day.
In one of the dressing rooms we got to see dresser drawers that have autographs of celebrities who have graced the stage of the Fox throughout the years.
Then we were off to another dressing room where we learned about "The Cockroaches"—Atlantans purchased tickets to that concert without knowing anything about the band. It turned out to be a be one of the most famous bands in history!
In that dressing room we met "Anna Ragan", a former owner of the home that once stood on the land where the present-day Fox Theatre stands. According to Ghosts of Atlanta: Phantoms of the Phoenix City, it's believed that Anna died in the house and now her ghost is seen by entertainers from time to time in Dressing Room 42. Perhaps she wanted to be an entertainer herself.
On our way to the boiler room, we walked under the Fox Theatre stage! And we got to see the mechanics that raise and lower different parts of the stage. Not to worry, it's sealed with magnetic doors when in operation.
Once in the sub-basement we met "Roosevelt", the gentleman who in the early years practically lived at the Fox during winter to keep the boilers heating. If the fire went out, the theatre would be too cold for guests the next day, so it had to be continually stoked.
In the photo above, I'm looking up at the walls and roof of the coal room, still covered in soot. Creepy!
"Roosevelt" was the liveliest ghost we met! There was more jumping, scooting away, and slight screams during this part of the tour...down in the sub-basement. Bwah-ha-ha!
He pointed out this mysterious "target" painted on one of the walls in the sub-basement. No one knows what it was for, why anyone would be shooting in the basement, or what the three 4s are. Lots of speculation, but no one knows. Scary!
From there we went onto the stage of the Fox Theatre, the first time on that stage for many of the tour-takers. We were greeting by an unnamed ghost, so I've dubbed him the Ghost Light Ghost.
Earlier on the tour, one of the tour-takers was explaining to another what a ghost light is. She didn't believe him. When we got to the stage the Ghost Light Ghost explained what a ghost light is and offered many possible reasons for why there's always one on a vacant stage.
We were then invited to take photos of the dramatically lit Auditorium and make selfies on the stage.
Unless you have a future career on Broadway or in Rock-n-Roll, take advantage of this opportunity to make a bunch of photos on the stage where 1932 New York Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave the commencement speech for Oglethorpe University; where Elvis Presley and Madonna have performed for sold-out crowds; and where Prince gave his last concert.
While on the stage we were treated to a surprise mini-concert!
Organist Rick McGee told us about Mighty Mo (the famous organ) and then played a number of tracks from Star Wars, including Vader's March and that little ditty from Mos Eisley Cantina!
He stayed after and answered questions. Super nice guy and you can tell that he loves what he does.
For the record, I took some creative liberty in the coloring of the very first photo in this post, but the lighting and colors in the other photos are real!
Last I heard, almost all of this year's tours are sold out with some tickets remaining for Halloween Night...what a fun Halloween outing this will be!
If you don't make this year's ghost tour, do check out the other Fox Theatre Tours!
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
Tour-takers begin their evening in the Spanish Room, accessible through the Arcade on Peachtree Street. Many of us enjoyed snacks and beer and wine—cash bar, standard rates—before our tour began.
There are multiple tours each evening they're offered, one every 15 minutes, and each one leaves precisely on-time...don't be late! Each group has a tour guide and a wrangler—the person who keeps everyone together and moving along.
Our tour guide Gwen was awesome, as was our cheerful wrangler, Jill. Our tour began in the Lobby where Gwen shared some housekeeping points and regaled some of the history of the Fox Theatre. Whether you're a local, new to Atlanta or are just visiting, I believe you'll find the storied history of the Fox Theatre fascinating and mesmerizing.
Our first stop was a visit to the Ladies Lounge—quite opulent! Then over to the Men's Lounge where we met none other than movie-mogul "Mr. William Fox" himself! He enthusiastically shared a bit of his own story and how he came to acquire the Fox Theatre.
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | Hospital | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
Did you know that the Fox Theatre has a hospital? That was our next stop, where we met Nurse Ruth. In her period nurse uniform, and in character, Nurse Ruth explained how the hospital worked from from the Theatre's opening day in 1929 until nurses were replaced by EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), but not before a theatre guest gave birth in this very room!
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | Celebrity Autographs | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
Next we were off to the star's dressing rooms! We passed through a stairwell that has a timeline, with photos, chronicling the Fox's history pre-1929 to present day.
In one of the dressing rooms we got to see dresser drawers that have autographs of celebrities who have graced the stage of the Fox throughout the years.
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | "Anna Ragan" | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
Then we were off to another dressing room where we learned about "The Cockroaches"—Atlantans purchased tickets to that concert without knowing anything about the band. It turned out to be a be one of the most famous bands in history!
In that dressing room we met "Anna Ragan", a former owner of the home that once stood on the land where the present-day Fox Theatre stands. According to Ghosts of Atlanta: Phantoms of the Phoenix City, it's believed that Anna died in the house and now her ghost is seen by entertainers from time to time in Dressing Room 42. Perhaps she wanted to be an entertainer herself.
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | "Coal Room" | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
On our way to the boiler room, we walked under the Fox Theatre stage! And we got to see the mechanics that raise and lower different parts of the stage. Not to worry, it's sealed with magnetic doors when in operation.
Once in the sub-basement we met "Roosevelt", the gentleman who in the early years practically lived at the Fox during winter to keep the boilers heating. If the fire went out, the theatre would be too cold for guests the next day, so it had to be continually stoked.
In the photo above, I'm looking up at the walls and roof of the coal room, still covered in soot. Creepy!
"Roosevelt" was the liveliest ghost we met! There was more jumping, scooting away, and slight screams during this part of the tour...down in the sub-basement. Bwah-ha-ha!
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | "Target Practice" | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
He pointed out this mysterious "target" painted on one of the walls in the sub-basement. No one knows what it was for, why anyone would be shooting in the basement, or what the three 4s are. Lots of speculation, but no one knows. Scary!
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | "Ghost Light Ghost" | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
From there we went onto the stage of the Fox Theatre, the first time on that stage for many of the tour-takers. We were greeting by an unnamed ghost, so I've dubbed him the Ghost Light Ghost.
Earlier on the tour, one of the tour-takers was explaining to another what a ghost light is. She didn't believe him. When we got to the stage the Ghost Light Ghost explained what a ghost light is and offered many possible reasons for why there's always one on a vacant stage.
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | on the stage | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
We were then invited to take photos of the dramatically lit Auditorium and make selfies on the stage.
Unless you have a future career on Broadway or in Rock-n-Roll, take advantage of this opportunity to make a bunch of photos on the stage where 1932 New York Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave the commencement speech for Oglethorpe University; where Elvis Presley and Madonna have performed for sold-out crowds; and where Prince gave his last concert.
 |
| Fox Theatre Ghost Tour 2018 | Rick McGee & Mighty Mo | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor |
While on the stage we were treated to a surprise mini-concert!
Organist Rick McGee told us about Mighty Mo (the famous organ) and then played a number of tracks from Star Wars, including Vader's March and that little ditty from Mos Eisley Cantina!
He stayed after and answered questions. Super nice guy and you can tell that he loves what he does.
 | |
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Last I heard, almost all of this year's tours are sold out with some tickets remaining for Halloween Night...what a fun Halloween outing this will be!
If you don't make this year's ghost tour, do check out the other Fox Theatre Tours!
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