The Byrd Theatre
This ornate 1928 movie palace in Carytown, named for Richmond founder William Byrd II, is famous for its gilded interior, Wurlitzer organ, and a long-running resident ghost: Robert Coulter, who managed the Byrd for 43 years from its 1928 opening until 1971 and died in 1978. Patrons say Coulter still watches films from the highest, least-accessible balcony seats; moviegoers describe the feeling of being observed from above, glimpsing a figure seated in the upper rows who is gone when they look again. A second presence is a little girl heard giggling in the women's restroom even when it is empty. Paranormal investigators report recording child-like voices and seeing a shadow figure in the balcony seat where Coulter was commonly spotted. The theatre's staff have publicly acknowledged the long-standing belief that Coulter never truly left the house he ran for decades. The Byrd remains an operating, beloved single-screen cinema.
📍 2908 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221, Richmond, VA · Get directions