Woodland Opera House

The Woodland Opera House first opened in 1885 and was destroyed in 1892 by a fire that started in an alley behind it and burned through much of downtown Woodland. Volunteer fireman William W. Porter went inside to free a fire hose, and a brick wall collapsed on him. He is the only person known to have died in the building, and one of very few Woodland firefighters ever killed on duty. The opera house was rebuilt in 1896 and restored by the city in the 1980s, and it is still a working theatre. Staff, performers and audience members say Porter is still there, felt most often in the upper balcony and a dressing room. The theatre's manager has said audience members complain of smelling cigars or something burning in a building where smoking is banned. Others have reported objects, including a grand piano, moving on their own.