Monticello Opera House

Posted: 10.15.2025 | Updated: 10.13.2025

When it comes to Florida’s major cities, most people can easily imagine what they’ll find there: Miami has nightlife, Orlando has theme parks, and Key West has a quirky island vibe (with a side of ghosts). 

But then there are the smaller towns with mysteries of their own: The spiritualist camp at Cassadaga, the mysterious ruins in New Smyrna Beach, and the historic charm of Monticello, where 19th-century buildings like the Monticello Opera House hold secrets of their own.

If you’re a fan of Florida’s haunted places, be sure to join Old City Ghosts to discover the history and mysteries of Saint Augustine, which is known as one of the oldest and most haunted places in the United States. 

Is the Monticello Opera House Haunted?

Just like the opera house’s (and city’s) namesake, Jefferson’s Monticello, the Monticello Opera House is known for being haunted. 

The Monticello Opera House has been around for over 130 years, but its theater spent almost half that time vacant, creating a perfect atmosphere for ghosts. Ever since the building’s restoration in the 1970s, visitors and staff have been experiencing things they simply can’t explain. There may be many spirits haunting the opera house, but locals have a pretty good idea who one of them is. 

Monticello Opera House History

The stately building that houses Monticello Opera House was constructed in 1890, making it one of the oldest buildings in this charming town. At that time, there was a trend of naming performance venues “opera house”, even though they mostly featured plays, vaudeville acts, and live music. 

Originally, the ground floor of the building was all retail space, containing a general store, a hardware store, and a sewing machine shop owned by John H. Perkins. Upstairs, the opera house had the largest stage around. 

The ornate decorations, outstanding acoustics, and big-name acts gracing the stage drew crowds for a while. Still, once the railroad was rerouted to Jacksonville instead of dropping northern visitors off right in Monticello, crowds disappeared.    

While the shops downstairs stayed busy over the years, the opera house upstairs gathered dust as it sat vacant from the early 1900s through the 1970s. It was set to be demolished, but a group of preservationists swept in and saved the building. Today, it’s back in use as a popular performance venue.

John Perkins is buried in Monticello’s Roseland Cemetery, but you can find him in one other place in town…

Phantoms of the Opera House

The building that holds the Monticello Opera House is known as the Perkins Building, which is appropriate since the original owner is still around. However, he might not be the only spirit of the past lingering within the walls. 

Stage Presence

A presence is often felt on the stage, and those who venture backstage have reported immediately getting full-body chills. Quiet noises can be heard just offstage when the theater is quiet enough, as if a director or stagehand is waiting in the wings, watching the action. Perkins, or whoever else may be lurking in the shadows, is also known to flip the stage lights off and on at a whim. 

The quiet sound of footsteps pacing across the old wooden stage has been heard, conjuring the image of an actor quietly running lines before a rehearsal. Or perhaps the old owner lost in thought, searching for a solution to a problem. 

Although he died after the theater had already ended its original run, he may have spent many hours pacing the building, trying to come up with a way to keep his grand theater in business, creating an imprint of his nervous energy. 

Some actors rehearsing on stage claim to see mysterious lights and shadows moving across the balcony, especially late at night. Others say Perkins can rather clearly be seen watching plays from a box seat near the orchestra pit, although he may suddenly fade from view at any time. 

One employee saw an office chair rocking on its own, with no air conditioner or open window to create a draft. Others report doors opening on their own and objects they’ve just set down seconds before suddenly showing up across the room. 

Phones and computers in the Perkins Building tend to malfunction from being close to ghostly energy. Some visitors who have stopped by in hopes of capturing proof of Perkins’ presence have been surprised to find their fully-charged phone or camera battery suddenly dead when they try to hit “record”. 

The Female Figure

Backstage, the women’s dressing room is small but functional. It’s the sort of place where energy and excitement levels are high just before and after a performance, but most of the time, the space is quiet and empty. 

There are signs of the past here: the vintage mirrors, century-old graffiti scrawled on the walls, and the little girl who is said to materialize in the dressing room’s window. 

Haunted St. Augustine

Monticello is known as “The South’s Most Haunted Small Town”, but you won’t be surprised to hear that Florida is filled with oddities, mysteries, and dark secrets.

Old City Ghosts explores the spooky side of St. Augustine with a heart-pounding tour through the city’s most haunted hotspots. With an expert local guide by your side, you’ll learn the chilling tales and tragic true stories that led to the historic streets being filled with restless spirits.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real St. Augustine hauntings.

Sources:

• https://www.monticellooperahouse.org/history
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127201785/john-henry-perkins
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMChs7TnbDg
• https://www.wtxl.com/news/looking-inside-monticello-s-haunted-attractions/article_fa07cc9e-dd4d-11e8-b4de-cf79a42ecb3c.html
• https://www.tallahasseemagazine.com/the-monticello-opera-house/
• https://www.islands.com/1863957/monticello-florida-charming-southern-town-local-flavor-south-haunted-ghost-tours/