It’s not every day that anything to do with Joliet is featured on national television, but on Wednesday, October 17, 2012 the latest episode of Ghosts Hunters aired featuring the “jewel of Joliet,” the Rialto Square Theater.
In the beginning of the episode TAPS, the investigators on the show, met at the Rialto and spoke with a few employees at the theater. The team asked about some of the occurrences that go on and where they usually occur.
One of the employees reveals that the spirit of a little boy that the employees refer to as Kevin, has been seen and heard all throughout the theater. Supposedly, a little boy was hit by a car in front of the theater sometime during the 1930’s and this is the little boy who the employees think is haunting the theater.
Another claim is the apparition of a woman that is often seen on the balcony in the rotunda. Employees don’t really know who she could be, but must assume that she was a performer some time back in the day.
Other claims made include hangers in the coat rooms moving by themselves, random cold spots and breezes, footsteps, voices, and lights going out for no reason.
During the night, the team turned out all the light, set up their cameras and other pieces of technology, and began investigating. The activity started up right away. In no time they started seeing unexplained shadows in the shapes of humans that could not be explained.
For part of the investigation, the team spent time trying to debunk a few of the claims. One of these claims included a refrigerator door that opens by itself. The team could find no natural explanation for this or any of the other claims made by employees.
After the investigation the team reviewed the evidence and found many things caught on camera which included several unexplained shadows and voices. When they listened to these voices closely they were able to make out what it was saying. They heard laughter of which sounded like that of a child and a voice saying, “My name is not Kevin.”
This evidence helped to back up some of the claims made by some of the employees at the theater which to them was a relief because they now have evidence of what goes on in the theater after hours.