Fox Theatre

In many theaters, a single lightbulb remains lit onstage when the space is empty—well, empty of humans, that is! This light, known as a “ghostlight,” serves a dual purpose. Some say it’s simply for safety, while others believe it’s meant to appease or ward off ghosts. At Detroit’s historic Fox Theatre, the ghostlight has its own lore. Stagehands always leave one on, saying it acts as “insurance against ghosts” to keep them at bay. There’s also stories that claim the building’s stone lion statues come to life and roam the theater after hours. Broadway national tours pass through the Fox Theatre, so maybe they are just practicing for an audition to be in The Lion King one day? 

Or perhaps the lions just want to experience the “The Temple of Amusement,” an apt nickname for the theatre. Why not let the lions rock and roll around on the same stage graced by icons such as Shirley Temple, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and of course, the Wiggles!?

Or maybe the lions simply like to a-purr-ciate (sorry) the rich history of the theatre. When it was built in 1928, it was the second largest theater in the world. Today, it hosts over 5,000 fans of music, showtunes, politics, or sports (The Fox was the location of the 2019 Democratic primary debate and the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft). It never ceased operation, save a year when it was renovated in the ‘80s. Fox Theater also boasts one of the largest Wurlitzer pipe organs ever installed in a theater, which remains operational to this day. If not ghost statue lions, human patrons of the Fox Theatre certainly have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, this iconic Detroit National Historic Landmark for almost a century.