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| True New Mexico Ghost Stories
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Kimo Theatre
Albuquerque, New Mexico
The KIMO (translated “king of its kind”) theatre opened on September 19, 1927 at a cost of $150,000. It was built by Oreste Bachechi, an entrepreneur that came to the United States in 1885. In the beginning he made his money by selling liquor and grocery while his wife sold dry goods. Bachechi hired Carl Boller to design the theatre in a Native American style. Stars such as Vivian Vance, Sally Rand, Gloria Swanson and Ginger Rogers performed at this theatre. A year after the theatre opened Oreste died leaving the theatre to his sons. In 1951 the boiler in the basement exploded demolishing part of the lobby, injuring several people and killing a young boy, 6 year old Bobby Darnall. The boiler was located right below the concession stand in the lobby. Bobby had been sitting in the theatre balcony with some of his friends. He was frightened by something in the movie and ran down the staircase to the lobby. The boiler exploded just as he reached the lobby and he was killed. It is said that he haunts the theatre and taunts and plays tricks on the staff and guests of the old theatre. His ghost is often seen playing on the staircase at the place of his death. He has also been spotted in the balcony when the theatre was empty of patrons. His spirit reportedly causes performers problems by tripping them and making noise during the performances. In order to appease the spirit the cast hangs doughnuts on the water pipe that runs along the back wall of the theatre and on most mornings the treats are gone. It is reported that one year a crew took down the doughnuts and almost immediately during the technical rehearsal everything went wrong from lighting to sound trouble. When the doughnuts were replaced things went back to normal. Another tragedy befell the KIMO theatre in 1963 when a fire destroyed the original stage built in 1927 and damaged most of the building. The theatre fell into disrepair and was destined to be torn down when the citizens of Albuquerque purchased it and began restoration. Little Bobby Darnall isn’t the only reported ghost that haunts the old theatre. There is a mysterious, unknown lady wearing a bonnet that has been seen wandering around the KIMO.
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