Haunted Kentucky: Paramount Art Center in Ashland

 

Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY - By Youngamerican

Before COVID brought an end to our travel plans, my boyfriend and I took a trip south every year to Kentucky. We headed down to US 23 and passed through Ashland many times. Though I often pointed out the Paramount Art Center and reminded him of Billy Ray Cyrus recording a music video there, I never gave much thought to its history or whether it was haunted.

Built in 1931, the then Paramount Theater became a beloved place to watch one of the new talking pictures. Paramount Studios believed it would set a new gold standard for what other theaters would look like. That changed when the studio needed to cut back during the Great Depression days. When the studio backed out, a local company picked up the plans. They used some of the original decor Paramount picked as well as the Rapp and Rapp architectural design.

Now known as the Paramount Art Center, the building is so famously haunted that even its Wiki page documents the ghost. As the needs of the public changed, the owners of the old theater decided to upgrade it. They brought in a crew from Cincinnati, Ohio to handle the job. Joe – also known as Paramount Joe – was just one of them.

The four men worked well together and quickly established a routine. They would get there early, work for a few hours, take a break, spend some more time working, and then quit for the day. One fateful day, Joe decided against going with the fellas for their lunch break and stayed behind. While they weren't gone for long, they returned to discover Joe dead.

Legend says poor Joe was hanging from a rigging used to lift the stage curtain. Stories vary as to whether someone killed Joe and make it look like a suicide or he killed himself due to loneliness and being away from his loved ones. Either way, Joe stuck around long enough to leave an impression on guests and pick up the nickname Paramount Joe. He's so famous you can even buy a Paramount Joe tee shirt now.

Supposedly, a medium who visited the theater talked to Joe. They claim he was having a rough time and going through some problems when he accepted the job. Once he saw the beauty of the interior, he knew he never wanted to leave. I guess that clears up the story of his fate! Those who were lucky enough to see Joe say the disappeared in the blink of an eye before they had time to react and he wore a pair of old overalls.

One of the more famous Paramount ghost stories comes from Billy Ray Cyrus. A Kentucky native, the elected to film the video for his song Achy-Breaky Heart in the theater. Knowing the story, Cyrus would often talk to Joe behind the scenes. Cyrus even decided to autograph one of his album posters for Joe and leave it behind. When workers removed the poster, they returned in the morning to find every poster left behind laying on the ground.

Cyrus believes Joe was behind a malfunction during a later concert, too. While performing on stage, the singer was in the middle of a tune when all of the lights went out. Instead of calling for help or worrying, Cyrus just laughed and told Joe it was nice to see him. The lights came back on almost immediately.

The country superstar is just one of the many people who encountered Joe over the years. Kids often take trips to the Paramount Art Center for school. More than a few talked about feeling someone touch them on the back or shoulder and seeing no one there. Other kids felt cold spots around the theater or saw a man in overalls watching them.

One group was taking a tour of the theater when their guide started telling Joe's story. He paused and asked Joe if it was okay to share it. Though they were the only ones inside the theater at the time, a seat in the back squeaked. Those in the group claimed it sounded like someone just stood up from their seat.

Another story floating around says two workers headed into the basement to pick up some supplies. Their manager stayed at the top of the stairs to use the only available light switch. They made it deep into the basement and asked him to hit the light, not knowing the left to take a phone call. The light quickly came on, they gathered what they needed, and headed back to discover he was nowhere near the switch when it came on. By the time they made it back to the basement, it was once again dark.

Check out the Paramount Art Center Calendar of Events to see what's happening during your trip and buy tickets. The old Paramount Theater is at 1300 Winchester Avenue in Ashland, Kentucky.