The Mount Baker Theatre (officially abbreviated MBT) is a 1,517-seat performing arts venue and national historic landmark in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The theater hosts professional productions and concerts as well as community performances from the north of Puget Sound.[1][3] The theater's main stage is the largest theatrical venue in Washington north of Seattle's Paramount and 5th Avenue.[1][3]
Popular legend holds that the building is haunted by a ghost named Judy.[4] The facility is owned by the city of Bellingham[5] and managed by the nonprofit Mount Baker Theatre organization, headed by president Gary Barnett and executive director Brad Burdick.[6]
Facility
The Mount Baker Theatre occupies half a city block. It has three distinct facilities for concerts, live theater, films, receptions, and other events. All public facilities, except the balcony, are fully ADA accessible. Some non-public facilities, such as backstage and storage spaces, may not be accessible.
Main Theater
The main theater contains large stage facing floor and balcony seating. Using the main floor and balcony, seating capacity is 1,517 people. An orchestra pit sits five feet below the stage and can hold 25 musicians. The theater has a professional lighting and sound system, a large movie screen and projection room, and a historic pipe organ.[7]
Encore Room
The Encore Room is a 1,200 square feet (111m2) reception hall or meeting space in the southern portion of the theater. It can accommodate 120 people in standard seating and 60-80 seated at tables. A kitchen is adjacent to the room.[8]
Walton Theater
The Walton Theatre is named in honor of Harold and Irene Walton. It is a smaller performance space west of the main theater. There are attached restrooms and a kitchen.[9]
Events
The Mount Baker Theatre has hosted a variety of events over the years,including live theater, concerts, movies, arts festivals, and comedy shows.
The Mount Baker Theatre was designed by architect Robert Reamer (who also designed Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre) in a Moorish–Spanish style.[1][2]
The original light that topped the theater's spire was a search light taken from the decomissioned USS Oregon (BB-3), a battleship that served in the Spanish-American War. The light was made by the General Electric Company. It was purchased at auction in Bremerton while the USS Oregon was docked there in 1926.[11] While hoisting the light into place during the construction of the theater, the boom used to lift it broke due to the weight of the light. The light crashed into the supportive framing below but was undamaged. [12] When installed, the searchlight had a range of about 16 miles when lit.[11] On a clear night, the light could be seen as far as Burlington and Blaine.[11]
Photo of searchlight from USS Oregon, 1927
History
Construction on the theater began in the fall of 1926, with the original opening date set for March 1, 1927. The cost of to build the theater was estimated to be $300,000, which is about $5.6 million in modern day. [13] The theater was built for Pacific Northwest Theaters Inc. At the time of construction, Pacific Northwest Theaters ran 36 movie palaces, including the recently opened 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle and the Broadway Theater in Portland, Oregon.[14]
A Style 215 Wurlitzer brand theatre organ was installed in April 1927, which was considered top of the line at the time. The total cost of the organ was $20,000, which is about $370,000 in modern day.[15] The original electric sinage was installed on the front of the theater on April 25, 1927.[16]
The theater officially opened on Friday, April 29, 1927 to much fanfare across the community. Decorations were placed on streets surrounding the theater. A live band played outside the theater from 7 p.m to 10 p.m.[16]
The first movie to be screened at the theater was Slide Kelly Slide, a sports comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick. The movie screened for 4 days after opening.[17]
Upon opening, the theater manager was George Douglas.[14] Doris Winters was named head usher on opening. She had previously worked as head usher at the United Artists Theater in Seattle. The ushers on opening were female, and the uniform consisted of a satin white dress with red trim that was designed by Catherine Grofton. Douglas and Winters hired exclusivly brunette ushers, as they believed brunettes would fit the theater's Spanish architechture.[18][19][20]
The Mount Baker Theater was built to provide entertainment for a growing city. It was designed by architect Robert Reamer. Originally, it held live theater and concerts. A screen was added later to show silent movies.
The theater was in a historic part of downtown. Bellingham's Carnegie library was just south of the theater. The Bellingham Tower stands tall to the theater's west. The tower was built as a luxurious hotel; it is an office building with a café at street level. At 15 stories, it is the tallest building in Bellingham and Whatcom County. The original City Hall, built in 1891, stands two blocks west of the theater and is home to the Whatcom Museum. The Bellingham Bank Building, Federal Building, and Crown Plaza are within a few blocks to the southeast.
In October 2025, a windstorm knocked the letters "B" and "A" off the theater's spire. As of January 2026, the letters have not been replaced.[21]
For decades, theater staff have reported unusual phenomena, which has led to an urban legend of a ghost. In August 2010, paranormal investigators, affiliated with the Syfy Channel's show Ghost Hunters, and psychics spent a night in the theater to find evidence of paranormal activity.[26]
↑"Thrills Will be Offered Spectators to Free Act When $1,000,000 Insured Leo Will Perform Tricks and Eat Twenty-five Pounds of Raw Beef," The Bellingham Herald, August 26, 1930, pg 12.
123"Huge, Battle-Scarred Searchlight From Old Warship Oregon Will be Installed in Tower of Mount Baker Theater Here," The Bellingham Herald, February 23, 1927, pg 1,2.
↑"Relic Not Damaged As Hoisting Boom Breaks," The Bellingham Herald, February 25, 1927, pg 1, 5.
↑"Contractor to Start Work at Once," The Bellingham Herald, August 27, 1926, pg 1.
12"Contractor to Start Work at Once," The Bellingham Herald, August 27, 1926, pg 1,7.
↑"Venue & History". mountbakertheater. Mount Baker Theatre. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
12"Music is Arranged," The Bellingham Herald, April 25, 1927, pg 10.
↑"Picture Selected," The Bellingham Herald, April 20, 1927, pg 11.
↑"Brunettes Wanted as Usherettes in New Baker Theater," The Bellingham Herald, April 18, 1927, pg 11.
↑"Mount Baker Theater Ushers to be Chosen Friday," The Bellingham Herald, April 21, 1927, pg 13.
↑"Ten Brunettes Selected for Mt.Baker Theater," The Bellingham Herald, April 23, 1927, pg 3.
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