Unveiling Secrets of an Abandoned Amphitheater In the Adirondack Forest

Did you know in the middle of the Adirondack forest sits an abandoned Greek Amphitheater that's more than 100 years old?

In the northern Adirondack town of Merrill, New York, you'll find an amphitheater cut into the hillside.

Built by Man Who Founded Acting School

It was built in 1916 by Franklin Seargent, the man who founded the Lyceum Theatre School in 1884, the oldest acting school in the English-speaking world.

The School later became the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and is where legends like Robert Redford, Danny DeVito, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Paul Rudd got their start.

Private Performances

Sargent created the amphitheater in 1916 near his Upper Chateaugay Lake cottage.

It was designed for private student performances and Isadora Duncan, a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, is rumored to have danced on the hallowed stage.

Bring an Offering

An inscription urged visitors to "bring an offering" to praise a soul that has left the earth. It can still be read among the leaves, moss and overgrowth today.

Local Lore

Local legend says Sargent's lover was beheaded near the amphitheater and part of her remains under the central stage. Her spirit is said to still haunt the hallowed grounds to this day.

Sargent took his own life in 1923 at a hotel in Plattsburg. The amphitheater was left to Sargent's live-in maid, Sadie, according to Adirondacklife.com.

Today the forest grows around the old benches, steps, and stage.

Spirits of SUNY

You can learn more about the abandoned amphitheater and the tragic tale of Franklin Sargent on a new tour with Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company called "The Spirits of SUNY Plattsburgh!"