Bobby's ghost Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
The Albuquerque Journal reported in 2024, drawing on tourism sources, haunted websites and the venue's own pages, that the KiMo is said to be home to the spirit of 6-year-old Bobby Darnall Jr., killed when a water heater exploded in 1951, and that witnesses claim he interferes with the electrical system and drops items on stage. A 2008 Weekly Alibi investigation called the reports "simply stories and anecdotes, not hard evidence" (Weekly Alibi, 2008). Source: Albuquerque Journal, 2024.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
Oreste and Maria Bachechi commissioned the theater from Carl Boller; it opened on Sept. 19, 1927, and its name, meaning "mountain lion," was chosen in an Albuquerque Journal contest (Wikipedia).
The National Register nomination says Bachechi began planning the theater in 1925 and that it was built in 1926–27 (National Register nomination), which explains the 1925 date in the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque Journal, 2024).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Then and now
Public access
Open to the public The City of Albuquerque lists upcoming events and a box office for the KiMo (City of Albuquerque). Last checked: Oct 31, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Albuquerque and New Mexico
- More haunted & abandoned theaters
- Nearby: Luna Mansion (Los Lunas, NM), Golden (Golden, NM), La Fonda on the Plaza (Santa Fe, NM), White Oaks (White Oaks, NM)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change. Verify access with the owner or operator before you go. Spook Atlas does not encourage trespassing. Entering private, closed or condemned property can be illegal and dangerous. Report a correction.
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