Canada has no shortage of haunted houses, hotels, and lighthouses—perfect spots to scare yourself silly this Halloween. Whether you want to spend the night, or just take an entertaining ghost walk, the unsettling stories behind these eerie landmarks are sure to make you jump. We’ve picked some of the best scary spaces from coast to coast to visit this October—enter if you dare.
West Point Lighthouse, O’Leary, P.E.I.
Photo by Vadim.Petrov/Shutterstock
Converted to an inn in 1984, this nineteenth-century lighthouse is haunted by a solo ghost—although there seem to be more floating just off the coast. The lighthouse’s first keeper, William MacDonald, is reported to wander around the inn, suspiciously avoiding his old workplace. There have also been sightings of burning ghost ships on the Northumberland Strait for 200 years, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the horizon when you stay at the inn.
The Keg Mansion, Toronto
Photo by Arnotti Thoughts
Go for dinner, stay for the spooks. The Keg Mansion, former home to notable families like the Masseys, is full of ghosts. The ladies room is haunted, ghostly little children run around on the second floor landing, and sometimes a maid is seen hanging in the foyer. The last ghost story is definitely the darkest. According to a CBC interview with Jason Kucherawy, co-founder of TourGuys.ca, the legend goes that the maid “hanged herself not just out of grief, but because Lillian Massey was actually protecting her from a dark secret [getting out].”
Room 202, Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg
Photo by Wpg guy
It may sound like something out of a Stephen King story, but this grand old railway hotel is notorious for the haunting of one room. Apparently, a woman committed suicide in room 202 after hearing that her husband had died in a car accident. Maids have claimed to see blood running down the walls, and former MP Brenda Chamberlain recounts the story of the night she stayed in the room and felt a presence climb into bed with her and toss and turn all night. The hotel still rents the room out of course, so you can always see for yourself.
Tranquille Sanatorium, Kamloops
Photo by Northern Paranormal Investigations
Now this place is seriously creepy. Initially used to treat tuberculosis, then turned into a mental asylum, this abandoned hospital has almost two kilometres of underground tunnels attached to it. You can take a tour of a small portion of the tunnel system—much of it has crumbled, or suffered serious vandalism, in the thirty years since the asylum closed its doors—although you may hear the laughter of dead children, or see some glowing orbs float by on your walk.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff
Photo by Hochgeladen von Diderot
Built as “a haven of peace in the midst of the wilderness,” this luxurious hotel in the mountains certainly seems to have attracted some longtime residents. Guests have reported that an elderly Scottish doorman has helped them with their bags, only to be told that the only doorman who matched that description died in 1975. There’s also the doomed bride, who apparently fell to her death on the way to her own reception, and now haunts the main ballroom.
Hotel Fairmont, Vancouver
Photo by KenWalker
If you want to avoid the haunting at the Hotel Fairmont in Vancouver, you better stay below floor 14. The hotel’s ghost, nicknamed the Scarlett Lady, is believed to be the spirit of a woman who frequented the hotel’s ballroom in the 40s and died in a car crash in 1944. She’s pretty friendly, apparently routinely causing the elevators to stop on floor 14 so guests can watch her drift by.
Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria
A ghost walk is held every Halloween at this eerie estate, and for good reason. As the costumed guides will happily tell you, the castle is shrouded in death. Coal baron Robert Dunsmuir’s wife died there, as did later owner Sir Allan MacNab and his wife Mary. There were hangings on the property, as well as deaths from cholera, and a horrific train accident nearby. Dunsmuir’s wife, Joan, is often seen around the property, and many report hearing inexplicable whispers and seeing objects move on their own.
