Well ladies and gents, the spookiest time of the year is officially upon us.
And believe it or not, it just so happens that Toronto is one of the creepiest cities in Canada. For centuries, our beloved city has endured decades worth of unsettling activities.
See also
- 14 spooky things to do in Toronto this Halloween 2016
- 10 Toronto-themed Halloween costume ideas
- 11 pumpkin patches in the GTA you can visit this October
From murders and executions to suicides and tragic accidents, these incidents have resulted in some very eerie occurrences continuing throughout the city.
And as Halloween approaches, we thought it would be a good idea to share a roundup of the most (allegedly) haunted places you can find in Toronto.
Keg Mansion (Euclid Hall)
Come for a steak, and you could potentially stay for a ghost encounter. The historic Keg Mansion was once the private residence of industrialist Hart Massey and his family. Rumour has it, during the family’s residency one of their distraught maids hung herself over the staircase. Over the years, numerous Keg guests have claimed they spotted the maid’s body dangling over the stairs, as well as countless sightings of children playing on the stairs, and the sense of someone watching them in the washroom.
Address: 515 Jarvis St.
Mackenzie House
Home to Toronto’s first mayor William Lyon Mackenzie, the Mackenzie House has since bee coined as one of the eeriest spots in Toronto. It’s been reported that he’s been spotted lingering in his old bedroom, as well as the ghost of a mysterious woman roaming the hallways. A rocking chair in the basement has also been seen rocking by itself and the in-house printing press operating on its own.
Address: 82 Bond St.
Christie Mansion
When William Christie, founder of Christie Brown and Company, died in 1900, his stunning Victorian home was passed on to his son Robert. The tale goes that Robert lived with his wife, but also secretly kept a mistress hidden in a windowless room. The imprisoned woman was never allowed to leave her room, and over time her loneliness and despair led her to hang herself. Years later, the house was turned into a female residence for U of T students, and there have been reports of a spirit haunting the mistress’s hidden room. Reports say the bedroom door would slam shut and lock itself, trapping students in the room.
Address: 100 Wellesley St. West
Queens Park
It’s no wonder visitors and staff have reported seeing ghosts, Queens Park was formerly home to an insane asylum in the mid-nineteenth century. Over the years, there have been four reoccurring spirits reported on the grounds, including a sorrowful ‘white lady’, a woman covering her face with an apron, an angry-looking soldier descending the grand staircase, and a woman dangling from a hook in an underground tunnel.
Address: 111 Wellesley St. West
Colborne Lodge (High Park)
The home of John and Jemina Howard, the original owners of High Park, is said to be haunted by the ghost of Jemina, who passed away in her bedroom in Colborn Lodge after a tragic battle with cancer. It’s been reported that visitors have spotted her ghost standing in the window of her bedroom, while others have noted feeling prickly sensations on the back of their necks, and experiencing unsettling visions during their tour of the park.
Address: 11 Colborne Lodge Dr.
The Grange
This 200-year-old historic manor is now connected to the AGO, but it’s also home to a number of spirits who reportedly still haunt the manor’s halls today. Past visitors have claimed to have seen a man in a yellow velvet coat roaming the hallways, as well as a woman wearing all black hanging near a second-floor bedroom. Rumor has it that the spirits are past writers that used to live in the building, including Goldwin Smith and Algernon Blackwood.
Address: 317 Dundas St. West
Don Jail
Located in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood, the Don Jail was built around 1865 and was in operation until 1977. The jail was known for being overcrowded, inhumane conditions, and for its public hangings. Two of the most known hangings involved inmates Ronald Turpin and Arthur Lucas. On December 11, 1962, Turpin and Lucas were not only hung side-by-side, but their hanging was Canada’s last executions before capital punishment was abolished. Today, it’s been rumored that their ghosts have been spotted around the old jail grounds.
Address: 550 Gerrard St. East
Spadina House
This historic manor is not only known for its stunning grounds and rich history, but also for its supernatural appearances. Over the years, both staff and visitors have reported seeing grey, ghostly masses in private areas within the property. The strange part is that there weren’t any reported deaths at the residence in the past, so the reason for these sightings is unknown.
Address: 285 Spadina Rd.
Old City Hall
Over the years, a number of eerie occurrences have taken place at Old City Hall with judges frequently feeling mysterious tugs on their robes, as well as hearing footsteps in the building’s rear staircase and muffled moans coming from the attic. Word on the street is that Courtroom 125 (formerly 33) is haunted by the ghosts of Turpin and Lucas, who were sentenced and charged here for their separate crimes before being hung.
Address: 60 Queen St. West
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse (Toronto Island)
The lighthouse’s first keeper was a man by the name of John Paul Radelmuller, who was gruesomely murdered and dismembered by soldiers from nearby Fort York looking for bootlegged beer. Over the years, there have been claims of visitors sighting Radelmuller’s ghost climbing the tower in search for his body parts.
Address: Lakeshore Avenue Toronto Island
Grounds of Fort York
Considering how many gruesome battles took place on these grounds, how could Fort York not be haunted? Visitors and staff have reported sensing the eerie feeling of being watched, as well as hearing off noises, and allegedly seeing a mysterious woman roaming near the Officer’s Quarters and what resembled a soldier wearing a red coat near the entrance of the grounds after dark. If you’re up for the challenge, visitors are welcomed to partake in Fort York After Dark, which is a guided lantern tour of the area in the dead of night. Paranormal enthusiasts regularly report an eerie omnipresence while touring the area.
Address: 250 Fort York Blvd
The Hockey Hall of Fame
To many, the HHOF is an iconic landmark known for being the home of the Stanley Cup. But prior to housing the cup, the HHOF was formerly a Bank of Montreal branch, which has allegedly become haunted by the ghost of Dorothy Mae Elliott, a nineteen-year-old bank teller who shot herself in the washroom. It’s been reported that employees and visitors have encountered flickering lights, windows and doors randomly opening and closing by themselves, the sounds of a woman moaning, and the eerie feeling of being watched.
Address: 30 Yonge St.
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