Toronto's Most Haunted Places (and the Real History)

Most Toronto haunted places are not abandoned houses. They are working museums, a theatre, a cemetery and a lighthouse you can walk to, and almost all of them are open to the public. That matters, because the history underneath these stories is documented and the buildings are still standing. Below is where to go, what actually happened there, and what it costs.

One rule before you start: the ghost stories are folklore. The dates, deaths and buildings are not. We have kept them separate.

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse: the city’s oldest ghost story

The lighthouse on the Toronto Islands is the one every other Toronto ghost story gets measured against. The City describes it as the oldest stone building in Toronto and Canada’s oldest standing lighthouse, at over 200 years old. It was completed in 1808 as a hexagonal tower 52 feet high, and raised to 82 feet in 1832.

Its first keeper, J.P. Radelmüller, disappeared in January 1815. Part of a human skeleton was later found nearby. No one was ever convicted, and that gap is where two centuries of storytelling moved in.

Getting there: the lighthouse sits on Gibraltar Point, just north of Gibraltar Point Beach, about a 20 minute walk from the Centre Island ferry dock. You can walk the grounds year-round, but you cannot go inside. Plan the crossing with our Toronto Islands ferry guide, and go in daylight. The island paths have very little lighting.

The free ones: Mackenzie House, Fort York and Colborne Lodge

Three of the most haunted buildings in the city are City of Toronto museums, and general admission to all three is free. All three are open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Site	Address	Admission
Mackenzie House	82 Bond St.	Free
Fort York	250 Fort York Blvd.	Free
Colborne Lodge	11 Colborne Lodge Dr.	Free

Mackenzie House was the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, Toronto’s first mayor. The City’s own page calls it “rumoured to have its own resident ghosts,” which is unusually direct for a municipal website. It is a 19th century rowhouse a block from Dundas Square, so it is the easiest one to fit into a downtown afternoon.

Fort York is the site of the Battle of York in 1813, and it still holds a military burial ground. Walking the grounds after the crowds thin out does most of the work on its own.

Colborne Lodge sits in High Park and comes with a tomb. John and Jemima Howard, who gave the park to the city, are buried on the grounds nearby. Entry to the historic house itself is by guided tour, free, at 11

a.m., 1

p.m. and 3

p.m.

If free is the theme of your trip, our guide to free things to do in Toronto covers the rest.

Casa Loma and Legends of Horror

Casa Loma, the castle at 1 Austin Terrace, is Toronto’s biggest Halloween production. Legends of Horror runs October 3 to 31, 2026, closed October 5, 6, 12 and 13. It is a walk through the grounds and tunnels with live characters and installations, and 2026 is its tenth year.

Entry is at Walmer and Davenport, not the main castle door.

Ticket	Online	Onsite
Family hours, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., select dates	$45	$50
Standard, 7 p.m. onward, Oct 2 to 15	$45	$50
Standard, 7 p.m. onward, Oct 16 to 31	$55	$60

Buy online. The onsite price is $5 higher on every tier. Family hours have no live actors, which is the version to pick for younger kids. Anyone 16 or under needs an adult with them. The route is not wheelchair or walker accessible: it is outdoor terrain with multiple sets of stairs, plus fog, strobe lighting and very low visibility.

Casa Loma also sells date specific general admission for daytime visits. Check casaloma.ca for the current price.

Downtown stops you can do on foot

The old Bank of Montreal at Front and Yonge, now the Hockey Hall of Fame, is the downtown classic. The 1885 building is tied to Dorothea Mae Elliott, a 19 year old teller who died in March 1953 after shooting herself inside it. The ghost known as “Dorothy” grew out of that. The Hall itself is a hockey museum with no ghost programming, so this stop is about the building.

The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre at 10 Adelaide St. E. is the last operating stacked double theatre in the world. Guided tours run 90 minutes and cost $20 per person on scheduled dates, including Monday evenings at 5 p.m. Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces go free. Book ahead, because tour dates depend on the theatres’ performance schedule.

The Toronto Necropolis at 200 Winchester St. in Cabbagetown is one of the city’s oldest cemeteries and one of its quietest walks. Gates are open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April 1 to October 31, then 8 a.m. to 5

p.m. from November 1 to March 31. It is a working cemetery, not an attraction, so keep it respectful and stay on the paths.

Everything in this section is within walking distance of Line 1. If you are new to transit here, start with our TTC beginner’s guide.

Taking a Toronto haunted walk

If you want someone to tell you the stories properly, the Haunted Walk runs ghost tours through the month.

Tour	Adult	Length
Original Haunted Walk of Toronto	$32.99	75 min
Campus Secrets and Spectres (U of T)	$32.99	75 min
Spirits of the Distillery District	$32.99	75 min
Ghosts of the Village at Black Creek	$34.99	75 min
Toronto’s Haunted Harbour (boat)	$55.00	90 min
Alone in the Dark at Stanley Barracks	$54.99	120 min

Most tours drop $5 Monday to Wednesday, with the boat and special events excluded. The Original Haunted Walk meets in the Hockey Hall of Fame courtyard, so you can see the Dorothy building and take the tour on the same trip.

The City’s history museums also run after-dark lantern tours at Fort York and Colborne Lodge on select evenings in late October. Dates and the current ticket price go up on toronto.ca/museums a few weeks out. They sell out.

For the research side of real Canadian cases, that is what we do at Case Theory.

How to see Toronto’s haunted places in one night

Free and downtown: Mackenzie House in the afternoon, walk to Front and Yonge, finish at the Necropolis before the gates close.
One big ticket: Legends of Horror, 7 p.m. entry, booked online.
Daylight and quiet: the ferry to Centre Island and the walk out to the lighthouse.
Guided: the Original Haunted Walk on a Monday or Tuesday, when it is $5 less.

Prices and dates were checked in October 2026. Halloween programming changes every year, so confirm on the official site before you go.

Quick answers

What is the most haunted place in Toronto?

The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse on the Toronto Islands has the city's oldest and best known ghost story, built around the 1815 disappearance of its first keeper. Casa Loma, Mackenzie House and Fort York are the most talked about haunted sites you can actually walk through.

Is Toronto a haunted city?

Toronto has a long list of haunted buildings, largely because so much of its 1800s architecture is still standing and still in use. The stories attached to those buildings are folklore, but the history underneath them is documented and often grim.

How much is a Toronto haunted walk?

The Haunted Walk charges $32.99 per adult for most of its 75 minute Toronto ghost walks, including the Original Haunted Walk, the U of T campus tour and the Distillery District tour. The 90 minute Haunted Harbour boat tour is $55. Most tours are $5 cheaper Monday to Wednesday.

Can you visit haunted places in Toronto for free?

Yes. General admission to Mackenzie House, Fort York and Colborne Lodge is free, and all three are open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Toronto Necropolis and the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse grounds are free to walk as well.

What is there to do in Toronto for Halloween?

Legends of Horror at Casa Loma runs October 3 to 31, 2026, closed October 5, 6, 12 and 13. The City's history museums run lantern tours on select late October evenings, and the Haunted Walk runs ghost tours through the month.

Sources

Prices, hours and schedules change. Check the official site before you go. Spot something out of date? Email info@truecitytourism.com. Some links may be affiliate links. Disclosure.