Toronto! The largest city in Canada has some of the deepest and most visceral history. Everyone talks about the buildings alongside some dry, general facts.
But very few shine a light on the haunted!
That’s the goal of this article. With updates as more locations are added. With history, stories, and map links. So, you can take in the haunted side of Toronto.
Know a great location to feature?
Please CONTACT US with the suggestion
by Ghost Guide Daniel
..: Quick Links :..
Mackenzie House | Elgin & Winter Garden | Massey Hall | Don Jail | Guild Inn | Keg Mansion | Gibraltar Lighthouse | Hockey Hall of Fame | ROM | Hart House
History & Ghosts in Toronto
Included are only buildings that are legally accessible to the public. With location website links for information and Google Maps.
Mackenzie House
The rebel who dared challenge an empire became Toronto’s first mayor. William Lyon Mackenzie orchestrated the Rebellion of 1837, a desperate attempt to topple British rule in Upper Canada (now Ontario).
To Mackenzie and his followers, the leaders had grown reckless and corrupt. An elite council blind to the suffering of the people. Economic hardship fueled their anger.
The uprising reached its bloody end when Mackenzie led a march on the City of Toronto. But the rebellion was crushed by a local militia, and Mackenzie’s dream of revolution died in the streets.
He fled across the border, seeking refuge in the United States. Years passed. Then politics called him home.
He returned to represent Haldimand (of all places). Serving quietly until 1857 when he retreated to his modest home on Bond Street in Toronto.
Four years later, in 1861, he died within those walls. They called it a “softening of the brain.” Most likely a stroke.
Today, that house on Bond Street carries a haunting reputation. Many consider it the most haunted in Toronto. Countless ghost stories, including aggressive nighttime disturbance.
Plagued at Night
In the 1950s, a family of caretakers watched over the historic home. Charles Edmunds and his wife lived there, guarding history… and something else.
Some nights, their son Robert and his wife stayed over. One night, Robert’s wife shook him awake, whispering, “Do you hear that?”
Robert listened. Through the darkness of their open bedroom door drifted soft, calm piano music. From somewhere in the house. She shoved him out of bed.
Out in the hallway, Robert’s heart leapt into his throat. A man stood in the darkness!
He jumped back before recognizing his father, Charles, who had been drawn from sleep by the music.
Father and son stood together in the darkness, listening to the beautiful music drifting through the house. They both stepped toward the stairs as the final notes faded into silence.
Robert ran downstairs, bursting into the parlour to catch the intruder. But the room was empty.
They examined the piano. Undisturbed, with the cover rested down over the keys. Every door remained locked and the windows secure. They were alone.
Nighttime disturbances were becoming all too common in the Mackenzie House.
Printing Press
Another night, Charles jolted awake to find the floor trembling beneath him. A rhythmic noise vibrated the bed, something mechanical and relentless.
He rushed into the hallway to find Robert standing there, wide-eyed. These nighttime meetings were becoming far too frequent.
They listened as the sound pulsed through the house. Then, abruptly, it stopped.
Breaking the silence, Robert whispered, “I recognize that sound.”
He told his father it reminded him of the old movies he loved. The unmistakable rhythm of a historic printing press, churning out pages.
And Charles knew … an old printing press sat in the basement of the Mackenzie House!
The same press one Mackenzie used in the town of Queenston (Niagara-on-the-Lake). To print his infamous anti-British newspapers. Same words that sparked a rebellion!
Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre
They call it the Elgin & Winter Garden because it’s two complete theatres stacked impossibly atop each other. Called a “Double-Decker”. This sensation opened in 1913 as a Vaudeville house.
Some greatest names of the era graced the Eglin & Winter Garden…
- George Burns, trading quips with his beloved wife, Gracie Allen
- “Mr. Television,” Milton Berle
- Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen
- Singer Sophie Tucker
But time is rarely kind. The area now known as Yonge-Dundas Square began to decline. And around the same time, “Moving Pictures” became the next great thing.
The Elgin surrendered to progress, converted into a movie house. The Winter Garden was sacrificed. Sealed away and abandoned like a forgotten memory, left to rot for over sixty years.
Then, in the 1980s, rescue arrived. The Ontario Heritage Trust purchased the forgotten treasure and devised a full restoration.
The Elgin was lovingly restored as a live theatre. And the Winter Garden reopened, along with its amazing garden ceiling.
Today, the Eglin & Winter Garden stands as the last remaining “Double-Decker” theatre in the entire world.
And with such history comes ghost stories. Including an invisible audience.
Phantom Patrons
A stage manager was closing the theatre for the night. Deep into the late hours, he found himself alone in the Elgin.
He stood on stage, sweeping away debris, when to his right a creak echoed from the auditorium. He walked to the edge of the stage and peered out over the rows.
Nothing. Everything seemed in place.
“Maybe just the old springs in the chairs,” he thought. Trying to convince himself. Then the creaking happened again. Louder.
He ran down the stairs and hurried to where the sound originated. Seeing four seats. Their cushions pressed down as if occupied. But no one was there.
Right before him came the creaking as all four chairs cushions slowly folded up, one after another. Rising on their own!
As if lingering, these phantom guests finally decided the show was over. And it was time to go home.
Massey Hall
Massey Hall is Canada’s first concert hall. Built in 1894, making it the country’s oldest. Praised for its beauty and impressive acoustics.
The wealthy industrialist Hart Massey commissioned the building. Making it a monument to his grief. Named in honour of his son, Charles A. Massey, who died of typhoid fever in 1884. He was only 35-years-old.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra made it their home. Over the decades, Massey Hall hosted legends like…
- Bob Dylan
- Joni Mitchell
- Bob Marley
- Justin Bieber
- And most importantly… The Tragically Hip
All that history. All those voices. That energy doesn’t just fade.
The Security Guard
It’s 4am, a lonely hour. The security guard sits alone on the stage, the glow of a small TV keeping his attention in the vast and empty hall.
Then he saw movement. Something was moving in the auditorium.
He turns toward the seats. Leaning forward, squinting as his eyes adjust to the darkness.
Two figures glide through the parallel rows. Shadows, but their shapes suggest an elderly couple, hunched and twisted, clinging to the seats for support.
“What are you doing in here?” the guard’s voice echoed through the auditorium.
The couple keeps moving as he runs down the stairs. Chasing them as they melt into the darkness of a side door leading to the kitchen.
The entrance was empty. The kitchen door locked, as it had been all night.
For three hours, the guard walks round after round through the building. Part of him hopes to find people. Proof he wasn’t losing his mind. Another part prays for nothing.
He found nothing.
When the janitor finally arrives at 7am, the guard runs for the exit. Not looking back.
Don Jail
The Don Jail in Toronto was built by the Master of the Gothic, architect William Thomas. Thomas renowned for his beautiful, enduring structures, including…
- The Niagara-on-the-Lake Courthouse
- Brock’s Monument in Queenston Heights
- Toronto’s St. Lawrence Hall
- And most impressively, St. Michael’s Cathedral, also in Toronto
The Don Jail was one of his final designs. Completed in 1865, that’s five years after Thomas’s death.
And his vision was noble. Set as a place of rehabilitation, where prisoners might be inspired to reform. But budgets don’t care about humanity.
The Don Jail became overcrowded. Designed for about 300 inmates, it was soon packed with over 600. Becoming a nightmare for anyone who stepped through those iron doors.
Activists, politicians, and even prison guards cried out over the years. Screaming the conditions were inhumane.
And the leaders listened. Making one day served in the Don Jail count as three days on a prisoner’s sentence. Means they agreed it was inhumane.
But they didn’t want to spend the money to fix it or build something better.
Some improvements were attempted, including a “modern” wing added in 1958.
The original Gothic section was closed in 1977. And the “modern” wing only got worse. By 2003, a Toronto Star exposé revealed the truth.
Reporter Linda Diebel was given a tour. And even with the officials expecting her, she walked away fully disturbed.
Main quote from the article … “It was like walking into a madhouse from another century!”
Ten years later, in 2013, the Don Jail was finally closed for good. Dark history like this scream for a reminder through its ghosts.
Irritating Ghosts
Inside the Don Jail even the most skeptical and logical, prison guards and inmates alike, have come to believe.
Like one night in 2005. A prisoner in a cell near the exercise floor screamed for the guard.
The guard approached slowly, not caring to rush for another annoying request. “What’s the problem?” he snapped.
The inmate’s face was pale. He pointed a trembling arm toward the exercise floor.
“I heard a slap,” he whispered. “The chains were rattling.”
The guard hit the cell bars with his baton. “Go back to sleep,” he growled and returned to his post.
Then, from other cells came the screams, “Someone’s punching it!”
Fed up, the guards flipped on the lights and did a thorough search which revealed nothing.
The lights were turned off. The guard warning, “If anyone else yells, they’ll be sorry!”
Everything fell silent.
Hours later, two guards were making their rounds. They walked down the hall toward the exercise floor … then they heard it.
A sharp, wet slap against leather. Followed by the rattling chains of the punching bag.
*NOTE, no public access to the building (as of 2026)*
Guild Park & Gardens
A graveyard of historic buildings. Artifacts kept like massive gravestones to the city’s lost old structures.
This is one of the most impressive and unknown attractions in the city… and it’s free!
It all started with a mansion in 1914. Built for Brigadier General Harold Child Bickford, a veteran of the Boer War and World War I. He remained in that house until 1921, when the place was sold to Rosa Clark (nee Hewetson), who soon married Herbert Clark.
They turned it into an artists’ retreat, and the area became a tourist attraction. Expectedly, the old Bickford House was converted into accommodations, eventually named the Guild Inn.
Then came the 1960s. A rush to destroy historic buildings swept across Ontario. “Modern” was deemed better as cities sought impressive skylines filled with rectangular blocks.
The past became disposable.
The Clarks saw this and dedicated themselves to the preservation of historic structures. But when saving the building was impossible… they saved fragments instead.
Turning their land into a graveyard of stone and memory. Which ran for many years, until 2001, when the Guild Inn was closed due to financial troubles.
Thankfully, about ten years ago, the Bickford House was renovated and reopened as a special events venue. Which remains to this day.
Shadows of the Past
During its abandonment, paranormal investigators gained access to the building.
On one investigation, the team was in the basement. In the back, one man heard a crack from down the dark hallway behind him.
Years of investigating dark, empty, haunted places had desensitized him to the fear. He was unable to get the attention of the others. Then running alone into the darkness and ending up in a random room.
And there, on the floor, was a shadowed mass. A black pile, blocking the light of his flashlight.
He had no idea what it was. The investigator backed up as the mass rose, slowly forming into a small shape. It looked like a child.
The thing walked past him, moving into the hallway before fading into the wall.
This is said to be the resident ghost of the old Bickford House. A little boy, seen by many over the years.
Keg Mansion
LOCATION WEBSITE | MAP | MAID ARTICLE
Jarvis Street is the city’s old high society. Not only do you see the Keg Mansion, but many other old estates that once housed the families who owned Toronto.
The now Keg Mansion was once home to the McMaster family. Yes, part of the same family that founded McMaster University.
Later, it was purchased by the locally famous Massey family (see Massey Hall above). And now features one of the best ghost stories in Toronto … the legend of Lillian Massey’s loving maid.
Lillian Massey
Lillian was the daughter of industrialist Hart Massey. She eventually took over all the family’s affairs, which was a rarity during a time when women couldn’t even vote.
She continued the Massey’s charity work and philanthropy, including funding a landmark building for the University of Toronto just two years before her death in 1915.
Now named after her as the Lillian Massey Building at 125 Queens Park, right across from the Royal Ontario Museum (see above).
But her legacy didn’t end with just history.
Ghosts, Including Lillian’s Loving Maid
This legend may not be true, but this has gained popularity over the years. Leading to “Lillian’s Maid” being the resident ghost of the Keg Mansion.
The story goes like this … upon hearing of the death of her beloved mistress (Lillian didn’t die in Toronto, was in California). One of Lillian’s household maids was overcome with grief.
Not being about to live without her … she hanged herself from the oval vestibule (basically a hole in the floor looking to the first level) above the grand staircase.
Witnesses to Lillian’s Maid are many.
Over the years, staff have seen the woman hanging above the stairs, slowly swinging in the air for a few seconds before vanishing.
Afterwards, many witnesses question their sanity.
Gibraltar Lighthouse (Toronto Island)
A haunted place which includes a cheap ferry ride with a stunning view of the city. Followed by a calm walk on the secluded island.
Then an over 200-year-old haunted lighthouse!
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse has guided ships around Toronto Island since 1808. The ghostly legend surrounds its original and lonely lighthouse keeper, JP Radelmüller (John Paul).
Murder of Radelmüller
Just as the name suggests, Radelmüller (also known as Rademiller, Radenmuller, Radan Muller, etc.) wasn’t British. He was Bavarian. Born in Bavaria, a region that became part of Germany in 1851.
At the time, the British Royal Family had roots in Germany. Radelmüller started as a porter for Prince Edward, the brother of King George III.
He later accompanied the prince to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was here that Radelmüller fell in love with Canada. He eventually moved to Toronto to work as a German-to-English translator.
In 1809, he was appointed the first lighthouse keeper of Toronto Island’s Gibraltar Point Lighthouse.
Main Lighthouse Legend
In 1815, JP Radelmüller disappeared.
He is believed to have been murdered by a couple of British soldiers stationed on the island. All, simply, because Radelmüller ran out of beer in his “bootleg bar” near the Gibraltar Lighthouse.
They chased him back to the lighthouse and up the spiral stairs to the top. Radelmüller lost his balance and fell over the side to his death.
To cover up the accident, the soldiers dismembered his body and buried him in multiple graves scattered around the lighthouse grounds.
This is one of many versions of his death. But the common points remain…
- Radelmüller died
- His body was buried on the grounds
It was partly proven by a later lighthouse keeper named Durnan. He claimed to have found a human jawbone in a shallow grave near Radelmüller’s old cottage.
Not surprising his ghost remains. Mostly seen as a shadowy figure slowly climbing the stairs inside the old Gibraltar Lighthouse.
Hockey Hall of Fame
A beautiful building at Yonge and Front Streets, now home to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Its historic facade makes you think the HHOF has been in Toronto forever.
Not true. It came to Toronto in 1961. Initially as part of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). Eventually moving into this building in 1993. That’s just over 30 years in its current home.
The history of the building comes from it once being Toronto’s head office for the Bank of Montreal (BMO).
Built in 1885 by the Darling & Curry architectural firm. They were known for grand, elegant designs like this building, the Toronto Club, and the Romanesque-style Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital (now part of the University Health Network).
Dorothy
The most common ghost legend centers around a young teller named Dorothy.
She was said to have been in an affair. Possibly with another teller or the branch manager.
And after being rejected, she stole the bank’s gun and walked upstairs into the women’s washroom. It was there she ended her life.
The difference between this and many ghostly legends… there’s historical proof!
Thanks to the Toronto Star newspaper, we find out Dorothy was a real person. Her name was Dorothea Mae Elliott. A 19-year-old bank teller who worked in the building.
The tragic event took place on Wednesday, March 11, 1953.
A small death notice at the time didn’t include details. But personal accounts from her former co-workers shed light on the situation, though no one confirmed it was due to an affair.
Still, they remembered her beauty. One said, “She looked like actress Rita Hayworth.” Another said, “She was beautiful and very popular.”
On the day of her death, witnesses said she looked distressed. Just after 9 a.m., an employee screamed. No one heard the gunshot.
Dorothy is now a resident ghost, seen and experienced by many for over half a century.
Terrified Boy
Including a young boy visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame with his father, to enjoy his favourite sport.
The boy jumped back, terrified. His father looked over and saw him staring at a display wall of photos and facts. The color drained from his face.
“Don’t you see her? Don’t you see her?” the boy whispered.
The father saw no one.
But when asked later, the boy described a pretty woman with long black hair, moving down the hall, back and forth, through the walls.
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
Canada’s largest antiquities museum, on par with New York’s Museum of Natural History. Filled with artifacts spanning every era of human history.
In 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) opened under the leadership of Canada’s Governor General and the Duke of Connaught, Prince Arthur.
The building was later shaped by Charles Trick Currelly, whom we see as Canada’s Indiana Jones!
C.T. Currelly was a passionate collector, driven by a deep love for historic artifacts. He became involved with the ROM even before the building was completed. Later serving as Curator for over 30 years.
His influence helped acquire many of the treasures still on display today.
Charles Currelly Is Still There
This treasure hunter dedicated his life to the ROM. Not just as a curator, but as a guardian of its treasures. He loved the museum, even when the public didn’t come.
So much so he often slept overnight in the building. Setting up a cot among the displays. Just to be close to his artifacts.
That may be why so many workers have seen an older man walking the halls at night, long after the ROM has closed and all guests have gone home.
A round-faced man with kind eyes and a receding hairline. Dressed in a nightshirt. Moving slowly, as if searching for something.
He walks the corridors, then turns a corner and vanishes.
Hart House Theatre (U of Toronto)
Named after Hart Massey. Remember him? See the section on the Keg Mansion. Hart was the father of Lillian Massey, and lord of the house now home to a restaurant and the infamous Lillian’s Maid ghost.
The Hart House Theatre at the University of Toronto was Canada’s first “little theatre.” Built in 1919 as part of a massive student complex and designed as a hub for swimming, track, squash. Which included a library, and, of course, a theatre.
The entire complex was conceived and supported by the Massey family. Namely, Vincent Massey. Canada’s one-time Governor General, and grandson to Hart Massey. He named it after his grandfather.
So many soon-to-be famous entertainers got their start here, including…
- Hart’s other grandson, Oscar-winning actor Raymond Massey
- As well as Donald and Kiefer Sutherland
- And even Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels.
The list goes on.
Bert the Hero Ghost
Bert was a caretaker of the Hart Building in the 1950s. Known by everyone as a dedicated and kind man.
Then one day, as he stepped off a streetcar and onto the sidewalk, he collapsed. He was dead before anyone reached him.
So sudden and devoted. It’s said death didn’t stop him from going to work. Bert is now the resident ghost of the Hart House.
Years later, the theatre manager named Paul had a tough day. Knowing he’d have an early morning, he got permission to set up a cot in his office and sleep overnight.
“I woke to see a tall shadow standing in the doorway. That’s when I smelled the smoke.”
Paul jumped awake, ran through the now-empty doorway into the hallway, and pulled the alarm. Then he ran around, checking to see if anyone was working late.
Later, standing outside on the lawn, Paul yelled curiously, “Okay, who’s the hero? Who woke me up?”
Everyone was confused. Even the security guard had no idea.
Many believe it was Bert! Still watching over the place he loved.