Niagara’s Dark History

Dark History Tour – – Only dark history and strange stories of Canada’s Prettiest Town, Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Featuring the true villain of the 1813 burning, a disgruntled British politician.  With a disappearance that almost ended Freemasonry, the lover’s public execution and standing up to slavery with violence.

Plus a leisurely walk through Ontario’s oldest cemetery, stories of Niagara’s daredevils and a hidden historic fort.

BOOK NOW! | FAQ | NOTL GHOST WALK

||UPDATES

2024 Dates booking below …

Ghost Walks Gift Shop

127 Queen Street MAP & HOURS
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada

Gift Shop - accepted payment types - debit, interac, credit card

ARRIVE 5-10 MINS EARLY FOR CHECK-IN & INSTRUCTIONS

Niagara’s Dark history Prices

Adults . . . . . . . $15.00
Kids 13 & under . . . . $13.00

+ HST Tax / Small Booking Fee

Book for Niagara’s Dark History

Select Date / Click Book Now to See Times

Upcoming

  • Spring 2024
    • Sun Jun 2nd @ 3p
    • Sun Jun 9th @ 3p
    • Sun Jun 16th @ 3p
    • Sun Jun 23rd @ 3p
    • Sun Jun 30th @ 3p
  • Summer 2024
    • Sun Jul 7th @ 3p
    • Sun Jul 14th @ 3p
    • Sun Jul 21th @ 3p
    • Sun Jul 28th @ 3p
    • Sun Aug 4th @ 3p
    • Sun Aug 11th @ 3p
    • Sun Aug 18th @ 3p
    • Sun Aug 25th @ 3p
Tour info
Niagara's Dark History Tour - duration
Niagara's Dark History Tour - type of tour
Niagara's Dark History Tour - parking
Mature Content on Tour - not recommended for young kids
Niagara Dark History Wheelchair Access

group bookings for this tour
private walks information

FAQ & Interesting Info

Why we are different from other Tours?

A focus on masterful storytelling at a reasonable price (with no hidden fees!).  First, we’ve put special attention into respecting the ghost story.  Also, with a dedication to traditional styles mixed with natural (and interesting) odd history.  This is our specialty since 2003.

Reviews | What people are saying…

Ghost Walks of Niagara-on-the-LakeExcellentGhost Walks of Niagara-on-the-Lake5.0 Based on 848 reviews fromSee all reviewsGary NalessoGary Nalesso ★★★★★ Gill the magician was an excellent guide and story teller was such a fun experience highly recommendMaxine PyeMaxine Pye ★★★★★ We had the Magician as our tour guide and he was quite entertaining and engaging with the audience. Really enjoyed hearing the stories of Niagara on the Lake’s spookier history.Mehdi PakzadMehdi Pakzad ★★★★★ Very entertaining .......Mehdi PakzadMehdi Pakzad ★★★★★ We had Gil as our tour guide. He was a very entertaining story teller. Very interesting story to tell about NOTL.Paige CastlePaige Castle ★★★★★ Wow! What a fun and unique experience. My husband and I booked a tour and we are so happy that we did. Our guide was "Black Widow," and she was AMAZING. Such a great storyteller and so funny. Such a cool way to tour the town and learn about it's history. Would highly recommend!Melodie PereiraMelodie Pereira ★★★★★ We had "The Black Widow" and she has set the bar really high for any future tours. The whole experience was made even more captivating by her performance. It seemed to fly by. Highly recommend this tour!Bulldog MamaBulldog Mama ★★★★☆ I've done this walk quite a few times. I like it. Adding Gil the Magician gives it a little extra :)Sucks that the story of the hotel was removed from the story. And I think you should try to go a little slower for elderly and disabled. It was difficult to keep up.Andrea MacLeanAndrea MacLean ★★★★★ We did a tour on Feb 3/24 with the Black Widow. She was an amazing guide. Tour was fun and hit all of the right notes for a ghost walk. Highly recommend!Erin HandErin Hand ★★★★★ We had the Black widow as our guide. She was fantastic. I have been on a few of these ghost walks in different cities and she was by far the best. I felt like I had been at a live theatre performance.Mark JulesMark Jules ★★★★★ The Ghost Walk tour was very entertaining. We learned a lot about the history of Niagara-On-The-Lake and the guide kept it very interesting.Renee BentleyRenee Bentley ★★★★★ What an awesome walk! Very informative and entertaing!! Our guide Gill "The Magician" made our evening suspensful and educational. We were so caught up with our family chit chat and then wnd we didnt get to tip him!! Next visit! Eould like to do the walk in all seasonsHere are a few photos from our walk.Jamie StraughanJamie Straughan ★★★★★ Gill The Magician was great. Thanks for a wonderful and spooky evening.Colin MayerColin Mayer ★★★★★ My girlfriend and went for the first time and Regiena Rose was excellent! She was well versed in the stores and approached everything with a fun and energy. We recommend booking a tour if you are in the area. I would pack gloves and a warm hat, but still would do it again in a heartbeatAnna TurbettAnna Turbett ★★★★★ My Daughter, partner and myself went on the walk this past week. It was not what I expected, it was very informative and the tour guide was awesome and very entertaining, I would highly recommend doing this to anyone coming to visit NotlGerry SheahanGerry Sheahan ★★★★★ WE had Regina Rose (alias Anne Marie) as our guide..AWESOME..FABULOUS...FUNNY AND VERY INFORMATIVE..we really enjoyed it..thank you...april557april557 ★★★★★ My partner and I had the best time doing this. We had the absolute perfect guide - Black Widow. We ended up LOVING the tour and would highly recommend it. The black widow was hilarious and very entertaining. She has a way of story-telling that makes it all so fun. Black widow did a great job at creating a spooky, funny, and informational environment. Not only was she able to keep things fun and dark, she also shared some very interesting facts and history about the town that gave tourists some cool knowledge about where exactly they were staying. Awesome experience; black widow did a stellar job!js_loader

Are group discounts available?

If you have a group of 8 or more people we may be able to provide a discount depending on night and time of year. Find out by Making Contact.   Mention the number of people.

Why are dates and times missing when booking?

When a date or time slot is missing in the Booking… If a missing time, that tour time is sold out.  A missing date, means the entire night is sold out.

Should I book in advance?

Yes.  We are limited on space for tours.  Advance bookings allows us to guarantee spots for you, and book in additional guides if needed.

Can I buy tickets right before the tour?

Yes.  As long as the tour isn’t sold out. 

Please arrive at the Ghost Walks Gift Shop 15-20 minutes before the tour time.  You can buy tickets and get really easy directions to the starting location.  The starting location is a 3 minute walk from the shop.

Do we go into any of the buildings?

This is an outdoor tour.  Featuring a walk through the cemetery and stop in the picturesque Gazebo.

St. Mark’s Cemetery Walk

Oldest in Ontario

One of the main features of this unique tour is a stroll through St. Mark’s Cemetery.  The oldest in Ontario gives it a feel more common in historic European towns.  With randomly places stones and crypts shaded by mature trees.

The site of much history and legend.

Featuring…

  • The most important rock of the War of 1812
  • The tragic story behind two empty graves
  • A gruesome legend around one damaged stone
  • And the reason for an unmarked grave

It’s the kind of cemetery you’d expect to be in the legendary Niagara-on-the-Lake.  And a big part of this late afternoon stroll through the darker side of Canada’s Prettiest Town.

Canada’s Most Haunted Town has to have Dark History

Much Very Dark History

So many stories surround this very historic region.  British Canada was born out of the violence in Niagara.  This Tour is all about that rich history.

Including the Burning of Niagara on the Lake

After the defeat of the American’s in Stoney Creek.  The War of 1812 is looking bleak.  For none more than a former British Loyalist named Joseph.  He staked his whole life on the Americans.

Failed and ruined.  When hearing the Americans would abandon Niagara-on-the-Lake, Joseph snapped. 

It was British Politician!

It was Joseph who suggested they burn the town.  Said, “To deny the British shelter during the cold winter.  It’ll slow them down.” 

Then on the night of December 10th, 1813, he rode around town on his horse forcing families out of their homes. 

Many ran in fear to succumb to the cold.  As soldiers marched and burned.  Over 400 women, children and elderly forced into the cold.

Just a taste.  The interesting parts of the full history featured on Niagara’s Dark History Tour.

Visiting the Graves – Full and Empty

Includes a walk-through Ontario’s oldest cemetery at St. Marks Church.  Containing so many graves filled with the bodies of town pioneers.  And 2 empty ones.

We’ll talk about the tragic story of the Foam.  A Toronto yacht which left Toronto bound for the Queen’s Royal Hotel in Niagara on the Lake. 

Headstrong boys were too brave.  They sailed into a storm off of Port Dalhousie. 

They found the boat the next morning.  Only 5 of the 7 boys in there cabin beds, as if peacefully sleeping. 

7 graves with 5 bodies = 2 empty.  The interesting parts of this story, and others including the truth of the “Chopping Block” stone… all inside this beautiful Graveyard.