Ruthven of Cayuga
Our rare tour inside a haunted mansion and featuring two graveyards at night.
First step inside the Thompson mansion. Stories of a playful little resident ghost and feelings of dread from old tradition. Once the home of a famous Canadian actor, and now his ghost.
Then step out to where a town once stood for true darkness. Walk right into the worker and family cemeteries. Featuring our fear of death, the founder’s revenge and possession at the family plot.
The scariest (aka best) way to experience this unique place!
BOOK NOW! | FAQ | REVIEWS | ABOUT RUTHVEN
(ghosts are real time)
|| UPCOMING TOUR | New date! Friday the 13th in September now booking…
Mansion
Facing to the Grand River & why Indiana existed
Main Parlour
Location of many family gatherings, happy and tragic
Graveyard
The town graveyard at night to take lore, superstition and why we fear cemeteries
Ruthven Park
243 Haldimand Hwy. #54
Cayuga, Ontario
MAP
Prices
Adults . . . . . . . $15.04
Kids 13 & under . . . . $8.85
Seniors 60 & over . $11.50
+ HST Tax
FAQ & About Ruthven
Check out related reviews at…
Google Rating
4.4
Based on 34 reviews
The Ghost Walks
4.4
Grace Stockham
02:21 03 Jul 19
My boyfriend and I had a really great time on the downtown walk and definitely plan on getting out to see more tours. Our guide, whose name I unfortunately can’t recall, was SUPER knowledgeable about every site and you could tell that he was very passionate about what he was doing. Even if you aren’t totally sold on the whole ghost vibe, the tour is still great to learn a little bit of history about the buildings around us. I had also booked a tour for a different location and wanted to switch to this location, the customer service was awesome and the booking was switched painlessly.
Liane Ross
19:37 24 Jun 19
Ada Blair
05:13 17 Jun 19
Loved our walk at Hermitage Ruins. Loved all the stories that our ghost guide Geoffrey told us that surround this place. Even though the weather did not cooperate and it rained, it did not dampen our spirits!
Stacie Lee
00:54 17 Jun 19
We went on a ghost walk and had Daniel as our guide. He was fantastic! He was engaged with the group, really knew his history and set the mood well. It was drizzling outside and it definitely added to the mood and made it feel even more creepy. I would highly recommend this tour and we will definitely be going on more in the future. Can’t wait to do one during the fall season. Thank you Daniel!
Jodi Watson
04:44 16 Jun 19
A great combination of history and ghost stories. I've attended two ghost walks so far, The Ruthven and The Hermitage Ruins. The ghost walks are an awesome opportunity to see some unique locations and learn about the history. Would absolutely recommend.
Bailey Willock
03:08 16 Jun 19
Had a great night even with the drizzle the stories were told amazingly we will definitely be checking out some more ghost walks thanks guys !
Josh Veres
14:37 29 May 19
Such a fun and chilling experience. I was apprehensive but proved completely wrong. Very friendly and kind guides. Will absolutley go again. Keep up the good work you guys!
Chrissie Fandrich
12:08 29 May 19
I have been going on ghost walks for about 15 years. I've gone on the downtown once multiple times because I enjoy it so much! Spooky Steph and the other tour guides do an amazing job of mixing ghost stories with historical information. It's a great way to get out and grow an appreciation for the downtown of Hamilton.
Cheryl Adkins
01:50 16 Apr 19
My husband, myself, and friends of ours went on the walk at the Hermatage this past Sat. It was very well organized, with the e- mailed instructions and directions being very clear and understandable. Dan was an awesome guide...very personable and made the history of the area really fresh and interesting.We can't wait to go on more Ghost Walks!
Michelle Phillips
18:18 13 Apr 19
Really enjoyed the Dark History Tour last night. So much fun being a tourist in our own city and learning about the interesting characters who have shaped what our city looks like today. Also loved the Ghost Trolley last year, and can't wait to check the other walks! Daniel is a great story teller, and really draws you into the stories he shares.
Jennifer Heeringa
16:37 02 Jan 19
Daniel was such a great host for our ghost walk in Hamilton. Having grown up in the city but been away for many years it was so great to hear about some of the history I was not aware of. Daniel is very knowledgeable and makes the walk lots of fun. Would highly recommend his tours.
Mel Mell
14:23 02 Jan 19
Have done almost all of the Ghost Walks venues and can't wait for more. Daniel and his crew are amazing story tellers and really make an enjoyable evening. Love the history!
Shawn Luangraj
02:14 18 Dec 18
Daniel was a great ghost walk tour guide. I've been living in Hamilton for about six years now and it was refreshing seeing the downtown sites and hearing all the spooky stories. Daniel opened our eyes up to the surrounding architecture and made us search up historic buildings that don't exist anymore. Hope to do more ghost walks soon.
K Doc
17:47 15 Nov 18
I love the history and stories. Daniel and his crew are very entertaining and passionate with the way they tell their tales. The ghost stories aren't jump out and scare you, more of a retelling of the stories from those who have experienced strange and unnatural events. I have been on many tours from several operators and will say Daniel does it the best.
Scott Mitchell
02:35 06 Nov 18
I've done pretty much all of his tours with my dad and the stories and history in the walks provided by the ghost guides is really really good. The ghost guides tell the stories with excitement and passion. Check out some of the walks offered. They're worth the money spent and you'll definitely come away with something to talk about after. If you're in Niagara on the Lake, make sure you stop in at the ghost walks shop.
Natalija Milkova
14:53 05 Nov 18
Shanna Scarr
16:36 31 Oct 18
Very informative and the guide had a lot of historical knowledge of Hamilton! Great for novices. Not particularly spooky though!
Aleksandra Urbanek
13:47 29 Oct 18
Awesome and knowledgeable guide, 4th walk we have done and always have a great time.
free smiles
10:09 29 Oct 18
We managed to get a spot- albeit barely. It was a dark cold rainy night which added to the spook and mud factor. The stories were creepy, tour guide was great, and I definitely caught some paranormal stuff on my camera 👻
Dynasty Logins
16:21 26 Oct 18
I took my pathfinder unit on the downtown walk and everyone had a great time!! Definitely would recommend this walk 🙂
Emily Hearn
02:01 23 Oct 18
Stacey
17:05 19 Oct 18
My daughter and I experienced this together for the first time last night. Graham is a fantastic, enthusiastic, storyteller. We enjoyed learning the groovy and ghostly history of our fine city during the tour and will definitely try a different tour that is offered by these folks! It Involved walking quite a bit, dress accordingly!
Marlene Reid
17:02 19 Oct 18
Graham did a great job on the tour. Super interesting facts!
M Bennett
23:24 08 Aug 18
Great ghostly adventures!
Erika Kosciuch
13:34 01 Jul 18
It’s not often my fiancée and I get to do things like the ghost walk. I can tell you neither of us were disappointed. Graham was awesome, I loved that he totally gets into character. He tells the stories really well, and made the evening really enjoyable. One suggestion: since the Hamilton spectator was mentioned a couple times, it would be so neat to have copies of the news reports from some of the stories for your guests to see.
Taylor Partridge
12:27 10 Oct 17
Recently went on a tour of the Scottish Rite, this was my second ghost tour with this group. It was a very pleasant experience and the tour guide Danielle (I believe his name to be) is an absolute genius at story telling. You can really see his passion and knowledge shine through! It was very interesting to hear the stories of the Scottish Rite, it was not my first time in the building- my mother was married there, but this was a completely different experience, the things we got to see, and where we were taken in the house- you cant find this on any other tour but this one. I absolutely would recommend, ages on the tour ranged from about 8-64.
Kevron Caines
21:15 22 Sep 17
There's so much going in oh my
Pyper Willoughby
20:54 18 Sep 17
Cherlyn Cochrane
17:14 19 Aug 16
I've been on many of the Ghost Walk tours, and they are amazing. The organiser and host of these tours is a fantastic story teller, and he is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Hamilton's rich and spooky history. My personal favourite is a tie between the Downtown tour and the Dark Trolley Tour. If you're looking for a way to learn some of the history of Hamilton or Niagara region, you can't go wrong with these guys.
Facebook Rating
5.0
Based on 57 reviews
The Ghost Walks
5.0
Sarah Andrew
04:31 15 Jul 19
Had a great time was my first ghost walk cant wait to come and do it again 🙂
Kristin Noelle Blazona
03:26 15 Jul 19
wonderful experience beautiful town so happy we made sure to do this during our stay!
Amanda Capar
02:58 13 Jul 19
Went to the Niagara-on-the-Lake tour, the docent was great, very feeling. The information was cool, and I liked that there was so much history in with the ghosts.
Melanie Green
02:11 08 Jul 19
Went on the Ghost Walk last night and it was very informative and spooky. Our guide Geoff spoke clearly and kept everyone’s attention. The tour was the perfect length and had us all throughout Niagara on the Lakes downtown core. Highly recommend, you won’t be disappointed!
Melanie Todd
13:06 03 Jul 19
We went on the ghost walk Niagara-on-The-Lake on Mother’s Day weekend- we had a great time! Our host Daniel did a great job at keeping us captivated- great story telling! Would recommend!
Jody Stradeski
15:13 02 Jul 19
We went on this tour last week and found it very interesting! I recommend it for sure!
Nichole Cuomo Bell
06:42 24 Jun 19
Great evening in a beautiful place. Loved the stops and the stories. Wonderful and creepy, just how I like it
Tandeka Tremblay
00:19 24 Jun 19
Always a great time! Good for history buffs and fans of the supernatural alike. The story tellers are so captivating and can throw in a bit of humour to break the tension! I’ve been to three of their tours, and will look forward to more. Would highly recommend. 👍🏾
Ada Blair
05:17 17 Jun 19
Our walk through Hermitage Ruins last evening was interesting and enjoyed it very much. We enjoyed the stories our ghost guide, Geoffrey told us. Even though it rained it did not dampen our spirits.
Mary Joan Martinez
05:11 16 Jun 19
I just attended the Dark history of Hamilton. Daniel led the tour with well researched knowledge of the stories he told us on the tour. My friend Antonella now wants to join me on one of these tours. Thank-you Daniel.
Joel Mcquaid
14:02 15 Jun 19
Very interesting, lots of fun. Daniel did a great job of telling the stories. I actually wished it was longer.
Rocky VonCat
20:46 07 Jun 19
We were the only two on our walk but that did not matter. Jackson our guide was awesome. He keep our attention and answered questions we had. He said that we were his first tour on his own. If he did not tell us that we would never had guessed it. I highly recommend doing one of these walks. The night we went out it was raining but when we stopped at the lake the fog made it that much more creepy.
Annette Sweet
22:44 19 May 19
omfg where do I start Daniel was awesome Fun uplifting.. Had an amazing time.. can't wait for the next one
Treena N Jeff Hennessey
15:02 12 May 19
This is our second ghost walk in Ontario. The first was at Fort George in Niagara on the Lake. Both times the hosts were excellent at creating excitement, curiosity and emotional effect. The stories told have enticed us to want to explore more cities in the Province we were born into. Hamilton has never been a destination we would put on our travel itinerary but after learning about the history of some of the buildings and characters that once lived there, we are intrigued to go back during daylight hours ; ) Thank you Daniel for a fun, informative and spooky night!The Hennesseys
Cindy Pratt
00:00 22 Apr 19
Daniel was great host right from the start to the finish. He was very informative with the haunting history of NOTL. He tell's stories of war's dating back to the 1800's, murder's and haunting mysteries that even today go unsolved. Niagara-on-the-Lake is the perfect place to take a Ghost Walk as it is one of the most haunted and oldest parts of history in Canada. I would highly recommend this Ghost Walk and hope you end up with Daniel he's a great story teller. If you are looking for creepy, intriguing and exciting dark and spooking night take a Ghost Walk with Daniel you'll love it. Thanks
Chantelle Sheppard-Wielinga
13:27 07 Apr 19
Last minute my husband and I decided to take a “Haunted Expedition” to Niagara-on-the-Lake and I was so excited to add a Ghost Walk Tour to our trip. This was the first time I’ve been able to take one of these tours and I foresee many more in the future. In the 90 minutes our guide lead us around the most historic and beautiful parts of the town, engaging and interacting with the group and not once did I think “is it almost over??” In fact, I wish there could’ve been more. It was great to spend an evening with other believers hearing the stories and history of the town. In our tour, a woman was taking photos of a house in town from behind my husband and I. She was using an iPhone which has the ability to take “Live Photos” which is simply a 3 second video that allows you to choose the perfect picture. Anyways. During one of these Live Photo’s, there was a glitch in her camera that made it zoom in on the back of my husbands head and very quickly, his face appears on the back of his head. Super creepy, I have a sensitivity and at this location I felt very sick to my stomach, could this have been why? Thank you so much Ghost Walks! Until next time!
Simon Heasman
21:06 06 Apr 19
My daughter and i had a fantastic time at Michelin Priory. The story's and tour of the prioy was great. Highly recommend to both young and old for a night out with a difference.
Brendan Garland
02:47 31 Mar 19
We went last night with a group of friends and family and it was very informative and fun. Lots of history of the town and a nice long walk to several spots. Would recommend.
Heather Schatte Dramnitzke
03:44 17 Mar 19
We had a wonderful time with our guide Geoffrey! Lots of history and spooky ghost stories... looking forward to going on another tour in the future!
Francesca Fusaro
02:26 28 Jan 19
I highly recommend THE GHOST WALKS. We did the Niagara on the Lake yesterday evening and it was so fun! Daniel told us so many interesting facts about the dark side of this beautiful tourist destination. We even experienced a creepy vision or two...or did we!
Hayley Elizabeth
20:40 16 Dec 18
After going on a ghost walk in Salem, MA, my boyfriend and I were thrilled when we saw a sign for a ghost walk in NOTL! Bill (Sir William) did an amazing job as our tour guide, had great stories and extensive knowledge of the area. Awesome time!
Callie Marie
00:34 10 Dec 18
Went on our first ghost walk last night in downtown Hamilton. It was cold but the walk was so interesting didn’t even notice it - 90 mins flew by! We had Daniel as our guide and he was excellent. Appreciate all the research that clearly goes into these tours and the little tidbits here and there walking from one stop to the next. Can’t wait to do another!
Cher Gravestock-Gauthier
17:43 09 Dec 18
I absolutely recommend you go on one of The Ghost Walks.They are not only informative about our city's history, they are also a lot of fun.Daniel Cumerlato has a great knowledge of our "Dark" history and can weave a tale to keep you captivated...he has a great sense of humor too.I do enjoy these Ghost Walks and hopefully you will too.Thanks again Ghost Walks and I'll see you soon.
Sean Bath
15:02 09 Dec 18
I finally got out for a Ghost Walk ! I literally found myself hanging on every word Daniel spoke! The history and Ghost stories in the cold dark night were just amazing! I will be back for more! I seriously recommend Fhost Walks . You won’t be disappointed !
Karin Schliesske
19:30 16 Nov 18
The atmosphere alone is worth going. Our guide did an amazing job of retelling The Hermitage's history, which was an added bonus. Even if you are not interested in the ghost aspect, it won't disappoint.
JG Smith
12:42 05 Nov 18
Creepy Toronto history sites discussed along guided tour. Wish we could have explored inside them though!
Patricia Barlow
20:01 04 Nov 18
Daniel is an engaging, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable guide. We took the bus tour. It was fun, informative and a great evening!!
Nance Mallon
16:31 04 Nov 18
had an awesome night last night on the ghost bus tour ...the ghost legends were great ...love albion falls day or night ...over all was an awesome experience that i would do again ...its a must do!!!
Hassan Wadi
13:43 03 Nov 18
We had an amazing time. The guide was very nice and played the role very nicely. Lots of great stories. Would recommend to all ages!
Mike Da Costa
15:43 02 Nov 18
If you would like to learn about the dark history of Niagara-on-the-Lake then this tour is the best way to do it. The guides are entertaining and very informative. Our guide Sir Bob did an extraordinary job telling the group about all the history. It’s a great way to learn about the most haunted city in Canada. I would definitely recommend the tour to anyone who is interested or even curious to learn about the Hauntings that exist in this beautiful, and very historical city.
Maleeka Shaw
19:39 28 Oct 18
This was an amazing, informative guide! Both my sister and I really enjoyed the tour. We are Toronto girls born and bred but didn't have a clue about our city in this light. Daniel was enthusiastic, theatrical (but in a good way), informative and kind. He was also very helpful to me when I needed to reschedule my date from September to October. He was quite accommodating to that personal matter. I look forward to taking more tours in the near future when the weather gets warmer! thanks again, Daniel!
Sabrina Persaud
21:13 27 Oct 18
Did the downtown Toronto Ghost Walk that started at Old City Hall and rate my experience 5/5. I loved how our guide, Sandra, mixed in general facts about the locations with cool ghost stories. Also loved her enthusiastic energy. Definitely a cool way to learn more about the city's history. Would absolutely book a tour again for a different neighbourhood.
Colleen O'Neill
12:56 27 Oct 18
We have now done the Ghost Walks at The Scottish Rite & Ruthven. Absolutely fantastic! Packed full of historical information, great spooky stories and stunning settings! We had the same tour guide both times...she is a wonderful storyteller!
Sammie Leeman
16:25 26 Oct 18
I took my pathfinder unit on the downtown walk and everyone had a great time!! Definitely would recommend this walk 🙂
Mike Cann
03:36 23 Oct 18
My wife and I attended the Niagara on the Lake ghost walk on a cold windy Sunday night. It turned out to be the perfect setting for our guide to shine! Stella, our guide, did an awesome job and was very knowledgeable about the area and our numerous stops. Looking forward to attending another one soon!
Georgia Corkins
15:09 22 Oct 18
Took the kids to the Scottish Rite ghost walk. It was very entertaining. Our guide was quite the actress and did an awesome job "setting the mood." Gorgeous spooky building.
Arkın Gelişin
11:16 22 Oct 18
We joined the tour at the Scottish Rite. It was just amazing. All the historical facts and the spooky stories told by our guide, who was phenomenal, were creepy and so realistic. I didn't get bored even one minute. Special thanks to our guide. Her performance was so amazing. When she was telling all the spooky stories, I had that feeling it's just happening that moment. for sure we will join another walk.
Andrea Bond
18:19 21 Oct 18
My daughter and I took the ghost walk last week and we really enjoyed it. We loved learning about local history and legends. Our guide was a wonderful storyteller. Niagara on the Lake is a beautiful town as well!
Erica Dobbelsteyn
15:43 21 Oct 18
The guide Stella was great! Thank you so much for a great tour!! It was so interesting to hear all about the history of NOTL and to walk around downtown and by the water! I even had a weird experience happen! I always recommend people go because you never know what to expect 😉
Sarah Duggan
13:37 21 Oct 18
Our guide, Mitchell, was amazing even though the weather was absolutely wretched.
Fran Bongard
16:03 16 Oct 18
Definitely 5 stars!!!! Just finished our ghost walk with the girl filling in for Andy while he’s in Ottawa. It’s was only her second tour ever and she was delightful. Spoken well, delivered with great intonation! My son and enjoyed ourselves and now have three more things we want to do inspired by this tour. Thank you so much!
Sherry Pine-Boyer
03:58 09 Oct 18
I love the ghost walks at all of the different locations . It’s always an awesome experience to look back into the past an learn of those events in time . All of the guides we have had for different walks have been amazing an very personable !! 👻
Nancy Confalone
01:08 09 Oct 18
It was extremely cool. Geoff our guide was really knowledgeable and interesting. Second ghost walk we’ve done and really enjoyed both. We will go on another one.
Donna Ozol Lyons
00:42 30 Sep 18
Went on a Ghost walk the other night and it was awesome. Our story teller was the best. GREAT !!!
Robyn Moore
15:27 28 Sep 18
I recommend Ghost Walk in Niagara-on-the-Lake, known as the most haunted town in Canada. Our guide was very interesting and informative about each of the stops we made on our 90 minute walk and even as a local, I learned more about the town and its history,
Becky Stelmach
20:27 19 Sep 18
I recommend Ghost Walks for sure ,, it was a lot of fun and the stories were insane but so cool ,, our tour guide Bill aka Sir William seemed like he loved his job and he was so nice and did so awesome telling the stories ,, i would defiantly do it again ,, my boyfriend and i loved it and i would absolutely do it again
Char Harris
18:44 18 Sep 18
took the ghost walk at Toronto distillery best time ever Owen was an excellent tour guide kept us intrigued the whole time
Diane Acedo
07:54 09 Sep 18
The town is full of history and everyone is friendly! We did not see any ghosts, but enjoyed the tour a lot!
Stephanie Dub
17:55 20 Aug 18
I have now been on approximately 9 different ghost walks in different cities and found that this company does one of the best jobs. Definitely most well researched. The Bus Tour is the best as by travelling they can cover more interesting stories in the allotted time.
Gary Troy Miller
03:03 07 Aug 18
We had a great time on our ghost walk. Our guide was fun, energetic and really made our tour exciting.I actually caught something in one of my photos. A weird blue light were there was nothing?
powered by Facebook
A focus on masterful storytelling and a reasonable price. We’ve put special attention into respecting the ghost story. This dedication to traditional styles mixes well with the natural (and only interesting) odd history. It’s been our specialty since 2003!
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). To find out, Make Contact with us and mention the number of people and desired date for your group.
If a time is missing from the Book Now form, it means that tour time is fully booked and unavailable. If the date is missing, it means the entire Ghost Walk is sold out.
Indiana, Ontario (now Ruthven) is a ghost town unlike those with wooden structures along dusty roads, men with cowboy hats walking about on plank sidewalks. Canada’s ghost town is different.
. . .
Little Bessie – –
During a historical tour a young girl wasn’t listening. They all listened to the guide, parents and daughter, as they went through the mansion. Amazing stories of how the Thompson’s lived and what they experienced. Then arriving at the grand staircase, the tour guide noticed the little girl focusing on the stairs.
She ignored it, continued on with the stories and forgot…
