For an entertaining fall evening activity, I decided to sign up for the Original Haunted Walk Tour to hear some of Ottawa’s ghost stories. The tour runs every evening night from April until November at 8 pm departing from the Haunted Walk ticket office at 46 1/2 Sparks Street.
The 90-minute tour walks by some of Ottawa’s most famous landmarks at night where you are lead to some of Ottawa’s haunted spots including the Bytown Museum, the Fairmont Château Laurier, city hall, and the Grant House (where Beckta Dining & Wine is located).
Lead by lantern light, the tour is a wonderful way for tourists to see the city at night, or for locals to learn more about the rich history of the downtown core. My tour guide was an outstanding storyteller who had a rich knowledge of the various buildings and the hauntings at each location. Each of her stories was expertly done and captivated the audience with her ghost tales. Despite living in Ottawa most of my life, her tales were all new to me, and I left with a deeper knowledge of local history. For example, I never realized the location near where the tour starts from used to be a cemetery that had to be moved.
Related: Spooky Things To Do In Ottawa This Halloween
In addition to the Original Haunted Walk, Haunted Walks of Ottawa also has a variety of other tours with some taking place year-round while others being offered seasonally. For those looking for a frightful tour for Halloween, there is Canada’s Scariest Ghost Stories where you visit the Bytown Museum which is said to be Ottawa’s most haunted building. Or for those of you brave enough to take a tour in the dark, there is the Ghost and Gallows tour at the old Carleton County Jail which is listed by Lonely Planet as one of the most haunted places in the world where it is believed Patrick Whalen who was hung for killing Thomas D’Arcy McGee haunts the building.
For more interactive adventures, there is the Incident At The Bunker which is a zombie challenge at the Diefenbunker or Stranger Tales which is a group scavenger hunt around downtown Ottawa which sounds outstanding.
If you are looking for a fun activity to do around Halloween, the Original Haunted Walk is certain to entertain. To sign up for the Original Haunted Walk or any of the other tours listed you can buy your tickets online at the Haunted Walks of Ottawa’s website.