Hamilton Ghost Walk

I don’t think it’s a secret anymore that we love anything paranormal: buildings, caves, highways, forests, you name it. When we knew we were going to Canada again, Andrea decided to find one thing exciting for us to do. She chose the Hamilton Ghost Walk tour.

It was the last tour available of the year, and we were fortunate enough to snag some tickets.

Two Hamilton Ghost Walk Tickets with ticket numbers, and email and website address

On the evening we bundled up warmly making sure we had extra batteries for our camera.

Arriving early, we found somewhere to park, grabbed a hot chocolate from Starbucks and started to snap some warm-up pictures while we waited for the tour to start.

The Christmas lights were lining the streets, giving a warm feeling to the night, adding to our excitement.

Large outdoor Christmas Tree, heavily decorated with hundreds of lit lights. to the left in a large HAMILTON sign all lit up. Behind, buildings with lights in the windows. Dark sky — Hamilton sign and Christmas tree

The tour is scheduled for 90 minutes and takes you to some prominent historic buildings in downtown Hamilton. I should mention that we did not go inside any of the buildings on this particular tour. (Some of the other tours do, however.)

Winter evening. Street lamp lit. Front of the once royal Connaught Hotel in Hamilton Ghost Walk. Arch window. Front entrance canopy, bordered with shrubs and bushes — Royal Connaught Hotel

We were standing in front of the first stop of the night. Our tour guide, Daniel, was terrific. He was fun, witty, knowledgable and above all, very passionate about everything he was telling us. We love that!

Young man dressed in 1800s clothing, wearing a top hat, long coat, leather gloves. He is holding a 19th century lantern and is wearing glasses. Our tour guide for Hamilton Ghost Walk — Daniel, our tour guide

His attire was perfect for the evening and added “a little bit extra” to the entire experience. Thank you again, Daniel.

Gentleman in 19th century winter clothing, top hat, long coat, leather gloves standing in front of a building. There is a crowd of people standing around him listening to him give a talk on Hamilton Ghost Walk. The replica lantern is placed on the ground

the hamilton ghost walk begins

Our first stop was the Royal Connaught Hotel which is now condos. The once historic hotel reportedly has the spirit of a woman in white wandering the halls.

Directly across the street from us was another haunted location.

Large arch window encompassing a doorway in a late 19th century building. Across the entrance is the sign Escape Manor — Escape Manor

Now named Escape Manor, this remodelled building is haunted by a woman as well. She is said to appear upstairs, lingering around a room that no longer exists! When spotted, she always seems very angry. The rumour goes that her husband, who once owned the building, used to lock her in his office. They would argue constantly, and on one occasion, the argument got way out of hand; dead silence followed. She was never seen again.

Ghost sign on an old building reading "Hardware Department" on Hamilton Ghost Walk — Maybe not a haunted building on the tour, but a pretty great Ghost sign

We then followed Daniel further along the street to a statue which had been moved from its original location closer to the Connaught Hotel. The reason for the move was, during a call to a fire, the old fire-wagon took the corner too quickly, colliding with it. A gentleman was thrown headfirst into the base cornerstone. His spirit still roams.

what floor, please?

The next historic building is a real beauty and has a fun haunt to go with it. It was the first-ever high rise in Hamilton to have not only one, but three elevators.

This four-storey building was Hamilton's first skyscraper. built in the late 1800s — This four-storey building was Hamilton’s first skyscraper.

The owner loved them so much he would be known to take breaks and pretend to be the elevator attendant. He even decided to play pranks on the customers, taking them to the bottom floor instead of the top, stopping in-between levels and have the guests climb out. Some people think he may still be playing pranks to this very day.

Corner of the four storey building taken at an angle looking up. Ornate brickwork and windows. Now a Tim Hortons on Hamilton Ghost Walk

The following site we visited was behind some buildings, in a dark alleyway — the perfect setting for the next story, which is not substantiated by any means.

Use your discretion and make your own decision. These are merely a few facts that you can Google.

jack the ripper?

One Francis Tumblety was a snake oils salesman who made a decent living throughout America and Canada. Tumbilety moved frequently, and had a failed marriage to a woman whom he later found out was a prostitute.

Replica late 1800s gas lantern. Metal, with thin handle. Lit with a red light for a more authentic feel on the Hamilton Ghost Walk

Frances fancied himself as a great physician and made it very clear of his hatred for all women, especially for “women of the night”. He is said to have jars of uteruses which he would put on display at his all-male dinners.

There may be evidence that Tumblety was staying in Whitechapel at the time of the notorious Jack the Ripper murders and Scotland Yard was interested in talking with him, so he fled the country.

You can find out more information and get further details by going on the Hamilton Ghost Walk Tour.

what lies beneath?

Hamilton Place was our next destination. Not for the view or the architecture, but for what lies beneath.

Stairwell leading down into a carpark to a more modern Hamilton — The stairwell leading to a more modern Hamilton – still haunted.

The basement of the concert hall was the basis of the next story because it connects with the two other buildings in an underground labyrinth. (Or so we were told since we didn’t go down there, but boy would we love to!)

whitehern

Whitehern. A beautiful house with an up and down history. Keep quiet about this haunting, because the Historical Society will have no part of that type of reputation.

Some do believe that the tortured soul of Isaac McQuesten, may still roam the halls and staircase. He passed away in the home after mixing alcohol, his favourite kind of drink, with some sleeping meds.

House built late 1840s Late Classical house . Stone steps leading to Entrance door. One large window on each side of door, and three further windows on the first floor can be seen. The windows are lit. It's night time. To the left of the photo is a large tree on the Hamilton Ghost Walk — Whitehern

We do know for sure that this stately home is a gorgeous landmark in the city of Hamilton and we would love to take a tour of it at some point.

Watching a ghost from the past coming down the stairs, never to ascend again. This history took place only feet away, 132 years ago, but even after all that time, I could picture it, as if it were happening right now.

Where are the graves?

Down the street a little further we came upon St. Paul’s Church which began construction in 1854 and completed three years later. Since it’s inception, they had issues with the bell tower. Some chimes would even play backwards. Who knew gothic-looking churches would be haunted and look so creepy at night?

Gothic church with bell tower. Tall arch windows can be see. It's night time and only part of the church has been photographed on Hamilton Ghost Walk — St Paul’s Church

the end is nigh on the Hamilton Ghost Walk

Finally, we ended the night in the entryway to an apartment complex. That might not sound like much fun. Or maybe it’s the perfect way to end an evening. The architecture was appealing, and of course, it has its own haunted history.

Dark archway leading to floor to ceiling glass door and onto a long corridor. There is a runner rug on the floor of the hall, and in the distance an end table with large mirrors. Christmas tree lights surround the mirrors and table on Hamilton Ghost Walk

These are just little morsels, to give you an overview of what you may expect on the Hamilton Ghost Walk Tour.

We suggest you book your tour and get the complete details from Daniel. It is much more fun that way. It is a unique experience that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Dress warmly, grab a hot chocolate, keep an open mind and enjoy, not only some ghost stories but some real history about the city of Hamilton.

OUR TAKE ON THE HAMILTON GHOST WALK

Three of us went on this walk. Andrea’s cousin, a long-time Grimbsy resident, came with us. Honestly, it was not what we were expecting. It was better. Daniel was the best tour guide you could hope for.

We will most definitely be booking another tour on our next visit to the area.

IN A NUTSHELL

There are many different Ghost Walks and Tours within the Hamilton, Niagara, Toronto areas.
Book in advance from their website
Photography is encouraged, but no video recording or camcorders are permitted
Dress for the weather
Wear comfortable shoes
As always – Leave no trace. Pack it in – pack it out
Keep an open mind and above all
Have fun
Ticket prices may vary depending on which tour. Ours cost $14.00 each and $12.00, senior

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