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Haunted Edmonton: 9 Spooky Places That Will Scare Your Socks Off

Beware of ghosts and other creepy happenings at these spooky spots.

When we started to dig into some of Edmonton's spookiest places, we didn't expect to uncover much. Edmonton is a relatively young city in a young province.

But we were wrong. Dead wrong. There has been no shortage of ghastly ghosts, strange sightings and mysterious happenings in Alberta's capital city — much of it occurring within the walls of some of the city's oldest buildings.

From jilted ghost brides to materializing ventriloquist dolls, Edmonton has it all.

We've gathered some of the creepiest places the city has on offer that will be sure to scare you silly — just in time for Halloween! It's by no means a complete list, so be sure to tell us your own spooky stories and sightings in the comments.

Charles Camsell Hospital
By Darren Kirby (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0],via Wiki
The former Jesuit College turned TB sanatorium is considered to be one of Alberta's most haunted buildings. While the hospital is now closed and abandoned, there have been reports of people feeling as though they're being watched from the windows, and many claim to hear cries coming from inside the building. In 2005, the Paranormal Explorers group visited the building and said they witnessed powerless elevators moving on their own, heard footsteps on abandoned floors above and strange noises through their walkie talkies.
McKay Avenue School
By Jeffery J. Nichols (User:Arctic.gnome) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0],
Once a school — and home to Alberta's first two legislative sessions — this downtown building is now a museum and is rumoured to be haunted. Objects are said to move around mysteriously and lights often turn on and off on their own. Employee Ron Hlady claims to have used his Ouija board to communicate with a spirit who claims to be a worker who fell of the roof during construction and died
Edmonton General Hospital
shutterstock
Despite being closed and unused for years, legend has it that the old B-wing of the hospital still smells like sick people. As well, the cries of children can be heard coming from the old pediatrics floor.A construction worker was killed while working in the basement of the hospital and is often reportedly seen in the spot where he died. To add to the list of paranormal sightings, a mother crying for her dead child wanders the halls of the hospital, but disappears when approached.
La Boheme Restaurant Bed & Breakfast
La Boheme Restaurant Bed & Breakfast
According to the Edmonton Journal, La Boheme, a former luxury apartment building, is haunted by the murdered wife of a former owner. Edmonton Ghost Tours guide Nadine Bailey told the Journal the woman was killed in a jealous rage in one of the building's bedrooms before being dragged to the basement and cremated in the furnace. To this day, employees and guests report flickering lights, sheets being tugged off beds in the middle of the night, and the sound of a body being dragged down the stairway.
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
George Rose via Getty Images
Guests staying on the eight floor of this century-old hotel sometimes report the sound of galloping hooves in the hallways. The sound is believed to be the ghost of a horse that dropped dead during the 1914 foundation pour for the hotel. Guests have also reported visions of a man sitting in a wingback chair smoking a pipe. Night managers at the hotel have also reportedly taken calls from a sixth floor room, only to find it empty when they go to find out who made the call.
The Firkins House - Fort Edmonton Park
Fort Edmonton Park
Although legends of hauntings at Firkins House have been largely debunked or refuted by staff and historians, there have been plenty of reports of a ventriloquist doll suddenly materializing in cupboards. On top of that, the ghost of a small boy wandering around has also been sighted, and heavy items falling off shelves for no reason. Barbara Smith, the author of "Alberta Ghost Stories," "More Alberta Ghost Stories" and "Even More Alberta Ghost Stories," told Avenue Magazine she's never been able to link the ghost stories with the Firkins family who originally occupied the home starting in 1912.
Walterdale Theater
The Walterdale Playhouse
The Walterdale Theatre is just one of many stops on The Edmonton Ghost Tours map, and for good reason. There have been reports of everything from phantom horse smells, to flickering lights and strange sounds. A ghost by the name of "Walt" has been spotted roaming around, moving props, creating cool breezes, and helping people up the stairs. He's believed to be the spirit of an old volunteer firefighter who appears often in this former fire hall.
The Princess Theatre
By Traveler100 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia C
This old theatre is haunted by a jilted bride who hanged herself back in the 1920s when the building used to serve as a rooming house. “At times,” Edmonton Ghost Tours guide Nadine Bailey told Global Edmonton, “a ghostly apparition of a woman dressed in white has been seen hovering above their projection room, walking around the centre lobby, and up and down the grand staircase.”
Strathcona Museum and Archives
Travel Alberta
The curator and manager of the Strathcona Museum says that while the building is definitely haunted, the spirits living there aren't hurting anyone. Starr Hanson told the Edmonton Journal a guard and a prisoner warden roam the halls of this former RCMP detachment, moving artifacts and turning electronics on during the night. Wafts of pipe tobacco and licorice sometimes have also reported to come out of nowhere.

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