Ghostly Walking Tours

October is a great month for getting out and walking. The leaves are turning, it's cool but not usually bitterly cold, and there are lots of opportunities to take haunted walking tours to get you in the mood for Halloween. I was actually surprised at the number of options available. I haven't taken one in a few years, having been a bit disappointed in the off-the-cuff nature of the last tour I took - generally, I prefer a well-researched tour which brings in the history of the buildings and area, rather than just relying on stories told by the guide's friends and neighbours. Also, I find that a smaller tour size makes for a much better evening - it's worth asking your guide before you book what the maximum group size is.

From my browsing, here are a few of the walk options that seemed most appealing:

The Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society have put together a self-guided ghost walk of Toronto and offer it for free on their website. This means you can take the tour at your own pace, and without fear of crowds spoiling the mood. It provides some basic history on the building or location, along with the types of ghostly disturbances that have been reported on site. It doesn't tend to go in to a lot of detail about what or who the ghosts are thought to represent, but I think it's a good starter walk, especially because it's free.

Exhibition Place is said to be the home of many ghosts, and every Friday evening in the fall they offer haunted walking tours of the grounds. They start at 7 pm and cost $20 per person.

One of the consistently well-reviewed walking tour companies is Muddy York Walking Tours, and their tours aim to make Toronto's history interesting. They offer a Haunted Streets of Downtown Toronto tour and a Ghosts of the University of Toronto tour, as well as some other ghoulish sounding tours including Bloody York: Crime and Punishment, and Historic Cemetery Walk. Prices are $20 per person, but this goes down if multiple people book together ($15 each for 2 or 3 people, $10 each for four or more).

And finally, a relative newcomer on the scene, is the Haunted Walk of Old Toronto. This tour focuses on the area around the Distillery District and the St. Lawrence Market, and runs throughout the year. Cost is $18.75 for adults.

If you'd rather not get out there yourself but are interested in what buildings or spaces in Toronto might be haunted, check out this 2008 article from Toronto.com on Haunted Toronto.

UPDATE: While searching for events for the What's On page, I've come across a few more family-friendly Halloween-themed walking tours and I've listed them below.

Fort York After Dark Lantern Tours. Fort York, 250 Fort York Blvd. 7:30 - 9:30 pm. $12.50 plus tax, pre-registration required. Oct 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

Family Nature Walk: Halloween Howl. Walk led by staff of the High Park Nature Centre. Costumes recommended! Meet at the High Park Nature Centre, 440 Parkside Dr. 6:30 - 8:30 pm. $2 suggested donation. October 27

Spirit Walk. Ghost walk of some downtown laneways, ending at Mackenzie House with mulled cider and biscuits. Mackenzie House, 82 Bond St. 6:30, 7 & 7:30 pm. $12.50 plus tax, pre-registration required. October 27

If anyone tries out a ghost walk this fall, leave a comment and tell us what you thought!