Top 5 haunted buildings in Toronto

When Halloween rolls around, stories tend to resurface about haunted happenings across Canada. Most major cities have their fair share of haunted buildings – from Calgary's Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel to Edmonton's General Hospital to Montreal's University student residence. Toronto also has no shortage of haunted buildings, and here are the top five!

Keg Mansion

The Keg Mansion, located at 515 Jarvis Street, is one of the most notorious haunted places in the city. The heritage building was once home to the Massey family, who purchased the home in the late 1800s. Legend has it that when his daughter Lillian died, a grief-stricken housemaid hung herself in the front foyer. Now, Keg employees claim they have had apparition of a hanging woman. They also claim to hear children, believed to be Massey's kids, talking and laughing on the upper floors.

Fairmont Royal York Hotel

One of Toronto’s most upscale hotels, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, is reportedly haunted by several ghosts. The first is of a gray haired man who appears on the eighth floor from time to time. The legend is that he stayed in the hotel on his honeymoon night, killed his bride and then himself. His wife’s ghost has reportedly been seen in the room where she was murdered. Guests have claimed to hear footsteps and screams coming from the top floors of the stairwell, which are believed to be the ghost of a former employee who hung himself in there.

The hotel’s list of hauntings doesn’t end there; the ballroom is another location of paranormal activity. Employees have claimed to see spirits twirling and chandeliers rattling and shaking aggressively for no apparent reason.

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)

Museums tend to have a mysterious aura to them, and the Royal Ontario Museum is no exception. The ROM is said to be haunted by its original director Dr. Charles Currelly, who wonders the halls in his nightshirt. Employees have also heard doors slamming, footsteps in empty hallways, and the cough of a ghost in the bathroom. To up the ante on the creepiness, it is also located in the Yorkville neighbourhood, a former site of Potter's Field, Toronto's first public non-denominational cemetery with approximately 6,700 graves. When the area was about to undergo development, the remains were moved to Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, however, many were left behind.

Casa Loma

Casa Loma is a museum and landmark in Toronto that has become a popular spot for filming movies and television shows, and is also a venue for wedding ceremonies. However, the grandeur estate is rumoured to be haunted – particular within the tunnels, where people have heard trotting horses.

St. Michael’s Hospital

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There are a few stories surrounding St. Michael's Hospital. The most common is that of Sister Vincenza, who cared for the patients from 1928 until 1956. She died in 1958, and ever since there have been apparitions of a ghostly figure on the seventh floor. Patients have also seen a woman at their bedside in the middle of the night, and others say she brought them a blanket.