If you’re looking for a frightful adventure, you won’t have to look far. Vancouver has plenty of haunted places scattered throughout the city. Here’s a deeper look at 10 of the most haunted buildings in Vancouver. Explore them, if you dare!
Deadman’s Island
Situated in Coal Harbour to the south of Stanley Park, Deadman’s Island has a long, dark history. It was once the site of the tree-burial grounds of the Squamish People. According to Chief Joe Capilano, the island was also where a brutal massacre of 200 young warriors occurred. Later, it became a burial ground for Vancouver residents, including several victims of the Great Vancouver Fire, Canadian Pacific Railway workers who died during construction, and citizens of Moodyville, Hastings Sawmill, and Granville. The island was also used as a quarantine site during the Smallpox epidemic. Those who died from the highly contagious disease never left. Today the island is closed to the public, but reports of the paranormal still persist. These include the sounds of footsteps in the buildings, furniture being moved, the haunting wail of a young woman, an unexplained strange glow in the trees, and apparitions of human-like figures. Deadman has earned the label as one of the most haunted islands in North America.
Rowing Club
The land where the Vancouver Rowing Club now sits was once the site of a burial ground, used mainly by Vancouver’s earliest Chinese citizens. As per Chinese customs, the bones were later exhumed and sent back to China for reburial. Small, temporary residences were erected for these bone collectors and their homes were located on the same site where the Rowing Club is now. Staff at the Rowing Club have been reporting strange, unexplainable occurrences for decades with many attributing these to the land’s macabre past.
Sam Kee Building
The Sam Kee Building, named after its original owner, holds the distinction of being the narrowest commercial building in the world. But the Guinness World Record is not the only thing this building is known for. Locals and tourists alike have long reported feeling a firm push from behind despite no culprits ever being seen.
Hotel Vancouver
Jennie Pearl Cox was a Vancouver socialite and frequent guest of Hotel Vancouver in the early 1940s. Tragically, she was killed in a car accident on the Stanely Park Causeway and now her spirit is said to haunt her favourite hotel. Known as ‘The Lady in Red”, Jennie is a friendly ghost who has been spotted gliding through closed elevator doors and hovering in hallways. She is well-liked by hotel staff and guests alike, and there’s even a cocktail named in her honour.
Orpheum Theatre
Located a block away from another haunted theatre (see next photo), the Orpheum Theatre opened its doors in 1927 and is now said to be haunted by at least three different ghosts. The most well-known is a man who appears on stage, mainly during the theatre’s closing hours. The second is a washroom attendant who haunts the men’s bathroom in the basement, while the third is a well-dressed woman who can be seen giving a standing ovation to an unseen performance before quickly vanishing.
Vogue Theatre
The Vogue Theatre originally opened its doors in 1941 and and eventually became a landmark music venue in Vancouver. Reports are plenty of a three-dimensional shadowy figure who frequents areas of the theatre mainly reserved for staff. Staff have claimed to hear doors slamming, banging sounds, and the drum kit being played, as well as numerous accounts of people seeing the shadowy figure.
The Old Spaghetti Factory
The Gastown location of the Old Spaghetti Factory is reputedly haunted by no less than four different spirits. The most well known is the Tram Conductor who sits at the same dining table inside the old trolley car inside the restaurant. The Little Red Man, also known as the Looky-Lo is a mischievous spirit said to have bright red hair. He calls out to staff by name, frequently strolls through the kitchen, and will even surprise women in their washroom. A young boy, whom they refer to as Edward, is the third ghost and he has given more than one employee a fright. He is said to haunt the back of the restaurant and has been responsible for bending cutlery, placing chairs on top of tables, and running and hiding under tables. The fourth ghost is an unknown soul of a little girl. She frequently appears sitting at the table in the front window while holding on to a balloon.
Penthouse Night Club
One of Vancouver’s most famous strip clubs, the Penthouse was frequented by such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Louise Armstrong in the 1940s and 50s. Employees report a modestly-dressed woman who enjoys opening and closing windows in an effort to scare the staff.
Hycroft Manor
This 20,000-square-foot mansion might be the most haunted location in all of Vancouver. Reportedly, there are seven ghosts haunting this property. Two of them are suspected to be the original owners, Mr. and Mrs. McRae. The other five include a woman in a nurse’s uniform, thought to be employed here when the mansion served as a convalescent home. Three gentlemen in military uniforms who are responsible for opening and closing doors and causing the lights to flicker. Lastly, the spirit known as the “Crying Man” due to his loud sobbing coming from a lower floor room.
Waterfront Station
If there’s a landmark that will challenge Hycroft Manor for most haunted, it would have to be Waterfront Station. Countless apparitions have been seen and other unexplained phenomena and ploltergeist-like activities have been reported. Some of these stories include a woman from the 1920s dancing alone, the spirit of an old woman glowing bright white, phantom footsteps, guests waiting for trains that never arrive, and even one account of a security guard being trapped in a room after furniture was pile in front of the door after he entered.
For a similar story, please visit Calgary’s Most Haunted Places from our sister site, the Calgary Guardian.
The photos above were collected from the City of Vancouver Archives. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on their website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from Vancouver, British Columbia, and across Western Canada. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
