Spine-Tingling Trips: Phantoms and Fun in South Eastern Ontario
When the temperature dips and the shadows grow longer, South Eastern Ontario is full of thrills and chills that are sure to get your heart racing. In the true spirit of an R.L. Stine “Choose Your Own Adventure” Goosebumps book, we’ve curated three spine-chilling visits to pack your weekends or combine them all to take as an eerie road trip…. If you dare! From paranormal investigations, to devilishly good dinner shows and the jumpscares of haunted houses, these spooky season specialties are sure to be a screaming good time!
Spooky days in 1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways
Depending on where you’re coming from, we highly recommend getting yourself booked into one of these great options for overnight accommodation. Maple & Rose in Merrickville is a whole-home luxury accommodation originally built in the 1850s and has been lovingly restored and renovated to accommodate groups of up to 16 people. Or check out the villas at Maison Maitland - their 19th century carriage house has been fully renovated into two, two-storey villas that are fully outfitted with a chef’s kitchen, two king-sized bedrooms with en-suites and laundry facilities. You can also tack on an optional cooking class as part of your stay!
The next morning, stop for a morning wake up at either Katarina’s Coffee Shop in Prescott or The Village Bean Coffee House in Merrickville for some breakfast and a hot beverage before heading out for the day. Head towards Kemptville to the Dulmage Farms for some pumpkin picking. This is a 6th generation family farm and offers a fabulous pick-your-own pumpkin patch experience in the fall. You can snag yourself a classic pumpkin, specialty pumpkin, squash and corn stalks for your perfect fall display. Afterwards, you should pop over to Saunders Country Critter Zoo and Sanctuary to meet with some of their rescued exotic species. A little bit of wholesome animal bonding to think back on when you’re engaged in the ghoulish horrors of your evening activity!
For your evening, head into Spencerville to Diablo Manor for an evening of enchantment. Your adventure begins with a tour of Diablo Manor and its collection of strange artifacts, all guided by your host, Scott McClelland. Taking you back in time to the intrigue of Victorian carnivals and the oddities that are on display throughout the Diablo emporium. The evening moves on to dinner, which features a ghoulish menu of culinary delights, featuring dishes like diabolical deviled eggs and Monkey Head Mousse. You will then be entertained with a production of magical wonders, and the evening wraps up with a paranormal experience into the beyond with a seance. Capped at 8 participants per evening, this is a unique, intimate experience to elevate your spooky season!
Kingston's Ghostly Encounters and Haunted Walks
Arrive in Kingston, tucked along the shores of Lake Ontario. Kingston is an old city, steeped in rich history and gorgeously preserved or restored old buildings and homes. With that history can come some paranormal intrigue! Some stunning (and perhaps haunted) accommodations we recommend checking out for your stay in Kingston includes the Hochelaga Inn, which was originally constructed in 1878, and the Rosemount Inn, built in 1850. Both properties are lovingly restored and meticulously upkept with no detail spared in ensuring a comfortable and fabulous stay.
Kick off your spooktacular weekend with dinner at Tir Nan Og, an Irish Pub occupying the lower levels of the Prince George Hotel, you’re sure to have a scary good meal with the “Nog’s” extensive menu selections that is sure to have something for everyone. The property dates back to 1809 is notorious for its sightings of the paranormal, and is also home to The Haunted Walk tours of Kingston. With a cloaked figure holding a lantern guiding your way, their Original Haunted Walk Tour of Kingston is available in both French and English and is 75 minutes in length, taking you to some of the most haunted locations in Kingston. For those with some mobility issues, you can also pop across the road from the Prince George Hotel and board the Ghost and Mystery Trolley Tour, departing each evening until October 27th. This tour will take you past spooky sites and neighbourhoods, including locations around Downtown Kingston and The Rockwood Asylum, from the comfort of the Kingston Tour Trolley.
The next day, be sure to score some tickets for a Kingston Pen Tour. The Kingston Penitentiary opened its doors in 1834 as a Federal Corrections facility and has been home to a number of notorious inmates. These days, the Pen is a popular film location and is open for tours of the property and the cells that once housed thousands of inmates. There are a variety of tour lengths, depending on how much you want to take in, and they are also available in both English and French. A highlight of the tour experience is that a number of the tour guides are actually former staff, so they are able to enhance your experience by telling personalised, first-hand accounts of their time working at the facility and the inmates who were housed there.
Make sure to find time to take your crew over to Improbable Escapes and take a shot at their Coroner’s Report Escape Room. Enter the abandoned Ambrosia General Hospital, where the doctors were said to have been conducting strange experiments on their patients. You and your friends have been locked inside, and you’re about to find out what actually went on behind these walls… and who remains! This fast-paced, horror-based escape room will get your heart racing, and the experience is guaranteed to be private for your group. Grab dinner in the evening in Kingston’s downtown core at one of their incredible local restaurants. We recommend checking out Tango Nuevo, Miss Bao Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, and Red House Downtown as possible dinner spots!
Make your way across the Cataraqui River and up to Fort Henry National Historic Site. During the summer months, the fort is open for tours and historical reenactments of life as a soldier in the 19th-century British military. But as the temperature drops and darkness falls, the fort is transformed into Fort Fright - home to tours of terror and ghoulish apparitions! A plethora of scare actors hide in wait through a haunted house-esque maze, and the parade square at the centre of the fort boasts a number of games, interactive displays and photo opportunities to enjoy at the end. This is one Halloween Haunt you won’t want to miss!
Ghostly getaway in Cornwall and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
Arrive in the area Friday evening and check in to your stay at the Auberge Chesley’s Inn, located in the heart of old Cornwall. This charming old bed & breakfast has a history that dates back to 1814, but boasts beautifully restored rooms, delicious locally sourced breakfasts, and fabulous hosts in Robert and his Scottish Terrier, Hamish.
Prepare to get your socks scared off at Acres of Terror, a spooky-season-only event running at Cannamore Orchard in Crysler, Ontario. Be sure to grab a bite to eat before heading out - we definitely recommend checking out ESCA Gourmet PIzza and Bar in Cornwall for more than just pizza with their extensive list of appetisers and entrees, or make a pit stop at Rock’n Rhonda’s Diner & Pizzeria in Avonmore on your way for a step back in time with their retro diner feel.
Acres of Terror is a rain or shine event each Friday and Saturday in October and the week leading up to Halloween, and is wheelchair accessible so everyone can enjoy the fun. Take a spooky wagon ride through their 60-acre property, or take on the House of Terror, where a fun house meets a haunted house, and you never know who is waiting around the next corner! Stroll through their Halloween village and interact with the locals like the resident Coffin-Maker and Vampire, or grab your travel companions and take on the fog maze - an indoor maze pumped full of fog, where anything could be lurking just out of sight. There is also a canteen and chip truck available on site in case you get some scary snack cravings!
The next morning, enjoy a delightfully crafted and locally sourced breakfast at the Chesley Inn before heading out for the day. Hop in the car and head over to St. Raphael’s Ruins National Historic Site, one of the earliest Roman Catholic churches built in English-speaking Canada, constructed between 1815 and 1821. The large outer walls are the only thing that remains of the structure after a fire consumed the building in 1970. The ruins are now accessible 7 days a week, and you can walk through what remains of the building and the surrounding cemetery.
Park the car at your accommodations for the evening and walk over to Schnitzels for a hearty dinner of European comfort cuisine before departing for your evening activities. Their schnitzel meals are a classic, but they also boast a number of other options, such as woodfired pizzas, beef goulash, and stuffed peppers. After dinner, walk around the corner to the Historic SDG Jail, where you will be hanging out into the wee hours of the morning. The jail was built in 1833, and throughout the time of its operation, it had a number of cases of deaths due to execution, illness and murder. Many of the bodies of the deceased still remain on the property to this very day. Take part in a paranormal investigation on-site with the Phantoms of Yore and Haunted Walks, who will take you through the experience and provide you with paranormal equipment for your use, such as a spirit box, EMF reader, and infrared cameras. You can even have the opportunity to do a solo session, where you can be left alone in one of the jail’s many cells. Investigate who, or what, is behind the things that go bump in the night! At the end of the night, the Chesley’s Inn is right around the corner, so you can get tucked in safely to your bed.
Consider extending your trip for an extra day and checking out Pumpkinferno in the evening at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg. This seasonal activity, and an annual favourite for visitors and locals alike, will take you winding through the historic pioneer village, usually vibrant with historic actors, is now full of exciting light installations made up of over 9,000 handcrafted pumpkins! These whimsical displays are spread throughout the village and feature different themes, with multiple pumpkins grouped together to create stunning art pieces. There are also a number of interactive displays, photo opportunities, and family fun activities throughout the grounds! Always sure to be a gourd time!