It’s officially spooky season, which means Montreal is about to lean into its darker side. But beyond the Halloween costumes, haunted houses, and pumpkin spice everything, the city itself has a reputation for being a little haunted.
That’s not too surprising when you think about it.
Montreal’s history goes back centuries, and a lot of its oldest buildings have seen more than their fair share of drama, tragedy, and strange happenings. From hotels where guests swear they’ve heard footsteps in empty halls to a 337-year-old restaurant with ghostly regulars, these are the places locals say you should avoid after dark… or visit, if you’re feeling brave.
Yoko Luna
Long before it became Canada’s largest supper club, this address had a much darker history. Built in 1859, the mansion was home to politician Alexander Galt before being converted into a funeral parlour that operated for more than 70 years.
By the late 70s, the space swapped caskets for disco balls and became 1234, one of Montreal’s most famous nightclubs. Over the years it’s also housed Le Cinq and, today, Yoko Luna. But some say the spirits never left.
During renovations, workers reported strange noises and shadows moving in empty rooms. Meanwhile, a Haunted Montreal video about the site drew dozens of comments from people claiming to have felt chills or seen figures inside. Whether you’re there for a late-night party or dinner and a show, some believe you’re never alone while wandering those halls.
Address: 1234 Rue de la Montagne, Montreal, QC
Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Best known as the site where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their “bed-in for peace” in 1969, the Queen Elizabeth Hotel also has a spookier reputation. Guests have reported apparitions of a woman in a white dress in the hallways and knocks on doors with no one outside.
Some even claim to have been assaulted by ghosts in their hotel rooms. Whether it’s restless guests from decades past or just an old hotel creaking, the Queen E’s ghost stories keep popping up.
Address: 900 Boul. René Lévesque O, Montreal, QC
John Abbott College (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue)
Part of John Abbott’s campus once housed the old Douglas Psychiatric Institute — a facility where patients were treated (or neglected) over many decades. Today, students and faculty report odd sounds and sensations in buildings that sit on or near those grounds.
Visitors say doors open and close by themselves, lights flicker in empty hallways, and chilling voices echo where no one should be.
To make things a little spookier, the school’s basement is littered with abandoned tunnels and rooms.
Address: 275 Rue Lakeshore, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC
Grey Nuns Motherhouse (Concordia University)
Now a Concordia University building, the Grey Nuns Motherhouse sits on land once owned by Jean-Baptiste Goyer, a farmer executed for a double murder in 1752. His body was never moved, and it’s said to still lie beneath the corner of Guy and René-Lévesque.
The building itself has seen plenty of tragedy over the years, from a 1918 fire that killed more than 60 children to epidemics that claimed the lives of dozens of nuns, many of whom remain buried in the crypt below.
The building has since been converted into a residence for students, and many report eerie happenings on campus. Meanwhile, local paranormal investigator Donovan King once deemed it to be among the most haunted places in the city.
Address: 1190 Rue Guy, Montreal, Quebec
McGill Unviersity
As if being a student wasn’t hard enough…
Founded in 1821, McGill University has had two centuries to collect ghost stories. The school’s faculty club and Duggan House, in particular, are often cited as being haunted, with tales of eerie noises, moving objects, and spirits reportedly roaming its tunnels.
The most famous legend is tied to Simon McTavish, a wealthy fur trader whose demolished estate supplied stone for Duggan House. Some claim his ghost still lingers on the property, occasionally spotted dancing on the roof at night.
Address: 845 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montreal, Quebec
Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel
Dating back to 1754, Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel is said to be the oldest inn in North America. The restaurant’s long history also comes with ghost stories. The most common is of a young girl who died in a 19th-century fire, said to still roam the halls.
Guests and staff have reported hearing piano music in empty rooms, as well as laughter and whispers late at night. With its stone walls and candlelit corners, it’s not hard to imagine why people feel like they’re dining with more than just the living.
Address: 426 Rue St Gabriel, Montreal, QC
Griffintown
In 1879, Mary Gallagher was murdered and decapitated in a tenement at the corner of William and Murray Streets. Since then, legend has it that her ghost returns to the same spot every seven years, still searching for her missing head.
The site is now a vacant lot, but locals say the corner carries an eerie chill after dark. With her last alleged appearance taking place in 2019, Mary is due for another sighting in 2026, so Griffintown might not be done with her just yet.
Address: Corner of William and Murray, Montreal QC
Mount Royal Cemetery
A cemetery being haunted seems a little on the nose, but who are we to argue?
High up on the slopes of Mount Royal lies the Protestant Mount Royal Cemetery, often called one of Montreal’s most haunted burial grounds. After dark, people report seeing shadowy figures drifting among headstones, ghostly lights flickering near the bluffs, and even hearing voices or the faint sound of footsteps in empty paths.
Back in 2012, one brave VICE writer ventured through the graveyard and reported spotting photos on his camera that weren’t taken by him.
Address: 1297 Foret Rd, Montreal, QC
