Now, I know it isn’t the Halloween season, but if you’re like me, then anything spooky can be enjoyed year-round. The second-oldest lighthouse in the country is right here in Toronto, and the spot is known for being haunted. The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse has a backstory worth telling, and if you’re brave enough, you can visit the landmark as it still stands to this day!
The history of The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse was completed in 1808, meant to help guide ships on the water through the dark and bad weather. While the intentions were good, the structure and lights were known to sometimes confuse sailors and cause wrecks (whoops).
“For many years, the lighthouse was the best-known landmark in Toronto. It was the first building that visitors could see when they approached from the lake and the last that lingered in sight when they left,” shares the Toronto Public Library.
The original lighthouse stood at 52 feet, including the lantern, but underwent an update in 1832, when it was raised to 64 feet of stone.
Now, for the haunted part! According to the Toronto Public Library, two stories have led to the lighthouse’s haunted reputation.
The first tale dates back to January 1815 when “a party of soldiers visited their friend, the first lighthouse keeper John Paul Radelmüller.” The story goes that Radelmüller refused to continue serving his friends booze when they started to become too intoxicated. The soldiers were enraged and apparently beat Radelmüller to death, cutting his body into pieces and burying him around the Toronto islands.
Oh, lovely.
The second story is a little simpler, that Radelmüller just up and vanished in 1815. In 1893, the new lighthouse keeper allegedly found remains of a human skeleton buried nearby, with many believing it to be Radelmüller. Spooky!
Visiting The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
If you’ve been to the Toronto Islands before, then getting to the lighthouse will be simple for ya.
To get to the island, take the ferry from the Mainland Ferry Docks in Toronto to Centre Island. When you arrive on the island, you’ll want to follow the “Avenue of the Islands” south to Lakeshore Road, leading you to a 2 km path from the ferry station to the lighthouse.
Hopefully, you don’t spook easily, Toronto.
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse
Where: Centre Island – Toronto, Ont.
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Taylor Lucas
Associate Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for storytelling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing, she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.
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