Haunted Talks

During the Victorian era, the reading aloud of ghost stories was a very common practice. Particularly at holiday parties and family gathering. Over the next few episodes we will be reviving this tradition. We start with Charles Dickens' other supernatural classic, The Signalman. Which some argue, is the greatest ghost story ever written.

In April 1878, everyone in and around Boston was talking about the Haunted House on Kirkland Street. The news coverage drew thousands of spectators to come and see the mysterious home for themselves. Each wanted to catch a glimpse of the frightening and unusual activity that had been plaguing the Marsh family. Perhaps more importantly, they wanted to know if there was a body buried in the basement.

There are few natural wonders in the world as impressive as Niagara Falls. The incredible sight draws millions of visitors each year. The history and culture are also fascinating. The receding glaciers that created the falls. The indigenous communities that long lived in the area. The daredevils who tempted fate. And the many wax museums, haunted houses and other tourist attractions. On Halloween night though, one of the Falls' most compelling stories took an unexpected turn.

Happy Halloween! We have a special treat for you on the spookiest day of the year. Ring the doorbell (press play) to find out! 🔔🚪

Nestled away in the gorgeous countryside of rural Ireland is one of the world's most haunted castles. It has been a place of betrayal, murder, confinement and intense suffering. Home to restless spirits, monstrous demons, and a dark secret hidden beneath the floorboards, this is the grim story of Castle Leap.

The Enfield Poltergeist is a case that must give the most ardent skeptics pause. The story is not only terrifying, but spanning 2 years, it is also one of the most well-documented hauntings in history. There were many firsthand witnesses and hundreds of hours of audio recordings from inside the haunted house. All of which beg the question, how much evidence is enough? In the episode, we will explore the unsettling events and closely examine the key evidence that make the Enfield Poltergeist such a compelling and frightening case. (View Images)

This summer we gave ourselves a challenge. Could we definitively solve an urban legend about the Fairmont Château Laurier, one of Canada's most well-known (and haunted) hotels? After months of research, we believe we have uncovered the new evidence that decisively settles the matter. You can also check our blog post: "Château Laurier Mystery Solved!"

Vicksburg, Mississippi has a dark & troubled history. Sitting high above the Mississippi River, it was a key strategic position for the Confederate Army during the US Civil War. The Union attempted two unsuccessful assaults, before laying siege and bombarding the city for 47 days straight . There were over 20,000 casualties. We are joined by Morgan Gates, owner of Haunted Vicksburg, to discuss the city's history and its many ghost stories.

When we heard they had a "Booze & Boos Ghost Tour", we knew we had to talk to the good folks at Columbus Ghost Tours in Ohio. We are joined by co-owner Bucky Cutright to talk about the tour experience and why he is so passionate about dark history. He also shares with us one of his favourite ghost stories from the city, which incredibly includes an old penitentiary, a reference to hockey, and almost unbelievable synchronicities.

We head to the West Coast to continue our conversations with some of the best ghost tour companies in the world. Ross Allison is not only the owner of Spooked in Seattle, he is also the Pacific Northwest's only full-time paranormal investigator. He shares with us some of his favourite ghost stories from the "Emerald City" and the disturbing tale of Mr. Creepy, a haunted doll in his museum.

The Coral Castle, located in Homestead, Florida, is one of the most amazing & mysterious structures ever built. It was constructed by one man, who quarried, fashioned & transported megalithic blocks of rock (some weighing as much as 30 tons) setting them in place without assistance or modern machinery. In the episode, we will be exploring the mystery, including the strange magnetic properties of the site, with David Pierce Rodriguez of PRISM Paranormal Research and Ken Bourke from the Coral Castle Museum.

On February 4th, 1880, Canada's most notorious family, The Black Donnellys, were massacred in their home by a vigilante group of their neighbours. We take you inside the Donnelly legend. What happened on that fateful night? Were the Donnellys "evil" or convenient scapegoats? Do their restless spirits still linger at the place where they met such a violent end? Listener Advisory: This episode does contain descriptions of significant violence.

The spectators looked on in horror as the plane crumpled like paper and came crashing down. It was Scotland's first fatal aircraft accident. The pilot, though dead, would fly yet again. This is the story of Lt. Desmond Arthur and the phantom flyers of the Montrose Airfield.

Special Episode! We turn the show over to our good friends at Ghostly Walks in Victoria, British Columbia. They explore some of the best ghost stories from our home province of Ontario. The episode features three storytellers from The Haunted Walk!

Sharpsburg, Maryland is a place heavy with the weight of history. It was site of The Battle of Antietam during the Civil War. The battle was the bloodiest day in the history of the United States with over 22,000 dead, wounded, or missing. We explore the history and legends of the area with Mark Brugh, owner of Sharpsburg Civil War Ghost Tours. Mark also hosts his own Civil War podcast.

This summer we'll be visiting with some of the best ghost tour companies in the world. Our road trip begins on the West Coast. Home of streetcars, The Rock and the Golden Gate Bridge. We get a personal tour of the city from Christian Cagigal, owner of The San Francisco Ghost Hunt!

The truth is out there. Historical detectives like Lorine McGinnis Schulze use genealogy to solve mysteries. They hunt down old and often forgotten documents and records, looking for clues and new leads. In the episode, Lorine shares the tricks of the trade and three of her most intriguing cases, involving: a missing Grandmother, the burial of a foot, and a photo found lodged in the pages of an old book.

Gary Barrett achieved some every dubious distinctions. He was twice convicted of murder and twice sentence to death. He was the first person executed at a federal penitentiary in Canada. His hanging did not go well. Immediately raising questions about the identity of the unknown hangman. Read the Warden's letter and see other documents.

In 1912, a local newspaper in Pennsylvania, The Times Leader, ran a ghost story contest for Halloween. Their "Ghost Editor" was drowned by a flood of over 1,000 spooky submissions from enthusiastic readers. 100 years later, we sort through those entries and share the best and most frightening tales.

Pierre Radisson was a co-founder of The Hudson's Bay Company. He was also a cannibal. Really. A self-described cannibal. We are joined by Mark Bourrie to discuss his new book, "Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre—Esprit Radisson." Quite possibly one of the most incredible lives ever lived.

In honour of International Pet Day, we explore one of the most intriguing (and sniffle-inducing) ghost stories about the unique bond between us and our animal friends. Silent movie sex symbol, Rudolph Valentino, loved his Doberman, Kabar. The two were inseparable. When the heartthrob died unexpectedly at a young age, his beloved pooch went to incredible lengths to try to find him – including from beyond the grave. See photos of Valentino and Kabar.

Is it possible that in 1924 a Chicago firefighter was not only able to predict his own death, but send a ghostly message from beyond the grave? We are joined by Adam Selzer (Mysterious Chicago) and Father John McNalis (Chicago Fire Department Chaplain) to explore the story of Frank Leavy and Curran Hall fire. See photos of Frank Leavy and the Curran Hall fire on our episode page.

What would you do if you saw a ghost? We chat with Haunted Walk of Toronto tour guide, Rogue Benjamin, about the night she was witnesses to one of the most compelling ghost sightings in company history. She also shares with us what she loves about giving ghost tours, how she became a professional Cosplayer, and details about her newly published book, Willow's Story.

Using their intuition, logic and psychic abilities, can our audience correctly predict what is going to happen in 2019? How did they do with their predictions for 2018? Was Jim or Glen able to outguess the power of the hive mind? We reveal all in the first episode of the New Year!

Would you buy a haunted doll or a possessed puppet? Every day on eBay, people are doing just that, sometimes spending hundreds of dollars on these very unique and disturbing children's toys. We figured there was no way better to explore this intriguing subculture than to jump right in. Luckily, the founder of The Haunted Walk, Glen Shackleton, is really bothered by creepy dolls - they freak him out. We decided that nothing would make a better Christmas gift for Glen, than letting him choose his own haunted doll (see pics). To make it even more fun, we didn't tell him the topic of this episode before we sat him down to make his choice.

In this special Remembrance Day episode, we share 5 stories of extreme Canadian courage and sacrifice from the front lines. May these incredible stories serve as a tribute to all of the men and women who have bravely served our country and defended our most cherished values. We will remember them. 🌺 Watch the video of this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hauntedwalk/videos/963974467146809

Watch your step as you board your Doom Buggy for a behind the scenes look at the most popular haunted houses in the world. From the decade long struggle to open the attraction, to the incredible ride mechanics and effects, to the creepy legends and bits of trivia...welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion! Ride the three versions of the Haunted Mansion: Disneyland, Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland.

Close to 100 years after his tragic death, the name "Houdini" is still synonymous with the unbelievable, the spectacular, and the magical. His illusions and stunts were legendary. But, was he able to pull off his grand finale and successfully send a message to his wife from beyond the grave?

Our friends from the "Notice History" podcast takeover this episode of Haunted Talks and join us for a walk!!! They turn the tables (microphone?) on us and ask about how and why we use history in our tours and what role it plays in how we promote our adventures to guests. Some of the answers are quite surprising!

Zombies aren't real. Right? We are joined by Dr. Lars Petersen, a biologist and research scientist at the University of Calgary, to chew over the science of zombies. He shares with us a scientist's perspective on the genre and examples from the natural world which might be even more terrifying than a fictional horde of the undead.

Visiting a Haunted House is a Halloween Tradition for millions of people around the world. We examine the Haunted House phenomena and speak with David and Karyn Torbett, the masterminds behind "The Tunnel of Terror!", one of Canada's largest homemade haunts.

When we heard about a ghost tour company that offers experiences in both Australia and the UK (some 16,000 KM apart!), we knew we had to invite them to be guests on the show. We are joined by the "ghost tour nomad", Jacqui Travaglia, owner of Lantern Ghost Tours, to chat about her business and her favourite ghost stories.

The people on Canada's East Coast are known to be some of the friendliest and most hospitable in the country. But, they also love a good ghost story. Our next stop, in our tour of the best ghost tours in the world, takes us to picturesque St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. Legendary storyteller and proprietor of The Haunted Hike, Dale Jarvis, drops by to share one of his favourite spooky stories from the city.

This week as we continue our tour of the best and most interesting ghost tour companies in the world, we take a short trip over the Canada and US border, to the land of Ben & Jerry's, Bernie Sanders, and natural beauty - we are heading to Burlington, Vermont. Luckily for us, it also an area full of ghost stories, tall tales and cool history. Joining us is Vermont's unofficial Queen of Halloween, Thea Lewis, the owner of Queen City Ghostwalk.

One of the world's most chilling mysteries! What could explain why a group of expert Russian skiers cut their way out of their own tent in the middle of a freezing cold night and wandered off into the dark without jackets and in bare feet? Avalanche? Animal attack? Military testing? Or…something much more sinister? Join us as we investigate!

Imagine waking up in the middle night to find a strange man standing in you bedroom brandishing an axe. It sounds like the plot of a slasher movie, but for the people of New Orleans in the early 1900s, this was no fictional plot. The city was being terrorized. A deranged monster was repetitively breaking into the homes of Italian grocers. The unsuspecting victims, including children, were maimed or murdered as they slept. As the number of victims grew, so did the apprehension in the city, and the pressure on the police to bring the killer to justice. We explore the shocking turn of events with Miriam C. Davis, author of "The Axeman of New Orleans: The True Story".

"Shiverpool" is one of world's best and most awesomely named ghost tour companies. We chat with Artistic Director, Lucy Carew about their award-winning and dramatic tours of Liverpool, UK. How haunted is the city - aside from the Beatles fans? We find out. Lucy gives us chills sharing one of Liverpool's most beloved ghost stories and cautionary tales.

There is no city in the world like New York City. Chock-full of dark history and haunted buildings, there is a reason it is the city that never sleeps. We take a tour of some of the more obscure sights with Andrea Janes, owner and founder of Boroughs of the Dead: Macabre New York City Walking Tours.

If paranormal activity is related to places of extreme trauma and loss of life, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, must be one of the most haunted places in the United States. As we continue our tour of the best ghost tour companies in the world, we are joined by Joe Svehla, manager of Ghostly Images of Gettysburg. He shares with us some of his experiences leading ghost tours of one of the Civil War's most important, and bloodiest, battlefields.

As we continue our tour of the best ghost tour companies in the world, we head to Canada's west coast and visit Victoria, British Columbia. We are joined by renowned storyteller, John Adams of Ghostly Walks, who shares with us his thoughts on Victoria's unique history, geography and culture, and how they all contribute to making it the most haunted place in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, he has a few great ghost stories to tell.

There are few buildings in Canada with a history as dark and twisted as Ravenscrag in Montreal. Once the opulent mansion of the wealthiest man in the country, it became the site of covert CIA brainwashing experiments that destroyed the lives of hundreds of people. And, perhaps not surprisingly, it has a few ghost stories. To breakdown this incredible and unsettling story, we are joined by Haunted Montreal's Donovan King.

This summer we are going to take you behind the scenes at some of the best ghost tour companies in the world. Our first stop is in Salem, Massachusetts – a dream destination for dark history enthusiasts! Our good friends at The Salem Night Tour show us around and share some of their favourite ghost stories.

Telling scary stories around the campfire is a beloved summer tradition. In this episode, we are joined by two master Canadian storytellers, Barbara Smith and Dan Yashinsky, who share with us some of their favourite campfire ghost stories, give us tips to help us better tell our own, and discuss the power and importance of sharing stories with each other.

Jaymes White is a mindreader. His uncanny ability to know what people are thinking has baffled and delighted sold-out audiences across Canada. Join us as he demonstrates his remarkable talents with our in-studio audience and shares some of his tricks of the trade. Also, towards the end of the show, we make a MAJOR announcement about the summer that you are not going to want to miss!

At one time or another, most of us have fantasized about disappearing into the night and starting a new life somewhere else under a new name. The idea of shedding our identity, like a snake would shed its skin, can be a tempting prospect when the pressures of life become overwhelming. Could you go to the ultimate extreme, and fake your own death to change the course of your life? We are joined by Elizabeth Greenwood, author of "Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud".

Headlines from around the world recently declared a major breakthrough in the Amelia Earhart mystery. We are joined by Keith O'Brien, author of "Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History" as we explore the life and disappearance of an American Icon, and the powerful new report which claims to know her fate.

Full of terrible twists and unsettling turns, the Hinterkaifeck Murders are one of the world's most chilling mysteries. What was the motive for such a night of terror? We search for answers with Edward Chilvers, author of, "Footsteps in the Attic: A True Account of the Slayings at the Hinterkaifeck Farmstead". Due to some of the nightmarish elements of the story, listener discretion is advised.

Can our community BEHOLD THE FUTURE? This month we asked our listeners to make individual and group predictions about events that will happen in 2018. In the episode (featuring special guest co-host, Glen Shackleton, Founder and CEO of The Haunted Walk), we share some of your more intriguing prophecies and examine a few historical predictions that have unbelievably come true. Join us!

Over the past few months over 500 previously unreleased and over 15,000 previously redacted documents on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released to the public. For years the public has debated if Lee Harvey Oswald could have acted alone. Do these new files shed any light on one of the most believed conspiracy theories in the world?

Go behind the scenes with The Haunted Walk in the midst of the Halloween Season! Tag along with three members of our management team as they prepare for the biggest weekend of the year.