On a chilly late summer night, Liz Powers gathers with a group of tourists in front of the Mariner King Inn Lunenburg. Lanterns are distributed and introductions are made. Powers jokes about how quiet the town is at night as a pick-up truck blasts by us at twice the speed limit. Then our small group sets off into the foggy night to learn about Lunenburg’s most notorious ghosts. The Haunted Lunenburg tour is a wonderful way to learn about the town’s supernatural history. The well-researched romp through town touches on historical spooky stories, references to Helen Creighton’s research on folklore and superstitions, and modern ghost stories experienced by living Lunenburgers. As the spooky season comes upon us, consider spending an evening learning about the creepy side of Lunenburg. As a teaser, here are five haunted locations in Lunenburg. To learn their full stories, you’ll have to grab a lantern and follow a Haunted Lunenburg guide into the fog before Halloween night.
Considering that CBC’s new ghost-hunting series Ghosting just filmed an episode here, no one should be surprised that the Academy makes the list. As the Academy is a former school, you can hear a lot of creepy stories about it from past students (ask anyone who attended the school about the basement bathrooms). Adding to its creep factor is the fact that the Academy perches on Gallows Hill. And it certainly didn’t come by that name randomly…
The Boscawen Inn
Once a bustling hotel that frequently hosted weddings, the Boscawen now mostly sits dark and empty. On the night of our tour, a preteen tour guest aptly describes the building as “sketchy”. He’s not wrong; our guide, Liz, compares the inn to the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. The former hotel is allegedly the home of a very peeved ghost, whose poltergeist behavior ranges from playful to downright murderous.
Outside Town Hall
No building marks this site, but the area surrounding the bandstand has a gruesome history. Lunenburg has a rather alarming history of ax murderers, and one of them met his end right outside Town Hall over a century ago. This tale serves as a chilling history lesson, as Lunenburg’s criminal justice system certainly handled things differently back then.
Hillcrest Cemetery
Within a stone’s throw of the Academy, located on Gallows Hill, this might be the epicenter of spooky activity in Lunenburg. At this point on the tour, you’ll hear a heart-wrenching true account of a young Lunenburger who was falsely accused of a crime in the late 1800s. The accusation led to tragedy, and brave explorers who take the tour can even read the victim’s words about the events leading to her death on a plaque by her grave.
The Mariner King Inn
The building may appear quaint in the sunshine, but its ghostly history casts it in an eerie light. In the top window (it’s called the widow’s walk, Liz explains) a young girl used to sit and look out at the town. Now, it’s rumored that her spirit haunts the top floor of the inn. If you’re curious to know about the full stories behind these places, and if you’re keen to visit even more haunted locations than the ones mentioned, the Haunted Lunenburg tour runs every night until October 30th. Grab a lantern, dress up warmly for the nighttime walk, and prepare to be chilled to be bone.
