13 spooky places in Montréal to visit after dark
Culture, arts and heritage The city
Montréal’s history is long, multilayered, and complex, leaving it full of places that take on a different vibe once the sun goes down. While not necessarily haunted, the 13 locations below have a certain energy that make them perfect for anyone looking to chase down a good ghost story. So, gather your courage – here’s your guide to Montréal’s spookiest spots.
Dorchester Square
Dorchester Square
In the heart of downtown, this public square might seem perfectly normal, with its beautifully redesigned layout and commemorative monuments. In reality, it was once the Saint-Antoine Cemetery – the site of thousands of unmarked graves due to cholera outbreaks in the early 1800s. Today, symbols and crosses mark the pathways to pay tribute to those that were once laid to rest here, making it particularly eerie once the usual daytime bustle quiets down.
Ravenscrag (The Allan Memorial Institute)
This stately mansion perched above Pine Avenue looks like something out of a gothic novel – and truth be told, its history isn’t far off. Originally a wealthy merchant’s estate, Ravenscrag later hosted several controversial experiments in the 1950s and ’60s. The building is now closed to the public, but the sight of it looming over the city (and McGill University) at dusk is enough to raise the hairs on your neck. It’s got that “do not enter” energy in the most unsettling way.
Montréal’s full of spots to scratch that spooky itch – the city’s weird, wonderful past pressing in through the cracks.
Saint-Louis square
Square Saint-Louis
By day, this Victorian square is nothing short of elegant and charming: colourful row houses, a spectacular fountain, and crowds of people milling about. But late at night, it changes into something entirely different. The gaslamp-style lighting casts dramatic shadows along the park’s pathways, adding to the atmosphere. Once the site of a large basin, it’s not hard to feel the hundreds of years of history hanging in the cool air. Add in some famous literary ghosts (Émile Nelligan, for one) and it’s easy to understand why this square gives off serious spooky vibes.
242 William Street
In 1879, lady-of-the-night Mary Gallagher was gruesomely murdered, decapitated in a Griffintown tenement – and her alleged killer was never found guilty. Local legend says her ghost returns every seven years, searching for her missing head. While the building is long gone, standing near the corner of William and Murray after dark still feels… off. It’s unsettling in that way abandoned corners of cities can be – some even say her ghost contributed to the (formerly industrial) neighbourhood’s rapid decline following the closure of the Lachine Canal. Whether you believe the legend or not, this spot carries the weight of something unresolved.
Mount Royal Cemetery
Mount Royal Cemetery
The Mount Royal Cemetery isn’t just one of the oldest in Canada, it’s also one of the most beautiful. But walk through at dusk and you’ll find winding paths, old statues, and gravestones tilting and decaying with age. It’s peaceful, but also incredibly quiet – maybe even a little too quiet. The cemetery has seen over a century of Montréalers buried here, and at night, it becomes a place where the past feels just a little closer than it should. If you timed it right, a walk on a chilly October night could really set the mood for something supernatural.
Jacques Cartier Monument
There’s something uncanny about the statue of Jacques Cartier in Parc Saint-Henri. He’s perched high on a pedestal, forever surveying the land he discovered – with his left hand pointing due west – and there’s an almost menacing stillness to him. Maybe it’s the colonial history or the way the statue seems to glow under streetlights, but at night, it gives off the feeling of a watchman rather than a monument. The freakiest part? Look closely into the eyes and you may notice them following your every move…
Grey Nuns’ Residence
Now part of Concordia University’s downtown campus, the Grey Nuns’ Residence was once an important convent and hospital. Over the years, those living here have reported cold spots, strange noises, and that creepy feeling of being watched. Even if you don’t go inside, the outside of the building has that old institutional look – massive stone walls, quiet courtyards, and windows that look like they may have witnessed things that remain unspoken. Students beware.
Royal Victoria Hospital
The Royal Vic looms high above the city like a Victorian asylum – because that’s essentially what it was. The now-closed hospital still sits abandoned, though there is a project underway to have it restored and reopened in the near future. In the meantime, urban explorers whisper about hearing voices in the halls; even just walking past the imposing Scottish Baronial castle-like structure at night, it’s easy to feel like someone may be watching from the windows…
Be prepared if you dare to visit any of those places.
Wellington Tunnel
Most people don’t realize (or remember) there’s a tunnel under Wellington Street – passing underneath the Lachine Canal – but there it remains, a relic from the 1930s. Once used for cars and pedestrians, it was sealed off due to flooding and safety concerns. Today, it’s bordered up and forgotten, but you can still spot the entrance on the north side if you know where to look.
Lévis Tower
Tucked away atop Île Sainte-Hélène, the Lévis Tower is one of those places that feels off the map – and maybe that’s part of its eerie charm. Housing an abandoned water reservoir, the stone tower is now sealed off and mostly forgotten, standing guard over the trees like a lone sentinel. Its blocky, fortress-like shape feels oddly out of place in the middle of a park, and the vibe gets real weird if you find yourself walking nearby at night.
Remains of Saint Ann’s Church
Saint Ann’s Church was the soul of Griffintown’s Irish community until it was demolished in the 1970s. The ruins now form a small park, but the layout remains present – park benches are arranged in a pew formation and sections of the foundations are still visible. At night, it’s quiet, reverent, though perhaps even a little unnerving. It’s a place that feels suspended in time, like a church congregation might materialize if you sit still long enough.
McTavish Monument
Simon McTavish was a fur baron who dreamed of building a castle on Mount Royal. He died before he could finish it, and some say he’s still bitter about it. Originally buried in a mausoleum, the site was destroyed in the 1870s when residents felt threatened by his ghost, and was later replaced with a more simple monument above ground. Stumbling across it on a foggy night can make it feel like something from another world entirely. The silence here is total, broken only by the occasional crunch of leaves… or something else.
Silo No. 5
Rising like a rusted cathedral over the Old Port, this massive silo has been empty since the ’90s. The grain complex, once a symbol of Montreal’s industrial might, remains like a ghost from a different time; its rusted frame and shattered windows are something straight out of a post-apocalyptic horror film. No confirmed hauntings, but the place oozes unease – especially at sundown, when the sun casts long shadows along the broken steel structure.
Daniel Bromberg
As a proud native of Montreal, Daniel channels his education in history and his work as a tour guide, writer, and photographer to share his love affair with the city. His passions include the local street art scene, sipping an allongé at a local cafe, discovering new green alleys, biking, and reading at home.