The Most Haunted Places in Alberta

Updated: September 10, 2024

Haunted Canada is the book to read in my daughter’s class these days. She’s not one for ghost stories, but the boys sure are! It’s Halloween and there’s no better time to frighten the snot out of yourself, so here’s our list of the Most Haunted Places in Alberta to lose your lunch, soil your pants, and have nightmares forever.

In no particular order, prepared to be terrified…

Land Acknowledgement

This land has welcomed First Nations from across Turtle Island, and settlers and visitors from around the world. Alberta lands are part of Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10, and the homeland of the Métis.

Alberta Mamas respects and celebrates the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit nations. We are striving to better listen, understand, and learn from the Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.

We are all Treaty people.

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Banff Springs Hotel, Banff

There are three supposed ghosts at the Banff Springs hotel; the bride, the bellman, and the family that was killed in Room 873.

The ghost bride is the oldest story at the Banff Springs Hotel spanning to the 1920’s. There are numerous versions of how the unlucky bride died, but it all seemed to happen on the stairs (did she trip on the the hem of her wedding dress or manage to catch her dress on fire by walking by a candle?). 

Next is Sam Macauley, a bellman at the Banff Springs who despite passing away in the ’70’s still hangs around the 9th floor helping visitors.

The most gruesome ghost story at the hotel is from room 873 which has been permanently closed off.  The story tells of a man who killed his wife and young daughter before killing himself in this room. Guests that stayed in the room (prior to it being closed) have reported being awakened by screaming! And, when they turned the lights on, there were bloody handprints on the mirror.

Check out this great Reddit post from a previous staff member for the history behind these ghost stories, and read previous visitors’ experiences on TripAdvisor!

Bowman Building, Lethbridge

The story goes that a young Chinese girl wearing traditional clothing was mistaken for a boy and beaten for being in the ladies washroom of Bowman Building in Lethbridge. This young girl can still be heard crying out from the women’s restroom. Visitors and staff have gone in to try to help the crying girl, but no one has ever found her.

Calling Lake School, Calling Lake

Calling Lake School has been rumoured to be built on an indigenous resting place, and those that are trying to rest, can find no peace (we get it – kids).

Many people have noted seeing shadowy apparitions, heard footsteps when no one was there and that eerie feeling of being watched.

Johnson House, Drumheller

Documented in The House That Never Said Goodbye, the Johnson House in Drumheller is said to be haunted by it’s original owner, Dr Bob Johnson. He was a dentist that accidentally shot himself while preparing for a hunting trip in the carriage house. His daughter passed a few years after at age 14, and is also thought to haunt her old bedroom.

You can reach out to Haunted Johnston House Tour on Facebook to visit for yourself. Be sure to book a walking ghost tour while you’re in Drumheller!

The Deane House, Calgary

The Deane House has the auspicious title of most haunted place in Calgary.

Phones that aren’t connected will ring followed by the smell of cigar smoke, and just to scare you a little more, there’s the blood stain in the attic that changes sizes and colours outside a closet that won’t close. 

The Deane House is now a restaurant in Calgary and the food looks amazing. Just don’t go into the attic. Read the reviews on TripAdvisor.

Firkins House, Edmonton

Watch the Karpetz sisters on YouTube (who were the last residents of the house) talking about what happened in the Firkins House when they lived there. The house is now located at Fort Edmonton after the Karpetz donated the house in 1992.

Read the TripAdvisor reviews of Fort Edmonton.

Gibbard Block, Edmonton

The wife of a previous owner was murdered in a room on the top floor, dragged to the basement, dismembered and fed into the furnace of this quaint building in Edmonton. The sounds of her body being dragged down the stairs have been heard by employees as well as strange flickering lights and bedsheets have been tugged off beds in the middle of the night.

Gibbard Block is now home to Fox Burger.

Final Thoughts

There are many more haunted places in Alberta that are haunted! Where in your town is haunted? Would you go in? I wouldn’t! In fact, I scared the beejeebus out of myself just writing this, so I’ll stick to trick and treating with the kids instead of creeping myself out this Halloween.

Be sure to check out our other Halloween posts! I promise, they aren’t as scary as this one.