Seventeen years ago, Nadine Bailey felt Edmonton was lacking what’s called “Dark Tourism,” so she started Edmonton Ghost Tours. The walking tours revolve around the Old Strathcona area’s haunted history, and you’ll learn about murders, mysteries and myths centred on some of the oldest locations on Whyte Avenue. But, just because it’s scary doesn’t mean it’s for adults only.
“It’s a fun, family-friendly event to do,” says Bailey, founder of Edmonton Ghost Tours. “I’ve had tons of people over the years, whether young, old, people pushing babies in strollers, and they come out and it’s always a family event.”
The five ghost tours include the Old Strathcona Ghost Tour, University of Alberta History and Haunted Hike, Mount Pleasant Cemetery Historic Tour, Haunted Trolley Tour and the Haunted Pub Tour, which is currently not available. Bailey offers the tours throughout the spring and summer, but the tours are especially popular leading up to Halloween.
“I always jokingly say at the start of my tour that the weird things are usually in the area in Old Strathcona because it is such an eclectic, interesting and wonderful place,” says Bailey. “But sometimes [weird things] do happen.” Some of those things include lights turning on or loud noises coming from empty buildings.
This year, Bailey is bringing back the Haunted Trolley Tour after not being able to offer it last year because of the pandemic. The Haunted Trolley Tour takes guests over the High Level Bridge in the historic trolley. Guests will hear about the ghosts that haunt the ATB Financial Arts Barns, University of Alberta and the High Level Bridge. The trolley goes across the bridge twice, stopping in the middle both times for a photo-op.
Edmonton Ghost Tours run until October 31 and each tour is approximately an hour long. Tickets range from $16.93 to $43.45 depending on the tour and must be purchased in advance. Edmonton Ghost Tours is operating under the Alberta Restrictions Exemption Program.
