Haunted Talks

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...

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 o...

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/96397446...

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...

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 stori...

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,...

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 o...

" 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 mo...

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 h...

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...

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.