Toronto’s beloved ‘haunted castle’ is unleashing new spaces and larger-than-life scares

A Toronto castle that supposedly harbours some spirits of its own has been transforming into one of the city’s favourite haunted attractions every Halloween for the past decade — and 2026 promises to be just as spooky.

Whether you’re in it for the tricks or the treats, Halloween is, in my opinion, a truly special time in Toronto. Maybe it’s because the city rides hard for the holiday: with non-stop parties, haunted attractions and ample opportunities to don your best costume, or maybe it’s because the city is — allegedly — riddled with spirits who haunt its historic buildings.

In any event, the second temperatures dip below 20°C, I’m all-in on Halloween, and Casa Loma’s Legends of Horror is, without a doubt, the first event I put into my pumpkin-packed schedule.

Running every October for the past decade, the event transforms the hilltop castle-mansion into a spooky maze plucked straight from your nightmares. Or, if you’re anything like me, dreams.

The hour-long loop runs through the property’s extensive gardens and eerie-on-the-best-of-days tunnels, which are packed with ghoulish scenes and scare actors poised and ready to pounce when you least expect it. Keep an eye out for the ones disguised in the bushes: they get me every year.

And if you need something to take the edge off, the experience also passes through the Captain Morgan Bar and Lounge, where DJs and live bands light up a dance floor where you can shake off the willies, and a fully stocked bar serves up seasonal sips like the Franken Colada, Mai Die, and Necromancer Negroni.

While the city has no shortage of haunt experiences throughout spooky season, like Halloween Haunt at Canada’s Wonderland or Screemers, Casa Loma’s Legends of Horror has the added leg up of its host site being actually, supposedly, haunted.

The site’s basement, which you’ll traverse during your Legends of Horror tour, is said to be occupied by the spirit of an unidentified Lady in White, while Sir Henry Pellatt, Casa Loma’s original owner, is said to still occupy the halls of his former home.

Who knows if any of that stuff is actually real, but it adds a certain edge to the experience. There’s no telling whether the person jumping out to give you a good scare is an actor or something a little more otherworldly…

Legends of Horror 2026 kicks off on Oct. 3 and runs until Oct. 31, with tickets — available online now — starting at $35.

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