Have you ever felt an eerie chill run up your spine, experienced a sudden drop in temperature or a mysterious tap on your shoulder? Maybe you’ve noticed your hairs standing on end, heard unexplained footsteps or saw the lights flicker for no reason at all? Yes?! You may have encountered one of Queen's University's resident ghosts, still lingering in the shadows.
This fall I embraced the spirit of the season and joined The Ghost of Queen’s University Haunted Walk. The spooky stories shared were gathered from dusty archives, libraries, private collections, personal letters, books, newspapers and the stories of those brave enough to share them. One of my favorite stories was about students grave robbing for their research! Can you imagine having to source your own cadaver for class? Another tale featured a ghost that liked to keep things orderly and clean up after the people. Afterwards, I overheard a student whisper “Oh great, I have a class in that building this term”.
Do you live off campus near Queen’s? Beware! One of the Queen’s off campus students’ houses is rumored to be haunted. The haunted walk shared a tale about this and I found an article on Queen’s Journal, Queen’s students share their personal ghost stories
Ready for a spooky adventure? If you’re feeling bold and playful here are a few tips to make the most out of your haunted walk.
- Lean Into the Mystery: Whether you are braving the tour alone or with friends, have fun with it and lean into the mystery. Ask questions, share your own ghost experiences and get into it. The more involved the group is, the better the experience is and the more goosebumps you’ll get.
- Bundle up: The ghosts may not feel the cold, but you will. Bring a hot fall drink, like a spied apple cider or a pumpkin latte to keep you warm and cozy.
- End at the Grad Club: Conclude your walk at one of our favorite haunts, the Grad Club. Grab a table on the second floor facing the front window… perhaps you may have a ghostly encounter there yourself!
Looking for more haunting history about Queen’s or eerie events on campus?
- Tomorrow, October 24, Join Horror Drag Queen, Ms. Nookie Galore as she performs Sarap 12:00pm – 1:00 pm at the Art and Media Lab located in the Isabel Bader Centre for Preforming Arts. “Food is central to cultural sharing, and cooking is an embodied performance of gathering in the kitchen to tell the stories that make us who we are. Join horror drag queen Ms. Nookie Galore as she takes up this act of cultural nourishment by animating the scary stories of her childhood for the audience. Sarap is a reworking and a reanimation of the origin story of the Filipino vampire, the Manananggal, within the context of the migrant worker. The performance explores who Ms. Nookie Galore is through the formats of the cooking show, horror storytelling, and drag entertainment”.
- Ghost Hunters of the Grand River heard about the ghosts on campus and featured The Agnes Etherington Art Centre (Episode 8) and The Grad Club (Episode 10) in Season 2. "Using equipment such as night vision cameras, thermal cameras, recorders and a “spirit box” — a modified transistor radio that skips through the stations super fast – the Six Nations Investigating Paranormal Encounters group seeks out unexplained activity in buildings purportedly haunted by ghosts." Read more in the Simcoe Reformer. If you dare, you can hunt down the episodes on Apple TV.
- Poisoned books? We’ve got them! The newest exhibition, Dying to Read: Arsenic in the 19th Century. Curated by Kim Bell is on now at The W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections Library. Explore the fascinating history of arsenic in 19th-century book production and its impact on readers and collectors. The opening reception is October 30th from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections Library located on the second floor of The Douglas Library.
Until next time, Keep it Spooky and Happy Haunting!