With spooky season in full swing and Halloween quickly approaching, many are looking for some frighteningly fun activities. But the scares don’t have to stop at haunted houses and terrifying corn mazes; they can also include dinner.
Vancouver’s history is full of spooky tales and gruesome stories, so of course, some of our restaurants are a bit haunted, too.
From rattling glasses to ghostly shapes of small children (it’s always ghost children, isn’t it?!), there are some pretty scary places in this city.
Based on this list of the most haunted restaurants, one thing is clear: Gastown is definitely the most haunted neighbourhood in Vancouver.
So whether you want to seek out a scare — ’tis the season — or just want to know where to avoid, here’s a list of Vancouver’s most haunted restaurants.
The Old Spaghetti Factory
Inside the Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown (Kris Taeleman)
If you’re at all interested in hauntings and the often gruesome history of Vancouver, chances are you’ve heard about The Old Spaghetti Factory and its ghosts. In 2021, Daily Hive spoke with the Old Spaghetti Factory and Forbidden Vancouver to learn more about the haunted history and ghosts of Gastown. We learned that The Old Spaghetti Factory – whose building was built in 1912 – has been home to numerous sightings over the years. Both staff and guests have reported seeing a little boy, a tram conductor, and a little girl with a balloon.
Address: 53 Water Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-684-1288
Kelly O’Bryans
This New Westminster restaurant is located in an old Canadian Pacific Railway Station, built in 1899. Reports from former staff recall hearing footsteps when no one was there, ghostly shapes of a little girl, and hearing their names called out by no one in particular.
Address: 800 Columbia Street, New Westminster
Phone: 604-553-8339
Water St. Café
According to the Ghosts of Vancouver website, the 300 Water Street address has experienced some paranormal activity over the years. Reportedly, at one period in time when the fourth floor of the building was vacant and closed, staff working on the third floor could hear loud thumping and dragging noises above. The Water St. Café has been on the first two floors of this building since 1988.
Address: 300 Water Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-689-2832
Lamplighter Pub
Cool fact: the Lamplighter Pub is one of Vancouver’s oldest bars, having opened in 1899. Located on the ground floor of the Dominion Hotel, the Lamplighter has had its fair share of spooky incidents, including bouncers reporting hearing glasses shaking in an empty bar, levitating objects, and moving mannequins.
Address: 92 Water Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-687-4424
With files from Daryn Wright and Marco Ovies