Hycroft Manor — the haunted mansion of Vancouver's Shaughnessy district

Hycroft Manor in Vancouver's upscale Shaughnessy neighbourhood is a grand 30,000-square-foot Italianate mansion built in 1911 for Alexander Duncan McRae, a wealthy timber and land baron. The house was donated to the University Women's Club of Vancouver in 1962 and has been operated by the organization since. Members and visitors have reported a range of paranormal phenomena. The most frequently described ghost is a woman in Edwardian-era clothing who has been seen on the grand staircase and in the ballroom. Staff working late in the building have heard the rustle of a long dress moving through empty rooms, piano music from the music room when the piano lid is closed, and the distinct sound of a dinner party — conversation, laughter, silverware on china — coming from the dining room after hours. Some members have described encountering a strong scent of pipe tobacco in the library, believed to be connected to General McRae. The mansion's grand proportions, with its columns, parquet floors, and sweeping views of the city and mountains, create an environment where the elegance of a bygone era feels permanently imprinted.