Kingston Penitentiary — Canada's most feared prison and its restless inmates

Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston, Ontario, was Canada's oldest and most notorious federal prison, operating from 1835 to 2013. Over its 178-year history, the penitentiary housed some of Canada's most dangerous criminals and was the site of brutal punishments, riots, and executions. The prison was featured on Creepy Canada and has been the subject of extensive paranormal investigation since its closure. Former guards and inmates described hearing screams in empty cell blocks, seeing shadow figures moving through the ranges, and experiencing cold spots in the former execution area. The prison's most famous ghost is that of a guard who was killed during the 1971 Kingston Penitentiary riot — one of the worst prison riots in Canadian history. His spirit is said to walk the corridors of the range where he died, still performing his rounds. Since the prison became a tourist destination offering guided tours, visitors have added their own accounts — photographs showing unexplained anomalies, the sound of cell doors clanging shut behind them, and the overwhelming sense of human suffering that seems to permeate the limestone walls. Kingston Penitentiary's massive limestone bulk dominates the Kingston waterfront, a monument to incarceration that visitors describe as oppressive even before the ghosts appear.