Ottawa Jail Hostel — sleeping in Canada's most haunted prison cells

The HI Ottawa Jail Hostel occupies the former Carleton County Gaol, a Victorian-era jail that operated from 1862 to 1972. The prison was the site of public hangings — the last in 1869 — and housed prisoners in conditions that were considered harsh even by 19th-century standards. The jail was converted to a hostel, allowing budget travelers to sleep in the original cells, complete with iron bars and stone walls. This unique arrangement has produced decades of ghost stories from guests who spend the night mere feet from where prisoners suffered and died. The most frequently reported ghost is that of Patrick J. Whelan, who was hanged at the jail in 1869 for the assassination of Irish-Canadian politician Thomas D'Arcy McGee. Guests sleeping in the cells have reported hearing chains rattling, cell doors clanging, and footsteps in the corridors at night. Some guests have described waking to find a figure standing at the foot of their bunk, and others have reported being touched or having their blankets pulled off. The jail's eighth floor 'death row' is considered the most haunted area. The hostel has been featured on Creepy Canada, The Girly Ghosthunters, and Mystery Hunters, cementing its reputation as one of Canada's most visited haunted locations.