Spooky Screaming Tunnel in Ontario has a grim history and is apparently haunted
Niagara-on-the-lake may be known for its idyllic charm, beautiful streets, and expansive wineries, however, a local passage has become a dark tourism destination.
Running beneath the Grand Trunk railroad tracks, an old arched limestone stone tunnel was created in the early 1900s as a drainage passage to keep the tracks from submerging beneath floor water, and prevent farmers fields and crops from flooding.
The seemingly ordinary tunnel however gained an ominous reputation, rife with ghost stories and claims it was haunted. According to an old legend, the tunnel still holds the screams of a dying girl who was burned alive inside it, earning it the nickname "The Screaming Tunnel".
One version of the story says that a local farm caught fire one night, and a young girl ran screaming from the home while her hair and clothes were ablaze. Unfortunately, she collapsed in the tunnel and died from her burns.
A second more sinister version claims her death was at the hand of her father.
The story is that a family of three once lived in the small community, but the father was an alcoholic known to mistreat his wife and daughter.
After countless terrifying nights of his abuse, the wife had enough, threatening to leave with her daughter. She planned her escape, but he found out.
A horrible fight ensued, in which he knocked his wife unconscious. The daughter managed to escape the house and hid in the tunnel. Hearing a noise from within, he went into a drunken rage and found her.
It was said he doused her in gasoline and lit a wooden match, burning her alive while she screamed.
While there are several iterations of the legend, all stories agree on one thing: the tunnel is still haunted by the young girl's spirit. It is said if you light a flame within the tunnel around midnight, you can hear her scream, and she will blow out your flame.
Though skeptics insist the "scream" people claim to hear is simply a midnight train passing through in the distance, the legend was pervasive enough to continue to draw visitors from all over.
If ghost hunting is your thing, there are some other memorable haunts in Niagara-on-the-Lake to experience besides The Screaming Tunnel. The Olde Angel Inn, Royal George Theatre, and the Prince of Wales Hotel are also reportedly haunted by resident ghosts.
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