Docked quietly on Kingston’s waterfront, the S.S. Keewatin stands as a looming relic of early 20th-century travel.
Built in 1907, this grand passenger liner once carried travellers across the Great Lakes. Today, it serves as a floating museum, allowing visitors to step back in time and imagine life aboard a luxury passenger ship of the Edwardian era.
But as day turns to dusk, the Keewatin reveals a different side.
The Haunted Walk aboard the S.S. Keewatin invites guests to explore the ship’s spooky past. Guided by local storytellers, participants hear tales of ghostly sightings, unexplained footsteps, and mysterious voices echoing through the ship’s corridors.
“The ship was described to me as a perfect combination of “Titanic” and “The Shining” and it is a perfect fit!” says Glenn Shackleton, owner of The Haunted Walk. “It has the perfect blend of the historical and the spooky. We later learned that ghost tours have always been conducted on the Keewatin at its previous homes, so it had a rich tradition of ghost stories as well.”
From the bellhop’s station to the grand ballroom, every space on the ship holds a story. Visitors often report sudden chills, glimpses of shadowy figures, and an unsettling sensation that the ship itself is alive with memories.
“There are so many great stories from the ship, but my personal favourite is Rosie, the ghost in a white dress seen dancing in the ballroom to music only she can hear,” says Shackleton. “Or Justine, the creepy mannequin that has been known to move around the ship, startling those who find her somewhere unexpected.”
Each room tells a story, blending the ship’s recorded past with eerie legends passed down through generations. Guests may feel the chill of a Lake Ontario breeze as they navigate the narrow hallways or catch a glimpse of a shadow where no one should be.
The Haunted Walk transforms a tour through the Keewatin into an immersive experience, intertwining history and the supernatural.
Guests can expect real-life ghost stories from around the Great Lakes and from the history of the ship itself, all expertly told by our cloaked storytellers,” says Shackleton. “The ship is so quiet and eerie at night. It’s a unique experience.
Ghosts of the Keewatin tours run Friday and Saturday evenings until mid-November. Learn more at The Haunted Walk website.
