Nova Scotia has no shortage of ghost stories. Its history extends back 400 years, so it stands to reason that its long and colourful past would tend to leave behind some troubled souls. Early settlers brought with them a rich legacy of stories and legends that have been passed down from generation to generation. Here are some of the more popular stories.

Bedford Basin - Halifax Harbour
Over the years, people standing along its shore on foggy evenings have reported hearing the sound of a small boat being rowed toward the shore. The sound dies away, and no boat is ever seen. The story goes that sometime in the last century a dory full of fishermen overturned in the fog, and drowned. Their restless spirits are said to spend eternity seeking a shoreline they will never find.

The Brewery Market - Salter Street, Halifax
Home to Alexander Keith’s brewpub, employees say that the ghost of Alexander Keith has been seen throughout the building, making sure that all is well with his brewery. His pleasant ghost is not the only one said to haunt this old building - disembodied running footsteps are heard in the hallways at night.

Cathedral Church of All Saints - Tower Road, Halifax
This beautiful cathedral is said to be haunted by the ghost of one of its past deans. His spectre has been seen throughout the church, but most of the ghostly activity is centered on the altar, where he has been seen standing on many occasions.
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Citadel Hill - Downtown Halifax
The ghost of a Mi'kmaq native is said to run along the side of the hill at twilight.

Deadman's Island - Northwest Arm of Halifax
While it was known that a mass grave existed in the area, the exact location was not known. When a local development company began clearing the trees on this peninsula of forested land, its workers were met with ghostly lights floating among the trees at night. It appeared that some mysterious presence didn't want construction on the site.

Devil's Island - Halifax Harbour
Ghostly lights and fires are seen from the mainland. A supposedly bottomless pit on the island is said to be a hiding place for pirate treasure.
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The Fortress of Louisbourg - Cape Breton, NS
Louisbourg's turbulent history has left a ghostly impression. The spectre of a man dressed in the uniform of an eighteenth century French officer has been seen repeatedly on the grounds of the fortress, as well as in the chapel.

Halifax Armory - Ahern Avenue
The eerie and foreboding Halifax Armory was built as part of the city's defensive plan in the late 1890's, and is said to be home to a ghost dressed in the uniform of a First World War era Canadian Soldier.

Historic Properties - Halifax Waterfront
This cluster of waterfront buildings dates back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is said to be home to more than one ghost. Tales are told of shadowy figures seen both inside and outside the buildings in the hours after dark, and people in old-fashioned clothing roaming the shaded alleys, who vanish when approached.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic - Water Street - Halifax Waterfront
Museum employees have reported lights switching themselves on and off, and objects being moved by unseen hands. Paranormal activity seems to be focused around two exhibits in particular: the light from the historic Sambro Lighthouse, and the marble statue of Captain James Farquar.

McNab's Island - Halifax Harbour
This large island dominating the entrance to Halifax Harbour is said to be home to many ghosts. The headless ghost of Peter McNab is said to roam the island. There are also reports of a phantom horse and carriage that races down the roads on the island.
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Northumberland Strait
One of Atlantic Canada's more famous hauntings is the burning ghost ship that sails the Northumberland Strait between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. She is described as an old sailing ship of three or four masts (reports vary), which is invariably seen ablaze from bow to stern.
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Oak Island - Mahone Bay, NS
Legend has it that a huge treasure lies buried on the island in a deep and intricately booby-trapped mineshaft called the "Money Pit". Visitors to the island have reported encounters with apparitions dressed as eighteenth century soldiers and ghost lights have been seen from the mainland on several occasions.
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Old Halifax Courthouse - Spring Garden Road, Halifax
Stored in a dark, eerie room in the upper story of the building are pieces of the old Halifax gallows, on which many of the city's more infamous criminals met their end long ago. Many years ago one of the building's janitors ran terrified and shaking from the room, swearing he had seen a ghost, and vowing never to return to the room again (a promise he reportedly kept).

Seal Island Light Museum - Barrington, NS
It seems things have been going bump in the night at this replica of a lighthouse. Could those eerie noises be a ghost? We invite you to visit on October 28th and 29th from 7 PM to 9 PM and search for yourself. Not suitable for the young and faint of heart.

St. Michaell's Church - Herring Cover Road, Halifax
The contemporary-styled church in the Halifax suburb of Spryfield doesn't look like a place where one would find a ghost, but tales are told of the spectre of a gentle old man who vanishes when approached, and an organ that plays by itself.

St. Paul's Anglican Church - Argyle Street, Halifax
Canada’s oldest Protestant church is probably Halifax’s best-known haunted building. The image of one of its parishioners, killed in the tragic 1917 Halifax explosion, is said to appear in one of the upper storey windows.

Terrence Bay Road - Prospect, Halifax County
The spectre that lingers along this stretch of road is that of a disheveled old man who has the rather unsettling habit of suddenly appearing directly in front of cars that are driving the road at night. Near-accidents have been caused, and the ghost has appeared in the backseat of at least one vehicle.