A century-old mansion in the small town of High River, Alberta — about 40 minutes south of Calgary — has turned its spooky reputation into a year-round business. Mystic Manor, a historic home at 410 5th St. SE, runs paranormal tours every month of the year, not just around Halloween, and the emphasis is on ghost hunting rather than the jump-scare haunted house format you might expect.
Tours are led by owner Faye Steinberg, a psychic medium, who walks guests through the house while recounting its history and the paranormal activity reported there over the decades. The stories are rooted in the home's 120-year past and its former residents. You also get hands-on ghost-hunting equipment, so you're not just listening to tales — you're sweeping the rooms yourself.
There are three ways in, depending on your nerve. The main Haunted Tour runs about 85 minutes and takes you room by room with a guide, equipment in hand, ending with a mini séance ($55 per person plus GST). The Séance Experience skips the full house tour and focuses purely on guided spirit communication with a medium ($40 plus GST). If you'd rather go it alone, the Basement Experience hands you roughly 20 minutes of unsupervised investigating downstairs for just $13 plus GST. A Halloween VIP Tour runs at $88.
How scary is it? Organisers describe it as immersive rather than a carnival-style haunt, and they recommend it for ages 12 and up, with parental discretion for younger guests. That said, the lighting is dim and the stories are genuinely eerie, so it may still test you if you're not a fan of the dark.
A few practical notes before you book. The manor is a real historic home with narrow passageways, low ceilings and multiple staircases, so wear comfortable shoes. Photos are sometimes allowed when your guide says so, but no flash and no video recording. The house sits in a residential neighbourhood, with free parking behind the building, so you won't be circling for street parking. Bookings go through the online calendar, and tour times vary through the week and the seasons.
For travellers, this is an easy add-on to a Calgary trip — pair it with a day exploring High River's historic downtown or a foothills drive south of the city. It suits anyone who likes their history with a chill factor: heritage-house enthusiasts, ghost-hunting hobbyists, or groups looking for a memorable evening that doesn't rely on someone in a mask leaping out of a closet.
