Ghosts and ghouls large and small, Wonder Woman and Mighty Toys – on Halloween, they all take transit! And for good reason – not only does transit take you there with ease, and allow you and your little ones to stay safe on the creepiest night of the year, transit also provides spook-tacular opportunity for people watching. There’s no better place to get the full spectrum of Halloween frivolity than transit.
Now as far as we know, there are no haunted buses in York Region, but there may be haunted houses, and you can visit them by transit.
One example is the Sharon Temple in the village of Sharon, a National Historic Site with a haunted reputation. Perhaps if you listen, you may hear the sounds of a great feast being prepared, music and footsteps, as others have reported. You can visit it on transit. From the Newmarket GO Bus Terminal, you take the YRT/Viva Route 50 bus.
Another reportedly ghostly haunt is Thornhill’s Heintzman House (circa 1817). Author John Robert Colombo writes in Mysteries of Ontario that it’s haunted by the angry-looking ghost of Colonel Cruikshank. But the haunting generally doesn’t interfere with weddings and events hosted at the venue. It’s served by YRT/Viva Route 3, though generally not open to the public.
How about Halloween in a real haunted house? Newmarket’s Henry Harrison House, home to the Grey Goat Pub, writes on the pub blog that sudden door slamming, strange noises from the basement and seeing the outline of an old lady while in the basement are just a few of the ghostly experiences staff has reported. Located on Main Street in Newmarket, you could use the Davis Drive rapidway to connect with Viva buses on Main Street, and enjoy the “spirits” at the pub.
However you celebrate Halloween, we hope you have fun and stay safe!