Haliburton House Museum
Haliburton House Museum was built in 1836 and it is located in Windsor, Nova Scotia. It was the home of Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton who is now believed to be the home’s resident ghost.
Haliburton was a lawyer, judge, historian, politician, and a writer. He is best remembered for the creation of the fictitious character, Sam Slick.
Not only has the museum changed and been renovated over the years but apparently has also been the home of 127 different occupants! So maybe Judge Haliburton isn’t the only ghost on the premises. There’s an excellent wooden working model in the museum that explains the estate’s many transformations.
There is also a pond on the property which is reputed to be haunted. Some say by a soldier on horseback, others by a man playing bagpipes. When the pond was drained many years ago (there is water again in it now) no bodies were found to suggest that someone had fallen in and drowned; so maybe this particular ghost story is more of an urban legend.
Experiences
- People have smelled vanilla and lavender in the parlor. In this same room a wake was held at one time although that wasn’t an uncommon thing in the past.
- Every light in the house turned on one night many years ago. This was witnessed by one of the museum interpreters when she was a girl. This happened before the time of security lights or automatic timers.
- Another museum interpreter was talking to a family who was visiting the museum one day. When their little boy returned from looking around he told his parents that he wanted to go into the attic. During this time the attic was sectioned off by a rope draped across the doorway. When he was told that he wasn’t allowed up there, the upset boy asked his parents, “Well how come the man is allowed up there?” The man he described who he had seen in the attic fit the description of Judge Haliburton.
- Another museum interpreter was working alone late one night when he heard footsteps cross the wooden floor of the dining room. When the footsteps reached the former servants kitchen, they were heard to not only walk down the two small steps, but the sound changed as the footsteps walked across the different style of flooring. Thinking another co-worker had showed up he went to check who it was but could find no one else in the house.
We’ve visited the Haliburton House on a few occasions, but they were never full-fledged investigations. Nothing physical ever happened, but one time Tony and Rob got this -very- interesting EVP of someone whistling when Tony and Rob had just finished agreeing to remain silent while taking photos. Perhaps some ghosts have no respect for the living.
Even so, Grim Undertakings always enjoy visiting this wonderful museum. It has beautiful grounds and the trip up its long, winding driveway is wonderful.
