Ottawa Jail Hostel

The Ottawa Jail Hostel is a special hostel because it was used to house prisoners before first closing its doors in 1972. The top floor, which was once used as a death row, has been restored to its original conditions so that visitors can tour the space. Given the building’s unique history, it’s perhaps unsurprising that rumors persist that it is haunted by spirits. Spirits of inmates who once were kept inside of the building against their will, it is said, wander the building at night, slamming doors, appearing at the foots of guest’s beds, and lending their disembodied voices to the halls and common rooms. Before the jail closed, it was the main cell block anywhere in Ottawa for more than a century. The building was first constructed in 1862 next to the area’s courthouse. In addition, it’s known that the jail inflicted very inhumane conditions upon those imprisoned there. Men were mixed with women and children and those arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct would often share a cell with murderers or the mentally ill.