A Chilling Walk Through History by Candlelight
Event: Animated Guided Tour – Crimes in New France
Location: 44 Chaussée des Écossais → 29 rue Notre-Dame, Québec City, QC
Date Attended: October 4, 2025
Highlights: Real historical tales, old prison site, eerie cobblestone streets, animated storytelling
Pro Tip: Wear warm shoes and layers
A Night of History, Hauntings and Hanging Sentences
By day, Old Québec is all cobblestones and charm but when night falls, those same streets whisper of crime, punishment and restless spirits.
You meet your group outside the Morrin Centre, a 200-year-old stone building that once served as the city’s first prison. The air is crisp, your breath visible in the cold. Then, out of the shadows, your guide appears, dressed in a black cloak, lantern in hand, and eyes glinting with mischief. She introduces herself as Marie Rivière, wife of New France’s only executioner and the night instantly takes a darker turn.
Marie’s storytelling pulls you right into the 17th century. With equal parts humor and horror, she recounts tales of thieves, witches, and murderers who once filled these narrow streets. You walk past the old jailyards where hangings took place, imagining the crowd’s gasp as the condemned met their fate. Every stop feels alive. The past pressing close, just beyond the glow of the lantern.
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac at Night
The streets twist and tighten as Marie leads you deeper into the city. She laughs between grim stories, making you both uneasy and oddly entertained. When she describes the “breaking wheel,” you shudder; when she jokes about being shunned for marrying an executioner, you laugh nervously with the group. It’s history told with a wicked wink, a perfect blend of fact, theater and eerie fun.
As you follow her down toward Place Royale, the wind bites harder. Lanterns flicker against centuries-old stone buildings, and the echo of your footsteps mingles with distant church bells. The final stop is before the Fresque des Québécois, a massive mural depicting the city’s history. Surrounded by painted explorers, soldiers, and townsfolk, Marie delivers her last story, a chilling confession that ties her own fate to the crimes of New France. The ending is dramatic, unexpected and somehow poetic.
When the tour ends, Marie bows deeply, and for a moment no one speaks. You’re standing in a square where real executions once happened, but the night now feels quiet, sacred almost. The past feels closer than ever, like the ghosts of Québec City aren’t quite ready to let you go.
Why You’ll Love It
This isn’t your average ghost walk. It’s immersive street theater, a candlelit lesson in Québec’s macabre history that will leave you entertained and a little unsettled. Whether you’re a solo traveler craving atmosphere, a couple looking for something unique, or simply a history buff with a taste for the dark side, this tour delivers.
