Barclay Manor at Halloween

Barclay Manor is a Halloween haunted house that’s run by Vancouver’s West End Community Centre. It’s a fun, family-friendly attraction.

In 2023 the place was open to the public on the Friday and Saturday of October 27th and 28th. Tickets cost $4 per person or $12 for a family of four. It’s quite a good haunted house, and one of the Lower Mainland’s least expensive.

If you like haunted houses and you plan to be in Vancouver’s West End on the last weekend of October, we recommend checking it out.

This article contains the following information about Barclay Manor:

Haunted House at Barclay Manor

The Barclay Manor haunted house has been a popular tradition for over a dozen years. It’s made and designed by youth, which makes it extra special. The West End Community Centre’s Youth Leadership Club plans and organizes the event. On the last Friday and Saturday in October, the haunted house is run primarily by youth volunteers, but with a bit of staffing support.

The decorating and running of the haunted house is a program run by the West End Community Association. Barclay Manor is a great Halloween attraction and community event!

Tickets to the West End’s Haunted House

Admission to Barclay Manor about costs $4 per person, or $12 for a family of four. That’s a really good deal! Most haunted houses cost way more! Even with haunted houses where admission is by donation, most people likely give at least $5 (unless they are cheap or can’t afford more). $4 is a very good deal for what you get, plus money raised goes to a good cause. The haunted house is a youth-led fundraiser which benefits kids through free and low-cost programming.

Last year tickets could be purchased online or in person at either the West End Community Centre (at 870 Denman Street) or Coal Harbour Community Centre (at 480 Broughton in Coal Harbour). Tickets could also be purchased at the door (cash only) on the days of the event, assuming they didn’t sell out.

Barclay Manor Halloween Clown

When and Where

In 2023 the Haunted House at Barclay Manor was open to the public on the Friday and Saturday of October 27th and 28th. It was open from 7:00 until 9:00 pm on the Friday and between 4:30 and 6:30 pm on the Saturday.

Barclay Manor’s address is 1447 Barclay Street. It’s in Vancouver’s West End, about a 5-minute walk from two of the city’s most interesting streets. The building is just a couple of doors down from the corner of Barclay Steet and Nicola Street, about 4 short blocks southwest of Robson Street and 3 longer blocks southeast of Denman Street. Robson Street and Denman Street are full of restaurants. Robson Street is also full of boutiques and brand-name designer stores.

The 1400 block of Barclay Street itself is a quiet residential area. It’s very close, however, to some of Vancouver’s most interesting and vibrant neighbourhoods!

What to Expect

A special and unique feature of Barclay Manor is that it’s in a real old house. Most haunted attractions in the Lower Mainland are in buildings that don’t look 100% real, or in people’s homes that aren’t mansions over 100 years old. Barclay Manor was built in the early 1900s. At night, especially around Halloween, it looks like a real haunted house! The inside of Barclay Manor also looks like a real mansion, with old rooms, hallways and stairs. It couldn’t get any more real!

It takes between about 5 and 10 minutes to go through the haunted house depending on how fast or slow you go. If you stop to admire every single detail, it will take longer. If you’re scared silly and just want to get out of there, it will take less.

Barclay Manor is fairly dark inside, but not too dark. There are lots of spooky things to see. It’s not overly scary, just a little bit. It’s suitable for most children ages 8 and older.

Inside the mansion you can expect to see a few gory scenes, plus a number of body parts, a bit of blood and several characters with scary faces. There are also live actors. You’ll go into rooms, up and down the stairs, and along the hallways of the mansion.

To see some of the things we encountered when we visited Barclay Manor a few years ago, take a look at the photos in this article. The place will be different this year, but you’ll get an idea of what to expect.

In 2023 Barclay Manor had a “Haunted Circus theme”. Consequently, you were likely to see a psycho clown or two, plus a few other strange and wonderful circus characters!

Barclay Manor Devil

About Barclay Manor

Barclay Manor was built in 1905 and had a three-story addition at the back added in 1909. The current building was first owned by Francis and Emily Baynes. Part of the house was used as a hospital until 1919. From the mid-1920s until 1970, it was a boarding house. The building has had quite the history! It has no doubt seen lots of interesting things happen within its walls over the years!

In the late 1980s the back of the house was replaced, but with a traditional Edwardian design. The rest of the house is the original 1909 structure.

Today Barclay Manor is jointly managed by the West End Community Centre and the Vancouver Park Board. Outside of the Halloween season, the venue is where the West End Seniors Network runs its activities. Various events take place at Barclay Manor and its rooms can be rented for private functions.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra information to help you make the most out of your visit to the West End’s haunted house.

TIP #1: Barclay Manor is almost right next door to Roedde House which is also a heritage building, but now a very interesting museum. If you want to see what Francis and Emily Baynes’ neighbour’s house looked like year’s ago, drop by the Roedde House Museum for a visit. Built in 1893, the museum operates on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday afternoons (so not on Saturdays).

TIP #2: If you like shopping, then be sure to combine your trip to the haunted house with a walk down Robson Street. It’s full of great shops and boutiques.

TIP #3: If you’re hungry before or after your visit to Barclay Manor, head to either Denman Street or Robson Street. They are both close by and full of great restaurants.

TIP #4: Because it’s in an old house with stairs and no elevator, Barclay Manor isn’t wheelchair accessible.

TIP #5: Barclay Manor is suitable for children ages 7 and above. Parental discretion, however, is advised. Some children like scary things and think haunted houses are fun. Some kids though don’t.

TIP #6: Feel free to dress up and go in costume!

TIP #7: The West End Community Centre puts on lots of events and programs throughout the year. It’s a great place to learn things, make new friends and have fun! Another one of the community centre’s events is the West End Holiday Craft Fair which takes place on November 25th and 26th in 2023. Admission to that event is free.

Barclay Manor Halloween Display