Grave Tales in Fort Langley

Grave Tales is a spooky walking tour during the Halloween season at night in October. It’s hosted by Fort Langley National Historic Site.

The tours take place on select dates from early October to the end of the month. They are very popular and highly recommended!

Visit the Parks Canada website for full details and to book your spot.

This article includes the following information about Grave Tales:

Tour Dates and Details | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Grave Tales in Fort Langley

Fort Langley National Historic Site is a wonderful attraction in Metro Vancouver. It’s an interesting place with a rich history that dates back to the early days of British Columbia. The national historic site is at 23433 Mavis Avenue in the Village of Fort Langley. The venue hosts several events throughout the year, including Grave Tales during the fall.

Grave Tales is an outdoor walking tour. Each tour runs at night and lasts for around two or three hours. The experience is intended to be spooky, hair-raising and spine-chilling. While on the walking tour, a guide shares scary stories and keeps everyone engaged and entertained. You can expect to hear about ghosts, amputations, burials, mysteries and more. You’ll walk through a real graveyard as well!

Given the mature subject matter, the most ominous Grave Tales tours are typically for adults only. There are, however, other versions of the tour more suitable for younger groups.

Visit the Parks Canada website for full details about the walking tours.

Tour Dates and Details

The tours run in and around the month of October. Last year’s Grave Tales tours were available on almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the month, as well as a couple of Thursdays. They took place on October 4th to 6th, 11th and 13th, 17th to 20th, and 24th to 27th.

There are typically four different types of tours to choose from. One of them is for ages 8 and older, whereas the other three are for adults ages 18 and older. Details about all four tours are below.

Youth Grave Tales

Last year’s youth edition of Grave Tales ran on the Thursdays of October 17th and 24th. This option is the tamest of the four. It’s suitable for children ages 8 to 17. The tour is family-friendly but kids still have to be accompanied by an adult. The tours begin at 6:30 pm and cost about $25 per person.

Spirit of the Place

Except for the Saturday of October 12th, 2024, “Spirit of the Place” tours ran on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between October 4th and 27th. These tours usually start at 7:00 pm each day and finish at 8:30 pm.

This tour is a great option for people who want to learn about supernatural events at the fort without doing a lot of walking. Much of it happens indoors or around a fire pit (on days with good weather). Admission costs about $25 each.

Graves of the Tradesmen

“Graves of the Tradesmen” tours happened on the same days as “Spirit of the Place” tours last year. However, the “Graves of the Tradesmen” edition ran from 8:00 pm until 10:00 pm and cost about $32 per person.

The tour involves about 4 kms of walking. Expect to hear some very interesting stories and to learn about what life was like in the old days for employees of the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Descent into Darkness

Lastly, “Descent into Darkness” tours are the most intense and spookiest of them all. They are for adults who want to hear about suicide, murder, ghosts and other topics with mature themes. These tours involve a 4 km walk around the village.

“Descent into Darkness” tours last year ran from 9:00 pm until midnight on October 4th to 6th, 11th, 13th, 18th to 20th, and 26th to 27th. Admission was about $45 per person.

Visit the Parks Canada website for full details about Grave Tales and to book your spot.

Tips & Advice

Below is some advice to help you make the most of your Grave Tales and Hidden Histories Walking Tour experiences.

TIP #1: Grave Tales tours happen outdoors and at night. Be sure to dress accordingly and wear comfortable shoes.

TIP #2: The tours are tremendously popular and typically sell out well in advance. Book your spot as soon as you can if you want to go on one!

TIP #3: Fort Langley is a great place to visit any time of the year. Don’t just go on the walking tours. Visit the fort too if you haven’t done so recently.

TIP #4: Did you know that you can also stay overnight at the fort? You can! Inside the historic site there are oTENTiks which are like fancy cabin-like tents. They can be rented between the beginning of May and early October. Visit the Parks Canada website to learn more about these.

TIP #5: In addition to the walking tours, the fort also hosts other events at different times of the year. These include Vive les Voyageurs in January, National Indigenous Peoples Day in June, and Brigade Days on the BC Day Long Weekend in the summer. There is also the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival in October and Heritage Holidays during the Christmas season. See the Fort Langley Website’s Events Page to learn about these and other seasonal activities at the fort.

Visit the Parks Canada website for full details about Grave Tales and to book your spot.

Other Information

Visit the Parks Canada website for more information about events at the historic site.

Fort Langley National Historic Site is operated by Parks Canada. Other national historic sites in the Lower Mainland are the Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Steveston Village and Britannia Mine Museum at Britannia Beach (which is just south of Squamish). There is also Fort Rodd Hill in Victoria on Vancouver Island.

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