Located just off the beaten path, about ten miles away from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, stands an arched stone tunnel at the tranquil end of Warner Road.

Nestled deep in the hillside, embraced with overgrown mosses, vines, and vibrant autumn foliage, this one hundred and twenty-ish-year-old limestone passageway sits as if it were waiting for an artist to appear with palette and canvas in hand.

Although constructed for The Grand Trunk Railway, an early Canadian railway line incorporated in 1852, the tunnel was actually built as a drain passage allowing water to escape from the above farmlands. The tunnel also served as a route for farmers to transport goods and animals safely underneath the bustling railroad tracks.

But as with any historic location, there tends to be a paranormal tale attached. And even picturesque underpasses are no exception…

The hushed area where the tunnel rests, which also leads to The Bruce Trail, the ever-popular hiking trail through Niagara’s winery region, may appear as a serene spot for some. Still, some locals beg to differ, even arguing that, at times, when the circumstances are just right, the peaceful area can grow quite deafening.

The Haunts

“Legend has it, that the tunnel is haunted by a young girl that perished within its walls well over a hundred years ago.”

There are several variations of this story, and anyway you slice it, it’s a rather sad one. But here are just a few:

One version tells of a nearby farm that caught fire in the middle of the night. The young daughter, the only one that was able to flee from the burning house, ran screaming toward the tunnel. With her hair and clothes engulfed in flames, she unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish her burning body in the tunnel’s wet wades, where she sadly died.

As if that weren’t hardening enough, another version tells of a drunken and enraged father that forced his daughter down into the tunnel where he set her on fire.

And even still, another tells of robbery, violence, and torture, where her body was burned to destroy any evidence.

All three accounts I found rather disturbing, but the outcome was the same: the young girl burned to death within the tunnel’s stone walls. What were the actual events that led to this young girl’s demise? We may never know.

Don’t believe a word of it? Want proof?

Many locals warn, be careful what you wish for!

And if you’re really curious, some say you can even summon the girl, maybe even get a chance to ask her yourself!

The legend goes on: they say if you stand in the middle of the tunnel, right around midnight of course, strike a match on the tunnel’s wall, and, as the flame grows higher, you will hear the ailing and tortured screams of the burning girl.

Poppycock, you say? Well this story must hold some clout, as the once unnamed passageway has been recognized for quite some time as the “Screaming Tunnel.”

Now, I just so happened to be in the neighborhood of Bruce Trail late one October evening… So, I thought I’d check it out…

It was just about dusk when I arrived and I happened to meet a late afternoon jogger finishing up his run. After his car exited the cul-de-sac parking area, all was peaceful, and the tunnel gave way to my description above: an artist’s envy.

The brilliant foliage that wrapped around the aged limestone bricks lured me in, making me believe I had just walked into a Bob Ross landscape. The clouds quickly grew increasingly darker as I approached the tunnel’s entryway. My feet began sinking into the large permanent pools that stretched the tunnel’s length. I fought the resistance of each step as my feet sank deeper and deeper into the ground’s empowering sludge.  I was scared to move, scared to go any farther.

It wasn’t midnight, and we didn’t strike a match.

Oblivious to what was happening, it was my husband that heard the echoing cries. Unfortunately, caught in a sudden and intense downpour while visiting the tunnel, my screams were the only ones that could be heard…

Canada’s Screaming Tunnel made a cameo appearance in the 1983 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, “The Dead Zone.”