Dalnavert Museum offers candle-lit ghost tours in Winnipeg

Dracula, The Invisible Man, Jekyll and Hyde all characters we associate with Halloween and all creations of the supernatural-obsessed Victorian era.

• Heritage Winnipeg hoping Dalnavert can remain a museum

• Winnipeg's historic Dalnavert House Museum will reopen

Winnipeg's Dalnavert Museumis summoning forth that Victorian fascination in a new series of guidedtours thatwill titillate both lovers of ghost stories and history, said tour guide Vanessa Warne, an associate professor with the University of Manitoba's English department.

"We get a lot of what fuels our fears from the Victorians," said Warne.

"[They lived] very close to questions of death, mortality rates [were high]...a lot of people had a close connection to death."

Seances were common in the Victorian period, as well as wearing mourning clothes for monthsand keeping tokens of departed loved ones, such as hair,she said.

DalnavertHouse, built in1895, is an ideal venue in which to travel back to the spooky era. The home of former Manitoba premierHugh John Macdonald, the son of Canada's first prime minister,is entirely furnished in late Victorian style.

"We have very limited lighting around the houseto show some interesting shadows and textures," said Warne."Our beautiful stained glass is lit from outside, so it glows."

Once lights are turned off atDalnavert, a completely different look comes over the house, said Warne.

"I've seen how the beautiful shadows that get cast over the museum change it. We wanted to give people a chance to come in and see what only insiders normally get to see," she said.

Visitorsthis weekwill learn about the fortune-telling games popular at Halloween 150 years ago, and enjoy treats from the time, including candy apples and cider, she said.

The tours arefamily-friendly but vow to remain "appropriate to the season."

Three tours will be offered at Dalnavert Museum, 61 Carlton St., all at 7:30 p.m.:Wednesday, Oct. 28; Thursday, Oct. 29; and Friday, Oct. 30.Tickets are $16 plus tax.