Calling all ghost hunters: Headless Mary may return to Montreal tonight

One of Montreal's most famous ghosts, 'Headless' Mary Gallagher, is said to return every seven years. June 27, 2026, is the anniversary.

In 1879, on June 27, a woman was decapitated in Griffintown, the now-trendy Montreal neighbourhood replete with glass condo buildings, canal joggers and picnics.

Mary Gallagher, legend has it, also returns to her former neighbourhood on the corner of William and Murray streets every seven years in search of her missing head. Tonight is that night.

“Mary Gallagher is more than a ghost story,” says Haunted Montreal founder Donovan King. “She represents a living piece of Montreal folklore. Every seven years, people come together to remember the history of Griffintown and participate in a tradition that has become part of the city’s cultural identity.”

On Saturday evening, a professional actor and storyteller will guide ghost hunters, curios and historyphiles on the Haunted Griffintown Ghost Tour.

“For generations, residents, journalists, historians, and ghost enthusiasts have kept the story alive, making Mary Gallagher one of the city’s most famous supernatural figures,” Haunted Montreal said in a news release.

This year, artwork from Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) sculptor MC Snow will be unveiled, commemorating the legend, and a paranormal investigation will take place along with tarot and oracle readings.

Those wanting a “Headless Mary Cocktail” can grab one at several establishments, including Rockaberry Griffintown and Alfred Café Buvette Griffintown.

More information on times and ticket prices can be found here.