The haunting of Old Parliament House: Canberra’s spookiest paranormal investigation

Posted on 28 April, 2026

Ever wanted to go ghost hunting? Turns out you don’t have to go far.

At the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD), things go bump in the night and now you can experience it for yourself.

Listed by Travel + Leisure as one of the 35 most haunted buildings in the world, this iconic landmark and piece of history is opening its doors after dark for a two-hour paranormal investigation. Armed with ghost hunting tools, you’ll explore the heritage rooms, corridors and exhibitions, taking part in old-fashioned spirit communication and modern ghost hunting techniques as you attempt to get in touch with those who have walked these halls in the past. Because, let’s be honest, if walls could talk, these ones probably would.

But is MoAD actually haunted? According to decades of reports? Probably.

Holly Anderson, Manager of Museum Experiences at MoAD says that “most encounters are subtle.”

“Voices and footsteps heard when the hallways are empty. The scent of cigar smoke in the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Room. People being seen out of the corner of their eyes,” she says.

“During the Paranormal Investigation nights, we’ve heard snippets of conversations within the Senate Opposition Party Room via a spirit box that visitors thought to be coming from Harold Holt.”

And then there’s the history.

As Australia’s Parliament for more than 60 years, Old Parliament House has seen its fair share of high-stakes debates, political tension, and, yes, even deaths within its walls. This includes the House of Representatives, the Senate, and King’s Hall.

So you can bet that this will be an experience with plenty of stories.

For example, a staff member named Nicole recounts, “I was working downstairs filing; I left my phone in the adjoining room. When I went to check it there was a text from my friend saying, ‘Popped in to see you, but you looked busy, catch you later’. I called him back and said I was just filing; you could have interrupted me.”

“But he told me, ‘No, I saw you sitting on the floor filing and there was a man in a suit standing next to you. It all looked important, I felt I shouldn’t interrupt, but the thing is… I haven’t seen or talked to a soul all day.” Security further confirmed that there was no one else working downstairs that day.”

Since then, security guards have long reported a similar figure roaming the area at night, now known as the Well Dressed Ghost.

Or how about in 2019, when a staff member noticed a strong smell of cigarette smoke while working alone in the Prime Minister’s suite? The next morning, news broke that Bob Hawke had passed away, around the same time the smell appeared. Hawke was known for enjoying a daily cigar, often at his desk in that very room.

What actually happens on the tour?

This is not your regular ghost tour.

“Our Paranormal Investigation nights are run in partnership with Newcastle Ghost Tours with a focus on ‘ghost hunting’,” explains Holly.

Undertaking vigils, electromagnetic field observations, electronic voice phenomenon recording sessions and more, attendees will use tools like EMF meters, spirit boxes and other ghost hunting equipment.

Split into small groups and guided through different parts of the building, no matter if you’re a sceptic or a full-blown believer, the experience leans into curiosity and lets you decide what’s real.

As for why MoAD decided to start the ghost tours? Holly says that with ongoing stories from staff and security about encountering eerie circumstances, it grew organically. The museum has turned those stories into an interactive experience that allows visitors to see the building in a different light and offer something a little more unusual to their regular daily offerings.