Z Ward
GLENSIDE, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
“Murderers, thieves and individuals grappling with unimaginable darkness – this place saw it all.”
BY HALLOZWEEN EDITOR ANDREA BEATTIE
If you’re looking for a ghost tour that blends spine-chilling history in a genuinely eerie setting, you’re not going to want to miss exploring the notorious Z Ward with the crew from Adelaide Haunted Horizons.
Z Ward, once part of the old Glenside Hospital (originally the Parkside Lunatic Asylum), is as downright spooky as it is fascinating. Built in 1885, this standalone building was home to South Australia’s most dangerous and ‘criminally insane’ patients. Murderers, thieves and individuals grappling with unimaginable darkness – this place saw it all.
Standing outside this imposing building before the tour starts, we definitely got the sense that the Ha-Ha wall surrounding the property, designed to keep patients in, feels like it’s still doing its job decades after the building closed in 1973.
Luck was on our side
It must have been our lucky night when we booked in for our two-hour tour, as it was led by Adelaide Haunted Horizons founder, paranormal author and historian Alison Oborn.
Over the past 20 years, we’ve explored paranormal locations all over the world, and Alison and the Haunted Horizons team deliver a level of professionalism and passion that firmly places them among the best in the business.
The Haunted Horizons team doesn’t just share the history of the location you’re visiting – they bring it back to life. Alison personally selects all the Haunted Horizons guides, so no matter who leads your tour, they’d going to give you the best experience possible – and you can be assured of a liberal dose of humour too!
On this two-hour ghost tour, Alison’s passion for preserving Z Ward’s stories and legacy was inspiring, and her extensive knowledge of the history of the location – and the people who lived and worked here – draws you deeper into its shadowy past.
We’re not into spoilers, but make sure you pay attention when Alilson brings out photos of evidence they've captured at Z Ward over the years – it’s pretty compelling and will most likely challenge even the biggest skeptic!
You’re getting the real deal
Unlike a lot of paranormal investigations and ghost tours, HH doesn't rely on cheap thrills, costumes or jump scares during their tours, instead giving the history of the location centre stage, and the respect it deserves.
We were pretty keen to get exploring Z Ward after the introduction, and while it was a relatively quiet night on the paranormal front, the location is definitely worth visiting.
Wandering through the halls and standing in the cells where some of SA’s most violent prisoners lived, it feels like the walls are watching you. And once darkness falls, it takes on a whole different vibe.
You’re given time to explore the building before and after the group tour, and you can go where you feel you’re drawn – a rare treat for those who prefer to let the location ‘lead’ them.
Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with both the location and our exceptional tour hosts. We’re already looking forward to our next trip to Adelaide to see more of the city’s spooky side.
Wanna go?
You can do a two-hour ghost tour of Z Ward or a four-hour ghost hunt.
Both options can be booked on the Haunted Horizons website.
They also host tours and paranormal investigations at Old Adelaide Gaol, Old Tailem Town, National Railway Museum, Glenbarr Homestead and Adelaide Zoo.