Wheelie: The Haunted Toy of Yeo House

Yeo House in Port Hill, PEI, was built in 1865 and was originally owned by James Yeo Senior, a wealthy shipbuilder. During construction work, Wheelie, a disfigured stuffed dog toy on wheels, was found inside the walls. The PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation is unsure why the toy's face is disfigured, did part of the face fall off? Did it wear off? Another thing the Foundation does not know is why it was found within the walls of Yeo House. However, they do believe the toy likely had a string at one point for a child to drag the toy around and is around 160 years old. Wheelie is also missing one of the original wheels and one of the eyes.

The Foundation believes Wheelie may have belonged to James Yeo Senior's son. 

Wheelie (Image Credit: CBC)

Yeo House is known for supernatural happenings. Wheelie is part of this phenomenon. Wheelie is on display in a children's bedroom. However, it is not uncommon for Wheelie to be in a new place in the morning when staff arrive.

Caitlyn Paxson, the site manager of the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum and Yeo House, told CBC News in 2022:

We used to find if he was left on the floor of the children's room upstairs with the other toys, we would go away for the night, lock up the doors, turn on the alarms, come back the next day to discover that Wheelie had moved to a different spot in the room, as if by himself.

Wheelie, so adorable (Image Credit: CBC)

Wheelie gained international fame in 2019. With Covid-19 shutdowns/lockdowns, the Yorkshire Museum in England decide to host curator battles online to reach out to people and provide some entertainment. Every week, they chose a theme and invited curators from around the world to participate.

Bringin’ our A-game for this #CURATORBATTLE! What is it? Just a CURSED CHILDREN’S TOY that we found inside the walls of a 155-year-old mansion. We call it “Wheelie” - and it MOVES ON ITS OWN: Staff put it in one place and find it in another spot later on…. #Creepiestobject pic.twitter.com/FQzMzacr8a

— PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation (@heritagePEI) April 17, 2020

Wheelie stood out on this thread, with some people claiming they wanted to visit PEI just see it in person. I really recommend checking out some of the other contenders on the thread too. Some are very creepy!

If you love Wheelie or want to support the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, you can buy Wheelie T-shirts on their website (yes, I have one). 

While the story of Wheelie is creepy (seriously, why was it in the walls!), I personally find the toy cute. 

Yeo House has many creepy stories, if that is something you love, I recommend checking them out when they open for their 2024 season.

Gallant, Isabelle. "Ghost Tours at Historic Yeo House Let Visitors Peer "Beyond the Veil."" CBC News. July 8, 2022. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-ghost-tours-yeo-house-1.6513649

Juric, Sam. "'I'm Coming to see Wheelie': Haunted PEI Toy Delights and Terrifies People Around the World." CBC News. April 26, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-wheelie-goes-famous-curator-battles-1.5543132  

Juric, Sam. "P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation Shares the Island's Spooky Past for Halloween." CBC News. November 1, 2019. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-museum-heritage-foundation-halloween-1.5341088