Discover Gettysburg’s Most Haunted Destinations
Sachs Covered Bridge
Located on Waterworks Road in Gettysburg, the Sachs Covered Bridge was built by David Stoner around 1854. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia retreated across the bridge after the Union victory in the Battle of Gettysburg. The Department of Highways, now the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, named the Sachs Covered Bridge Pennsylvania’s “most historic bridge” in 1938.
However, a more appropriate description might be Pennsylvania’s most haunted bridge. According to legend, three Confederate soldiers were hanged from the wooden beams of the bridge during the Civil War. Visitors claim to see apparitions of the soldiers, as well as hearing voices and experiencing unsettling physical sensations on the bridge.
Waterworks Road, Gettysburg
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Jennie Wade House
Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade was the only civilian killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. She and her mother were staying with Jennie’s sister, working hard to make loaves of bread to feed the Union soldiers nearby. Jennie was kneading a fresh batch for the troops when a stray bullet passed through two doors and penetrated her heart. She was just 20 years old. Today, the house stands as a museum dedicated to capturing what domestic life during the Civil War looked like and honoring the sole civilian casualty.
Touring the house, visitors can see for themselves where Jennie was fatally wounded by the bullet. Photographs on display also purport to have captured Jennie’s spirit, which is rumored to still wander the house after nearly 200 years.
548 Baltimore St., Gettysburg
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Gettysburg College
Shortly after Pennsylvania (now Gettysburg) College was founded in 1832, the Civil War erupted, and the school became a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers. Pennsylvania Hall, where many surgeries were performed, is rumored to be the most haunted location on campus. There have been reports of visitors hearing the cries and moans of young men, presumably the ghosts of wounded soldiers. Some have even experienced a “time slip,” riding in an elevator only for the doors to open on a scene from the Battle of Gettysburg with bloody soldiers lining the halls while nurses and doctors rush from body to body. Brave visitors can explore the historic campus and its haunted buildings during normal business hours, Monday through Friday.
300 N. Washington St., Gettysburg
Farnsworth House Inn
The Farnsworth House Inn was built in 1810 and named in honor of Union Brig. Gen. Elon John Farnsworth. During the Battle of Gettysburg, the house served as a field hospital for Union and Confederate soldiers. Notably, Confederate sharpshooters were sheltered at the house during the battle. It is believed that the soldier who accidentally shot Jennie Wade was stationed at the house, and tour groups may visit the attic where he was said to have fired the fatal shot.
Today, the bed and breakfast boasts Victorian-style rooms as well as various dining options where guests can enjoy delicious food served by period-dressed servers. Stay the night, and you might witness apparitions of soldiers patrolling the halls, their footsteps audible throughout the house.
401 Baltimore St., Gettysburg
Hotel Gettysburg
Built in 1797, Pennsylvania’s oldest hotel began as a tavern in Lincoln Square. The building stands just a few blocks away from the famous battlefields where the Battle of Gettysburg took place. Like many other locations nearby, the tavern was turned into a makeshift hospital during the battle in 1863. Decades after the Civil War ended, the tavern became Hotel Gettysburg.
Today, numerous guests claim to have seen apparitions roaming the halls and ballrooms of the hotel, including a lone woman as well as a couple—a woman and a soldier. the location’s close proximity to the Gettysburg battlefield, it’s no wonder that overnight guests may find themselves sharing a room with an unexpected visitor.
1 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg
Sgt. Amos Humiston of the 154th New York Infantry Regiment died at the Battle of Gettysburg with the photograph of his children — Frank, Frederick and Alice — in his hand. His wife Philinda was the original matron of the National Soldiers’ Orphans’ Homestead (left).
National Soldiers’ Orphans’ Homestead
The National Soldiers’ Orphans’ Homestead opened in November 1866, soon after the end of the Civil War. The original matron of the orphanage was Philinda Humiston, whose husband was a Union sergeant killed in battle. Philinda left in the 1870s, and Rosa Carmichael took her place as the new matron. A few years later, rumors of neglect and abuse circulated, and soon after, Rosa was charged with cruelty and the Homestead closed.
As of 2013, the building is now a diorama museum dedicated to the stories of families during the Civil War—not just those who died in battle, but the family members they left behind. Visitors might catch a glimpse of various spirits who linger at the museum, perhaps still waiting for their loved ones to return.
785 Baltimore St., Gettysburg
