Paranormal Itinerary to Gettysburg
Updated: Apr 20
Here is a ghost-hunting itinerary of all things paranormal when visiting Gettysburg National Park in Adams County Pennsylvania.
Desirae here! I do the ghost tours in bootiful, Traverse City, Michigan. When I am not doing paranormal tours, I travel worldwide to investigate the strange, weird, and paranormal.
I traveled to Gettysburg Pennsylvania, home of the Gettysburg National Park with two sisters (and fellow ghost hunters). This park was formed in 1895 to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1-3, 1863. The battle was the Union forces against Robert. E Lee's Confederate army. This brutal battle took the lives of over 50,000 soldiers and was a key rallying point for the Union Army (along with Grant's Vicksburg win around this same time).
One key factor that tends to be very much the vein of why paranormal happenings occur is because of tragic, violent circumstances. Another is the sudden death of a person at the end of their life. Both of these factors can be found in Gettysburg Pennsylvania's tragic and violent history. This is why many believe Gettysburg National Park and the town are one of the most haunted locations in the United States. So, for any paranormal enthusiast, Gettysburg should be high on your Ghost Investigation Bucket List.
Here is a sample travel itinerary of a 4-day and 3-night stay in Gettysburg Pennsylvania to get the most out of your ghost-hunting paranormal experiences! I hope this is helpful! ~Desirae, Haunted Traverse Ghost Tours
Day 1: Ghost Hunting Gettysburg.
First, book a stay at the Tillie Pierce House Inn. {Booking.com is a helpful tool when booking and you can find some great deals! Arrive that evening and get settled in at this haunted bed & breakfast. The Tillie Pierce House Inn is accommodating to ghost hunters. When checking in just speak to your attendant about your interest in the paranormal activity happening at the inn. I found my innkeepers Gail and Bob to be very helpful on where and when to ghost hunt the house at night.
Here is a quick history of the Tillie Pierce House Inn Haunting unfolding. The Tillie Pierce House was owned by the Pierces during the battle of Gettysburg. With so many casualties, any home available was turned into an impromptu hospital and the Pierce house was no exception. Reports of the hauntings experienced by guests of the B&B include ghostly footsteps, spirits sitting on the beds, and a soldier walking up and down the stairway.
My group of hunters experienced some paranormal activity very quickly in our ghost investigation. First, EMF readings responded to our questions. Next, we were able to designate some communication via our spirit box. We stayed in the Lydia Leister Suite where we experienced the best paranormal event of our stay! In the middle of the night, we were awakened by a woman's voice speaking to us. The female spirit said, "Get up." This was spoken right after a very LOUD boom in the ceiling of the room. All three investigators heard this disembodied voice in our room too! It. Was. Perfect :) ****/5 stars for paranormal experience and quality of stay. I would stay again!
Day 2: History and Tour of the Gettysburg National Park and the Battlegrounds.
Knowing the history of the locations you visit is imperative for a quality ghost hunt, but in Gettysburg, the amazing Civil War history is just as appealing to me as the paranormal activity in the area.
After taking breakfast at the Tillie Pierce House Inn, I would suggest you visit the Gettysburg Cyclorama. It can be hard to comprehend the movements of the Union and Confederate forces because of how expansive the locations were for this 3-day battle. This Cyclorama is perfect to get the basics of the hot spots to visit once you get out to the battlegrounds. When visiting the vast battlefields, you will hop in a car to explore the sites or on a vehicle tour.
Now you have the general lay of the battlegrounds, it's time to hop on a tour. You can choose the self-guide auto tour (best if you have your own vehicle). We did this one, and again, our biggest regret was not doing the Cyclorama first. The app for the auto tour was easy to use, easy to navigate, and lets you explore at your own pace. No vehicle? No worries. It's time to get on da bus with a bus tour of the grounds.
After a full day, of learning the history of the site you are investigating, now it is time to eat a fabulous, historically accurate chicken dinner at the Farnsworth House Inn and check in too! The Farnsworth House Inn is the next location for nights 2 & 3. You are going to want to book in advance when planning your trip! (This itinerary splits nights between 2 B&Bs, but if you can add another location do it! I would recommend the haunted Baladerry Inn)
PRO TIP! The actual National Park's grounds do NOT let you ghost hunt day or night. Staying at haunted locations like the recommended Bed and Breakfasts are great locations with several paranormal hauntings unfolding within the B&B's haunted walls. As you will learn through the history tours, the battle was also fought in the town with the Confederates driving the Union forces up to Cemetery Hill. You can still see the bullet holes in some of the buildings! There is one tour company that can get you to a battleground location just outside the GNP, read on for more information on that tour.
After an authentic mid-1800s chicken dinner at the Farnsworth House Inn, it's time to hop on a ghost tour at the Farnworth House Inn too! There are a couple to choose from. Great if you can do both! But if you can choose only one, I would opt for the tour of the Farnsworth House, then into the night, I would investigate the house independently.
After the Farnsworth Tour, I would book the After Dark Investigations. Locations vary, but on my investigation, our guide took us into The Grove, a woods very near Cemetery Hill where a rare, violent night battle caused both forces to have a significant loss of life. We also were able to investigate Sachs Covered Bridge and Devil's Den. You will need a vehicle to drive to each site!
If you have some energy, set up some cameras and do a short investigation in your room and hallways of the Farnsworth House.
Day3: Ghost Tours and More Ghost Hunting
First, let's talk breakfast. This is an event all to itself at the Farnsworth House. Order it! You won't regret it.
Next, sleep in a little and wake up or you can do a ghost hunt session (which is why I recommend staying here 2 nights). Head out to the very busy old town location with a late lunch in the area. I would recommend eating at O-Rorke's Family Eatery. We were able to get a discount when we booked our evening ghost tour with Gettysburg Ghost Tours.
After lunch, explore more of the GNP. You can drive around the location and we were told as long as you are WITHIN your vehicle you can do some ghost investigating. There is a self-guided Ghosts of the Battelfield Self-Guided Driving Tour. You can drive and take pictures and some EVP sessions-again, as long as you are WITHIN your car. We did some late evening investigations on some of the opened GNP roads. I cannot stress this enough. It is NOT allowed to ghost hunt the GNP grounds. I was told by everyone in Gettysburg, Park Rangers will confiscate your equipment and you will NOT be getting it back. So ghost hunters hunt at your own risk! Good luck!
After an afternoon of exploring the GNP, it's time for dinner at the Dobbin House. If you can get reservations, I would highly recommend this option. This is very popular and for good reason. You are going to love the ambiance and the ghostly stories about this location. I personally loved the display of an Underground Railroad hide-a-way right there in the house that can be viewed after dinner!
Ghost Tour Time! Gettysburg has a variety of tour companies. Many will visit hauntings unfolding in the town of Gettysburg and touch on why the town is believed to be haunted. I highly recommend you hop on one to hear the stories coming out of this area. Here is a great list of the tours to choose from.
I made a big mistake with booking my ghost tours. Yup, more than one. I booked all three of my ghost tours back-to-back-to-back with Gettysburg Ghost Tour Company (located right across from O'Rourkes Family Eatery). All the tours were provided by the same tour guide with the same sites and stories visited. Oops!
Pro Tip! If you are doing more than one walking ghost tour, choose different companies and have fun!
After your ghost tour(s), return to the Farnsworth House (which will be a major stop on most tours as well). I would unfold one last late-night investigation or enjoy the outdoor bar on site because of so many reportings of paranormal encounters by Farnworth's guests. Some have seen Confederate Soldiers manifesting in the attic, the location of their demise. And of course, the Farnsworth House was a makeshift hospital with so many operations performed that blood pooled into a red lake in the basement, dripping down on Gettysburg residents sheltering from the fight.
Some of the experiences we encountered here were a shadow figure that presented for several moments before walking away from our group and disappearing on the main level of the original house. (The house has been added on through the years so try to get a room in the original part of the house). My room and the stairway leading up to the attic on the second level had some SRS Camera readings and someone, maybe the Confederate Soldiers that passed in the attic, were making themselves known.
Day 4: Breakfast and Hershey's Chocolate Factory?
Grab another delicious breakfast from Farnsworth House. Then, to decompress from your intense ghost investigations, may I recommend the Hershey Chocolate Factory? My team visited this location on our way out of the area. It's located a short drive from Gettysburg. It was fun and delicious.
In summary:
With the profound and tragic history of Gettysburg, I would be shocked if no one encountered paranormal activity while visiting. during your stay here, give yourself time to speak with the locals, their experiences are incredible. Good luck with your ghost hunting, Gettysburg is a paranormal and historical site not to be missed.
To see more of the actual evidence my team captures on our ghost hunts, be sure to follow our social media accounts. @hauntedtraverse
Happy Hunting! Be safe and have fun out there!
~Desirae, owner of Haunted Traverse Tours, passionate paranormal investigator, lover of all things spooky, and passionate animal lover ghostly or not! :)
For more suggestions on paranormal places to visit, visit more of my blog posts!
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