Looking for ghosts in Gettysburg?
Known for ghost tours, Gettysburg is a quaint town with a rich, but tragic history. The famous Civil War battle between Confederate and Union troops produced over 50,000 casualties in just three short days. Many are aware of the battlefields, but lose sight of the fact that fierce fighting also took place within the little town itself.
Ghost tours within Gettysburg pepper the streets much like the bullets smashed into the brick homes during the fight, whose damage is still visible on many of the historic homes. The buildings that were standing during the time of this battle (and that are still 60% or more original) are marked with a metal plate indicating their historical significance. Within Gettysburg itself, you will find wonderful shops, restaurants and museums.
The following articles surround the quaint town of Gettysburg, its history, ghosts and haunts...
Ghosts of Gettysburg Tours
Gettysburg Battlefield Ghost Voices
Gettysburg Battle History
Gettysburg Haunted Places
Ghosts & Haunting
The legends of ghosts seen in and around Gettysburg is well known, and the locals all seem to have a story or two to share. It is important to know that the Confederates first appeared in the town square, but the fight took place toward the southern end of town. This was due to the Southern Army's attempt at capturing the Union positions atop of Cemetery Hill (which sits just east of this part of Gettysburg).
So, it is no wonder that within Gettysburg there are haunted homes that one may visit, such as the Jenny Wade house. Jenny Wade was the first and only civilian to die from a bullet during the battle. Also, one might consider touring what is billed as one of the most haunted inns in America: The Historic Farnsworth House. This house was occupied by Confederate sharpshooters who fired down upon the Union soldiers from within it. Over a hundred bullet holes can be seen on the structure's south brick side. Both the Jenny Wade house and the Farnsworth House offer ghost tours inside their walls.
And while you are enjoying the southern part of town, be sure and walk around the Soldier's National Cemetery and East Cemetery Hill. You will be stunned to see how the graves, many of the them unknown, were beautifully arranged in order to honor the fallen. President Abraham Lincoln gave his historic Gettysburg Address four months after the battle, during the dedication of this cemetery. Be alert, for many feel a ghostly presence with them while here and on the battlefields.
More About Gettysburg Haunts
There is a legend that in the middle of the night, one can still hear cannon and gunfire off in the distance, if you are awake at 3 AM. This ghost phenomena that people still experience is known as “The Guns of Gettysburg.” Many have also detected the smell of sulfurous gunpowder and the odor of decaying bodies. Such ghostly experiences are forms of residual haunting.
Gettysburg is also known for active, intelligent haunting beyond the sightings of apparitions and shadow ghosts. Be aware that women especially might experience their hair or clothing being tugged, or their face being gently caressed. Men have similarly reported ghostly taps on the shoulder. All sorts of people have described walking into cold-spots or areas that cause them to have goose-bumps.
To get a better understanding of the battlefields, we recommend first going to the Visitors Center, which exhibits wonderful Civil War galleries and offers a movie and cyclorama painting presentation. In the gift shop, you will find an informational CD you can purchase and play while you drive the battlefields by way of a self-guided auto tour. The CD is entitled, “The Concise Audio Tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield.” Take this tour and you will get a better grasp of how and where the battle unfolded. (Also see: Gettysburg Battle History)
Many of the houses and churches within the town of Gettysburg suddenly were transformed into makeshift hospitals during the battle to help the wounded and dying. This was the largest battle fought during the Civil War, having 170,000 men converge on Gettysburg at the same time. The average age of the men who fought here was between 18-20 years old. East High street, between Baltimore and South Stratton streets housed six major field hospitals. This area was among the first graveyards created from the battle, though some were later moved. It is estimated that over a 1000 men died in this region, whose bodies were hastily buried in shallow graves and never recovered to be moved elsewhere. So, Gettysburg is considered to be a ghost hunter's "Mecca."
Many of the ghost tours within Gettysburg will take you to different sites. So, it is possible to find a good tour guide to better understand the local history and the haunting of Gettysburg. For example, we learned about the Baltimore street area while taking a wonderful ghost tour from Mark Nesbitt's Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours (See: Ghosts of Gettysburg Tours. Listen to: Gettysburg Battlefield Ghost Voices)
There are many ghost tours available, so the following list of Gettysburg ghost tours is provided for you to do your own research of what you would like to ghost tour while in haunted and historic Gettysburg:
Ghosts of Gettysburg
Original candlelight walking tours. ghostsofgettysburg.com
Sleepy Hollow of Gettysburg
Candlelight ghost tours. sleepyhollowofgettysburg.com
Historic Farnsworth House
Ghost tours conducted within and without. farnsworthhouseinn.com
Haunted Gettysburg Ghost Tours
Walking ghost tours. hauntedgettysburgtours.com
Ghostly Images of Gettysburg
Bus and walking ghost tours. ghosttour.net/gettysburg
Gettysburg Ghost Tours
Victorian dressed ghost tour guides. gettysburgghosttours.com
Civil War Hauntings Ghost Walk
Candlelight walking tours. cwhauntings.com
Blue Moon Hauntings
Trolley ghost tours. bluemoontours.com
Ghostly Tales of Gettysburg
Ghost tours led by the author himself. civilwartheater.com/page21.html