Ghost Tours: Gettysburg

Looking for ghost tours 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
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.

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:

Ghost of Gettysburg – original candlelight walking tours.

Sleepy Hollow of Gettysburg – candlelight ghost tours.

Historic Farnsworth House – ghost tours conducted within and without.

Haunted Gettysburg Ghost Tours – walking ghost tours.

Ghostly Images of Gettysburg – bus and walking ghost tours.

Gettysburg Ghost Tours – Victorian dressed ghost tour guides.

Civil War Hauntings Ghost Walk – candlelight walking tours.

Blue Moon Hauntings – trolley ghost tours.

Ghostly Tales of Gettysburg – ghost tours led by the author himself.

Ghost Tours of Gettysburg Copyright 2009 Angels & Ghosts, LLC
Special thanks to public private and Wendy Darling for the Gettysburg ghost tour images...