Farnsworth House Inn

Used as a shelter for Confederate sharpshooters during the Battle of Gettysburg and converted into a makeshift hospital afterward. This 1810 brick structure still bears over 100 bullet holes from the battle and is touted as one of the most haunted places in the United States.

The Farnsworth House Inn, built in 1810 by John McFarlane, is a charming bed and breakfast that witnessed some of the most intense fighting of the Battle of Gettysburg. The house is named in honor of Brigadier General Elon John Farnsworth, who led an ill-fated cavalry charge after the failure of Pickett's Charge, claiming his life along with 65 of his men.

During the battle, Confederate sharpshooters overtook the house and used the attic as their sniping station, with a clear line of sight down Baltimore Street toward East Cemetery Hill. From this vantage point, they fired on Union troops and civilians alike. The southern wall of the house remains peppered with over 100 bullet scars from Union riflemen returning fire. One of these sharpshooters is believed to have fired the fatal shot that killed Jennie Wade, the only civilian casualty of the battle—though historians caution there is no documentary proof linking this specific house to her death.

After the sharpshooters departed, the house was transformed into a field hospital where nurses struggled to keep wounded soldiers from both armies alive. The combination of the attic sniping and the hospital's deaths has made the Farnsworth House one of Gettysburg's most haunted locations. The Shultz family, who maintain ownership, claims that 16 spirits occupy the residence, each with its own name and personality. These include an 8-year-old boy, several soldiers, and a former midwife.

Confederate and Union ghosts are seen patrolling the grounds, stalking up and down the staircase, and creating pockets of frigid cold air wherever they linger. Staff report the scent of cigars drifting through rooms, the sound of heavy breathing, and disembodied notes from a Jew's harp. The attic window where sharpshooters once took aim is said to be particularly active.

USA Today voted the Historic Farnsworth House the #4 best haunted hotel in America. Today it operates as a restaurant and inn, offering ghost tours and paranormal experiences to visitors seeking to encounter its many restless spirits.