The Most Haunted Restaurants in Gettysburg

Posted: 01.25.2025 | Updated: 01.25.2025

Gettysburg attracts thousands of people every year to walk the grounds of one of the deadliest battles in the entire Civil War. In between perusing the museums and checking out the important hills and troop headquarters, visitors often stop by one of the local restaurants to grab a bite to refuel. Yet, like most places in Gettysburg, these restaurants offer more than meets the eye. In Gettysburg, you’re likely to walk into a haunted restaurant — whether you want to or not. 

To see some of the most haunted restaurants in Gettysburg, along with houses and other haunted sites, book a ghost tour with Civil War Ghosts. You might walk away seeing some of the town’s most famous (and infamous) spirits for yourself. 

What Is the Most Haunted Restaurant in Gettysburg?

Gettysburg today is quite a small town. With a population of just over 8,000 people, there are only so many restaurants people can dine in. Yet, despite this small number, there are still plenty of eateries that have tales of ghosts and odd phenomena from guests and staff alike. 

For the best chance of seeing a ghost while you enjoy a burger or frozen treat, we rounded up a few of the most haunted restaurants in Gettysburg. 

These establishments have a wide range of backstories, both positive and negative. While the Dobbin House Tavern played an important role in the Underground Railroad, the Farnsworth Inn Dining Rooms hosted one of the most infamous sharpshooters in Gettysburg history. Then there’s Mr. G’s Ice Cream, where the realities of the Battle of Gettysburg are still apparent to this day.

The Many Secrets of the Dobbin House Tavern

The Dobbin House is the oldest home in all of Gettysburg. It was built in 1776, a full 84 years before President Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address. 

The house was built by Reverend Alexander Dobbin to serve as a home to his ten children and nine step-children, as well as act as a theological college for the area. Dobbin was a respected member of the community and helped cement Gettysburg as an important community in Pennsylvania at the time. 

The Dobbin House’s Role in the Underground Railroad

By the mid-1800s, the Dobbin House came to play a pivotal role in helping enslaved people escape to freedom. The home had a secret crawl space where runaway slaves could hide and rest as they traveled north. Some guests of the restaurant today are even able to see this hideaway themselves in between courses. 

Who Haunts the Dobbin House Tavern?

Today, the Dobbin House is segmented into several sections. Diners can order from the more casual “Springhouse Tavern Menu” or book a spot at the more upscale “Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms.” Yet, the resident ghosts seem to roam between all the rooms freely. 

One of the most seen spirits is Dobbin himself. He’s often seen smoking a cigar. Other spirits are believed to be those of the former slaves who found refuge in the home. Perhaps they felt welcomed and safe in the Dobbin House — so they don’t want to leave. 

Some of the strangest occurrences to regularly pop up in the tavern are large bloodstains on the floorboards. No matter how much staff work at cleaning them, they seem impossible to get rid of. Then, if they do manage to clean one, another dried blood pool will show up. 

Many believe this could be the blood of fallen soldiers from when the Dobbin House acted as a hospital during the Civil War.

Farnsworth Inn: The Site of Many Gruesome Deaths

The Dobbin House wasn’t the only makeshift hospital in Gettysburg. To treat the 50,000 casualties from the Union and Confederate sides, several hospitals were set up in homes and buildings around town. One of these included the Farnsworth Inn. 

Just before the battle, the Farnsworth Inn was home to the Sweeny family. Yet, before fighting commenced in Gettysburg, the large, three-story home caught the eye of a few Confederate soldiers. The Sweeny family left (either choosing to flee the carnage or being forced out), and the soldiers moved in — using the upper floors for sniper positions. 

It’s believed that the only civilian death from the Battle of Gettysburg — Jennie Wade, who was baking bread in her sister’s home — was caused by a stray bullet shot from the Farnsworth Inn. 

Who Haunts the Farnsworth Inn Dining Rooms?

Many lives were lost within the Farnsworth Inn. The Confederate sharpshooters were eventually taken out, dying on the third floor of the building. When it acted as a hospital, many wounded soldiers from both sides took their final breath within the brick residence. 

These soldiers are believed to be the spirits who still haunt the building, which now operates as a bed and breakfast and restaurant. While there are quite a few apparitions that have been spotted, a few are regularly seen:

• One soldier who plays the harp is often heard playing in the attic. When someone goes to investigate, the space is empty. 
• Waitresses have felt their aprons, and even hair, tugged on by invisible (and seemingly handsy) ghosts. 
• An older woman spirit dressed in 19th-century clothing is often seen looking through the jars in the kitchen. Believed to be a cook or maid, she disappears if anyone approaches her.

Mr. G’s Ice Cream Shop: Where the Scars of Battle Are Still Visible

Most people who stop to have a cone at Mr. G’s Ice Cream Shop likely admire the historic building for only a moment before shifting their attention to choosing their scoop flavor. Yet, this house deserves more than a fleeting compliment. 

The impressive, two-story brick building is known as the John Winebrenner House. Winebrenner was a tanner in Gettysburg when the fighting broke out in 1863. Confederate soldiers took over the home, and Union forces blasted back at them. 

Bullet holes and damaged shutters still reflect the beating that the home took more than 150 years ago. 

The Ghosts of Mr. G’s Ice Cream Shop

Customers and staff at Mr. G’s Ice Cream shop have seen quite a few otherworldly phenomena. Staff often hear phantom footsteps when no one is around. People passing by will glance at the store and see shadowy faces staring out the top floor windows when the business is closed. 

Others speak to an eerie sense of being watched when they’re enjoying their cold treat. For some, the feeling is so strong that it pushes them to continue eating outside. 

Haunted Gettysburg

If you choose to grab a bite to eat in Gettysburg, you very well may see or hear something you can’t quite explain — and this seems to be the experience for many people as they explore Gettysburg as a whole. Have you ever visited any of the haunted restaurants in Gettysburg?

Spirits like to make themselves known at some of the most visited spots in town, including the house where Jennie Wade was killed. Nearby at the Welty House, the shadowy ghosts of fallen soldiers are often spotted.

If you want to take a break from the history and see a different side to Gettysburg after dark, book a tour with Civil War Ghosts. 

Hungry for more Civil War-era ghost stories and haunted tales? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. To learn about other spooky sites in Gettysburg, check out our blog.

Sources:

• https://www.hauntworld.com/paranormal-investigation-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania-dobbin-house-tavern-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania

• https://gettysburgghosts.com/

• https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/gettysburgboroughpennsylvania/PST045223

• https://www.dobbinhouse.com/history.htm

• https://www.hauntworld.com/paranormal-investigation-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania-dobbin-house-tavern-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania

• https://hauntedhouses.com/pennsylvania/farnsworth-house/

• https://farnsworthhouseinn.com/restaurant/

• https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/gettysburg

• https://www.gettysburgdaily.com/gettysburgs-john-winebrenner-house-battle-damage/

• https://www.panicd.com/mr-gs-ice-cream.html