Pennsylvania – the place where history meets all things haunted. Pay a visit to these historical sites (if you dare) that are known for paranormal activity and unexplained happenings. You’ll surely discover PA’s fascinating history – and possibly a ghostly encounter.
Haunted Places to Visit in PA
1. Farnsworth House Inn
Gettysburg
Used as a shelter for Confederate sharpshooters and a makeshift hospital after the Battle of Gettysburg, the Farnsworth House Inn is touted as one of the most haunted places in the United States. Stay in the historic bed-and-breakfast and choose from a variety of eerie experiences, including ghost hunts and guided walks through cemeteries, cellars, hospitals, and battle sites.
2. Old Jail Museum
Jim Thorpe
In 1877, seven members of the Molly Maguires, a secret union of Irish coal miners, were imprisoned and executed at Jim Thorpe’s Old Jail Museum. Explore the basement and wander to cell 17 in the preserved building where one of the Molly Maguires left a dirty handprint before his hanging as a declaration of innocence (mysteriously still visible are the wall was washed, painted, and plastered).
3. Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park
Centre Hall
Tour Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park, registered as a National Historic Place, to gain insight into the area’s American Indian and pioneer folklore including the story of Nita-nee, a Seneca Indian maiden who fell in love with a French trapper named Malachi Boyer. Forbidden to marry, the couple ran away and were captured, and Malachi was thrown into Penn’s Cave to perish. Uncover their story and this spooky place near State College this Halloween season!
4. Cathedral of Learning
Pittsburgh
The eerie Early American Room in the Cathedral of Learning, the educational tower that looms over the University of Pittsburgh, is known for its mysterious activity, including shifting furniture and objects, cold spots, and randomly flaring candles, making it one of our favorite haunted areas near Pittsburgh.
5. Mishler Theatre
Altoona
The uncovered testimony of a teenage girl, Madeline Letsche, claims the ghost of Isaac Mishler who died in 1944, and haunts the historic Mishler Theatre in Altoona. Along with Madeline, whose mother worked in the theatre decades ago, many stage crew members, office workers, and visitors have smelled Isaac’s cigar smoke and felt his presence throughout the past several years. So, if you head to the theatre for a showing, you may just get more of a performance than you bargained for.
6. Haunted Hill View Manor
New Castle
Visitors to Haunted Hill View Manor continuously report hearing voices and footsteps and seeing numerous apparitions, including patients peeking out of rooms, a young boy, and a man who offers to take guests’ photos for $1. The facility, which operated from 1926 to 2004 as a home for the mentally ill, elderly, and financially destitute, is open for tours as well as public and private investigations.
7. Eastern State Penitentiary
Philadelphia
In 1829, the first prisoner walked through the doors of the Eastern State Penitentiary, which remained a penitentiary until it closed its doors in 1971. Now, the building lies deteriorated and empty…or so it might seem. It is said that the lingering spirits of the isolated prisoners still haunt the cell blocks of this National Historic Landmark, making it one of America’s most haunted prisons and scariest places in PA. See if you can spot any roaming spirits during a day or nighttime tour.
8. Hotel Bethlehem
Bethlehem
The 1741 Hotel Bethlehem is the hangout of many friendly ghosts, including an 1800s stage star who sings and dances for guests in the lobby, a welcoming Bethlehem tour guide who greets guests in the boiler room, and a former landlady who appears without shoes or stockings.
9. Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg
Home to one of the bloodiest battles during the Civil War, it's no wonder while you're visiting Gettysburg National Military Park you may come across out-of-the-ordinary sights and sounds. While visiting the hallowed ground, you may hear phantom drums and the distant sounds of musket fire on the battlefield at this must-visit PA haunted place.
10. York’s Penn Park
York
With its basketball courts, splash pad, and tranquil setting, it’s hard to imagine that the beautiful York’s Penn Park was once the location of a U.S. Army Hospital where 14,000 soldiers were treated during the Civil War. Their spirits are known to haunt the park to this day.
11. Paoli Battlefield Historical Park
Malvern
Paoli Battlefield Historical Park was the site of one of the most gruesome battles of the American Revolution. The British troops attacked the Americans at midnight with bayonets and swords, leaving many dead and perhaps a few spirits in their wake. Some visitors claim they have spoken with some of the fallen soldiers at this haunted area near Philadelphia.
12. Sachs Covered Bridge & Jennie wade house
Gettysburg
Seek out more scares and dive deeper into the ghostly history of the town at a variety of haunted areas near downtown Gettysburg. Places such as the Sachs Covered Bridge, the Jennie Wade House, and other historic buildings stake claim to paranormal sightings. Take a self-guided walking tour around the historic town if you dare to face potentially spooky activity up close, making this town one of the scariest places in PA.
13. Night of the Living Dead Cemetery
Evans City
In a remote cemetery in Evans City, hidden from view, the “living dead” rose from the ground and walked the Earth in search of human flesh — or, at least, that’s what happened in the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, directed by George A. Romero. Scenes of this horror-cult classic were filmed throughout Evans City, including the Evans City Cemetery, where the opening sequence of the movie takes place. Travel to see where the global zombie craze began at this cemetery and stumble upon some ghostly acquaintances while there.
14. Betsy Ross House
Philadelphia
You may run into the iconic woman who designed the first American flag herself when you take a tour of the Betsy Ross House in Old City, Philadelphia. Visitors say that having dealt with the loss of a husband and several children in her lifetime this could be why she’s often seen and heard crying in her old homestead.
Haunted Road Trips in PA
- Ghost Rides, Eastern PA
- Ghost Rides, Pittsburgh & Its Countryside
- Horror Film Trail, Pittsburgh & Its Countryside
To learn more about haunted attractions in PA or haunted places to stay in PA, check out the VISIT PA website. Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on even more great ideas and places to visit around our state. Don’t forget to never miss an update and sign up for our monthly PA travel e-newsletter.