Haunted Places in Pennsylvania

With a past that dates back to the early 1600s, Pennsylvania teems with historic sites known for paranormal activity and unexplained happenings. Check out these spooky locales where you’ll discover fascinating history – and possibly a ghostly encounter.

1. Farnsworth House Inn

Gettysburg

Used as 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 America. Stay in the historic bed-and-breakfast and choose from a variety of spooky experiences, including ghost hunts and guided walks through cemeteries, 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. Wander to cell 17 in the preserved building where a Molly Maguire left a dirty handprint before his hanging as a declaration of innocence (mysteriously visible after the wall was washed, painted, and plastered).

3. Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park

Centre Hall

Tour Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park 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.

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 mysterious activity, including shifting furniture and objects, cold spots, and randomly flaring candles.

5. Mishler’s Theatre

Altoona

The uncovered testimony of a teenage girl claims the ghost of Isaac Mishler haunts historic Altoona’s Mishler Theatre. Madeline Letsche befriended the founder of the theater when her mother, Laura, would help with theatre productions. Over the years, many stage crew members, actors, office workers, and visitors have heard, seen, and even felt Isaac Mishler’s presence. 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 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.

7. Jean Bonnet Tavern

Bedford

Jean Bonnet Tavern, which has welcomed travelers to Bedford since 1762, is an excellent place to satisfy your appetite for delicious eats and paranormal activity. Guests and staff members report feeling touched when no one is around, seeing a strange man’s apparition at the bar after hours, and hearing doors open and close on their own.