Pennsylvania Ghost Tours Exploring The State’s Haunted Past
Pennsylvania’s rich history stretches back centuries, leaving behind countless tales of ghostly encounters and paranormal activity.
From the cobblestone streets of Philadelphia to the misty mountains of the Poconos, spectral residents seem to linger in historic buildings, battlefields, and abandoned prisons across the Keystone State.
If you’re brave enough to face the unknown, these ghost tours offer thrilling glimpses into Pennsylvania’s most haunted locations.
1. Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours
Brave souls gather nightly at twilight to walk the hallowed grounds where thousands of soldiers lost their lives during the Civil War. These tours take you through the streets of Gettysburg where apparitions of soldiers still march and phantom cannons echo through the night.
Your guide shares chilling eyewitness accounts of paranormal encounters while leading you to spots where the veil between worlds seems thinnest. Many visitors report unexplained cold spots, battery drains on cameras, and even ghostly touches.
Did you know? Gettysburg is considered one of America’s most haunted towns, with over 10,000 paranormal experiences reported annually. The tours operate year-round, but October brings special extended routes for the truly fearless.
2. Eastern State Penitentiary After Dark
Walking through the crumbling cell blocks of America’s most historic prison after sunset isn’t for the faint of heart. The massive Gothic structure in Philadelphia housed notorious criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton, and many say their spirits never left.
Guides equipped with flashlights lead visitors through the abandoned corridors where prisoners were subjected to extreme isolation. Visitors frequently report hearing whispers, footsteps, and cell doors clanging shut when nobody is around.
The prison’s infamous “lockdown” experience even allows brave guests to spend time alone in the most actively haunted cells. A particularly active spot is Cell Block 12, where shadowy figures are often spotted moving along the walls.
3. Haunted Pittsburgh Ghost Tours
Steel City’s dark underbelly comes to life during these walking tours through downtown Pittsburgh’s most haunted locations. From the historic Omni William Penn Hotel to the spooky alleys of Market Square, ghostly tales abound in this industrial metropolis.
Your journey includes stops at the site of the city’s first public hanging and buildings where staff refuse to work alone after dark. Many participants capture strange orbs and mists in their photos that weren’t visible to the naked eye.
The tour guides all local historians sprinkle historical facts between bone-chilling ghost stories, creating a perfect blend of education and entertainment. When visiting the Pittsburgh Playhouse, listen carefully for the phantom applause that sometimes erupts from the empty theater.
4. Strasburg Rail Road Haunted Trolley Tour
All aboard for a supernatural journey through Pennsylvania’s Amish Country! This unique ghost tour combines the charm of a vintage trolley ride with spine-tingling tales of Strasburg’s paranormal past.
The antique trolley creaks and groans as it travels down dark country roads where headless horsemen and phantom Amish buggies have been spotted. Local guides share stories of cursed farms, possessed dolls, and the legendary White Lady who wanders the railroad tracks after midnight.
If you’re lucky (or unlucky), you might experience the trolley’s most famous phenomenon sometimes it mysteriously stops at exactly the same spot where a fatal accident occurred decades ago. The tour concludes with a visit to the haunted Strasburg Rail Road museum, where tools move on their own and invisible hands tap visitors on the shoulder.
5. Haunted Lantern Tours of Jim Thorpe
Nestled in the Pocono Mountains, the Victorian town of Jim Thorpe harbors dark secrets that come alive during these lantern-lit evening tours. Once known as Mauch Chunk, this former coal mining town witnessed numerous tragic deaths in its mines and the infamous execution of the Molly Maguires.
The tour begins at the haunted Old Jail Museum where seven Irish miners were hanged for crimes many believe they didn’t commit. One left a handprint on his cell wall that supposedly can’t be washed away no matter how hard anyone tries.
As you wander through the town’s narrow streets, your guide’s lantern casts eerie shadows on buildings where windows suddenly light up in empty rooms. Many visitors report feeling invisible hands tugging at their clothes near the site of the former gallows.
6. Ghosts of the Mansion at Bube’s Brewery
Hidden beneath the streets of Mount Joy sits one of Pennsylvania’s most unusual haunted attractions. Bube’s (pronounced “booby’s”) Brewery combines a ghost tour with dinner in a 19th-century catacomb restaurant carved into the limestone 43 feet underground.
The tour begins in the Victorian mansion above, where the brewery owner’s family once lived and where staff regularly report objects moving on their own. Cold spots follow visitors as they descend into the labyrinthine cellars where beer once fermented in massive wooden vats.
Most unsettling are the frequent apparitions of a small boy seen playing throughout the property and the sound of a woman’s voice calling from empty rooms. After your tour, you can dine by candlelight in the catacombs where many guests report feeling unseen presences brushing against them during their meal.
7. Spirits of New Hope Ghost Tours
When darkness falls over the charming riverside town of New Hope, centuries-old spirits emerge from historic buildings and shadowy alleyways. This picturesque Bucks County village transforms after sunset as tour guides reveal its macabre history of murders, suicides, and tragic accidents.
The walking tour includes stops at Logan Inn one of the oldest continuously operating inns in America—where guests regularly report encounters with a Revolutionary War-era soldier. Another highlight is the haunted bridge where the ghost of a hitchhiker has been spotted for decades.
Your guide carries authentic paranormal detection equipment, allowing participants to try their hand at ghost hunting during the tour. The most active location tends to be the former site of a gristmill where workers perished in a devastating fire, leaving behind disembodied voices that still call for help.
8. Haunted Hanover Ghost Walks
Though less famous than neighboring Gettysburg, the small town of Hanover hosts equally chilling spectral residents. These intimate walking tours take small groups through the historic downtown where a significant Civil War cavalry battle occurred just days before Gettysburg.
The highlight is the visit to the Hanover Theater, where staff refuse to be alone after hearing phantom footsteps on the stage and seeing the curtains move on their own. Many participants capture strange anomalies in photos taken at the town square where wounded soldiers once lay dying.
What makes this tour unique is its focus on personal stories from current residents who continue to experience unexplained phenomena in their homes and businesses. The guides encourage participants to share their own paranormal experiences, creating an interactive atmosphere where skeptics often become believers by the tour’s end.
9. Harrisburg Candlelight Ghost Tours
Pennsylvania’s capital city harbors political intrigue even from beyond the grave. These evening tours wind through the historic district where legislators, governors, and ordinary citizens have left spectral imprints on government buildings and Victorian mansions.
The State Capitol complex features prominently, with stories of phantom footsteps echoing through marble hallways after hours. Security guards report elevator doors opening and closing on their own and lights turning on in empty offices.
A fascinating stop is the haunted Governor’s Residence where staff members have encountered the spirits of former governors still roaming the halls. The tour concludes at the old Dauphin County Prison where inmates’ faces sometimes appear in windows of the now-abandoned structure. Throughout the walk, your guide carries authentic Victorian mourning items, adding a macabre historical touch to the experience.
10. Eerie Erie Ghost Walk
The lakeside city of Erie embraces its spectral residents through these engaging walking tours of the historic downtown and bayfront. The maritime history of this Great Lakes port has left behind ghostly sailors, lighthouse keepers, and victims of shipwrecks who still roam the shoreline.
Your journey includes the former U.S. Customs House where phantom footsteps follow visitors up the grand staircase. The Erie Maritime Museum features prominently with tales of ghostly crew members still manning the reconstructed Brig Niagara from the War of 1812.
Most haunting is the stop at the old Erie County Prison, where inmates who died in a devastating fire are said to reach out to visitors through the barred windows. The tour concludes at Erie Cemetery, where the guide shares stories of the strange phenomena reported around the graves of prominent citizens who seem unwilling to rest in peace.
