The Ghosts of Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College was founded in 1832 by Reverend Samuel Simon Schmucker, a Lutheran theologian, under the name Pennsylvania College. The institution was established to educate young men in a classical tradition while reinforcing Christian values. Its location in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—then a quiet and modest town—seemed ideal.

The original campus centered around Pennsylvania Hall, completed in 1837. Built in the Federal style and surrounded by the picturesque hills of Adams County, the college grew steadily in the years leading up to the Civil War. But everything changed in July of 1863.

When the Battle of Gettysburg erupted on July 1, 1863, it engulfed the college in chaos. Fighting on the first day took place on the western edge of Gettysburg, directly in the area surrounding the college campus. As Union troops attempted to hold off Confederate forces pouring into the town, Gettysburg College stood on the front lines.

That first day, Pennsylvania Hall was quickly commandeered by the Union Army and turned into a field hospital. Wounded soldiers—Union and Confederate alike—were dragged into the building by the dozens. Surgeons operated in hallways, stairwells, and classrooms, amputating limbs and performing crude procedures on blood-soaked floors. Windows were flung open to vent the smell of blood and death. Piles of severed limbs were reportedly stacked outside the building.

When Confederate troops overran the town later that day, the building changed hands and was briefly used by the Confederate Army for their own wounded. The college—once a peaceful place of learning—had become a house of horrors.

And many believe the spirits of the dead never left.

For generations, students, faculty, and visitors have reported unsettling and inexplicable experiences all over campus. While many of the ghosts are tied directly to the Civil War, others suggest that Gettysburg College has attracted spirits from across time, becoming a kind of supernatural beacon.

The most infamous ghost story from Gettysburg College centers on Pennsylvania Hall, the oldest and most historically significant building on campus.

Numerous eyewitnesses—including college administrators—have reported taking the elevator down to the basement only to find themselves stepping out into a fully active Civil War hospital scene. They describe blood-covered walls, surgeons working on wounded men, the sounds of moaning and screaming—and then, in an instant, it all disappears.

One chilling account involved two administrators who took the elevator to the basement after hours. When the doors opened, they were stunned to see what appeared to be a 19th-century surgical ward filled with injured soldiers and doctors in bloodied uniforms. A ghostly surgeon allegedly looked up and gestured for help—prompting the terrified staff members to flee. Moments later, the scene was gone.

These "time slip" experiences have become legendary at Gettysburg College and are some of the most convincing paranormal encounters in the region.

Throughout the campus grounds, students and faculty often report sightings of phantom soldiers. These full-bodied apparitions are usually dressed in Union or Confederate uniforms and are seen walking silently across lawns, slipping through doorways, or vanishing behind trees.

Some of the most common hotspots for these sightings include:

• The paths around Pennsylvania Hall
• The courtyard between Musselman Library and Glatfelter Hall
• The stairs and hallways of various dormitories

Many witnesses describe the soldiers as looking solid and real, until they vanish or walk through walls—leaving the observer stunned and shaken.

In addition to Civil War spirits, Gettysburg College is also haunted by a ghostly woman in white, often seen wandering the upper floors of Glatfelter Hall or standing in the windows late at night. She's been described as wearing a flowing dress or nightgown and is sometimes seen holding a candle or lantern.

Some speculate she may have been a nurse who worked in one of the makeshift hospitals during the war. Others believe she may be a former student or faculty member from a more recent era. Regardless of her origin, her presence is consistently associated with an overwhelming sense of sadness and loss.

Dormitories at Gettysburg College are no stranger to paranormal activity. Students have reported a wide range of strange occurrences in their rooms, including unexplained knocks on doors and windows, lights flickering or turning off and on without cause, and cold spots that can't be explained by drafts.

Some students at the College have even reported the sound of footsteps in hallways where no one is present or even Items being moved or thrown by unseen hands. One dormitory that frequently comes up in ghost stories is Stevens Hall, where students have reported hearing crying, feeling watched, and even seeing shadowy figures in the mirrors.

There's no simple answer—but many paranormal researchers believe it comes down to residual energy and trauma.

Gettysburg was the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with over 50,000 casualties. The land itself absorbed not only the physical violence but the emotional anguish, fear, and death that came with it. Institutions like Gettysburg College—especially buildings used as field hospitals—became the final stop for thousands of young men.

That kind of trauma, many believe, doesn't simply fade away.

Others theorize that the college's long and unbroken use since the 1800s, combined with the intense historical energy of the town, makes it an ideal conduit for spiritual activity. In other words: the college is haunted because it's been surrounded by the dead for over 150 years—and some of those spirits found no reason to move on.

While Gettysburg College is a fully functioning institution with no official "ghost tours" on campus, the school is just a short walk from the Gettysburg town center and is included on several after-dark ghost walks.

Visitors can stroll the paths around Pennsylvania Hall and the surrounding buildings to soak in the historic atmosphere—and, if you're lucky (or unlucky), you might just catch a glimpse of the past bleeding into the present.

Please note: Visitors are welcome on public paths, but always respect private buildings and student spaces.

Our Haunted Take

Gettysburg College is more than just a prestigious academic institution—it's a place where the echoes of the past still linger, where the dead are known to appear, and where history literally walks the halls. For anyone visiting Gettysburg with a love for ghost stories, Civil War history, or unexplained phenomena, the college is a must-see stop on your haunted journey.

Just don't be surprised if something—or someone—you weren't expecting shows up to say hello.