When and where does the event start?

The event takes place in the Farnsworth House Inn Main Dining Room at 401 Baltimore St, Gettysburg, PA; the listed performance is January 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM.

How long is the experience?

The program runs about two hours—compact enough for an evening activity after daytime tours.

What is the ticket price?

Tickets are listed at $45.95 per person according to the event details; check the reservation page for any updates.

Are there age restrictions?

No minimum or maximum age was provided; consider that readings and the menu are tailored to adult tastes and a quiet, theatrical atmosphere.

What is the cancellation policy?

All sales are final—no refunds, returns, or exchanges—so confirm plans before booking.

Edgar Allen Poe Birthday Dinner Theater: Candlelit Readings & Game Pie in Gettysburg | Theater | Ghost Tour

Q: Is dinner included in the ticket?

Yes. The evening includes the house Game Pie, fresh garden salad, roll and butter, and a choice of apple or shoo-fly pie; beverages and gratuity are extra.

On a cold January evening in downtown Gettysburg, the Farnsworth House Inn’s Main Dining Room becomes a stage for the eerie and erudite. Located at 401 Baltimore St in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Edgar Allen Poe Birthday Dinner Theater pairs candlelit readings with a hearty colonial-era supper, offering an experience that feels equal parts literary salon and haunted-house tour. For visitors who come to this town to walk the ridgelines of the 1863 battlefield, an evening here slides history into a different register—one of Gothic fiction, theatrical monologue, and savory game pie.

Doc Weitzel, the evening’s narrator, delivers dramatic readings of Poe’s most unsettling work with an actor’s timing and an archivist’s care, coaxing the dark humor and precise terror from each passage. Between readings, servers bring a house specialty: Game Pie—a layered blend of turkey, duck, and pheasant with mushrooms, bacon lardons, long grain and wild rice under a golden crust—paired with fresh garden salad, roll and butter, and a choice of apple or shoo-fly pie for dessert. Beverage and gratuity are additional. Seats are limited to thirty, which keeps the performance intimate and immediate.

The Farnsworth House Inn sits on a street addressed to Gettysburg’s history; its Main Dining Room retains period details that amplify the storytelling—worn floorboards, low-light fixtures, and an architecture that predates modern bustle. Audiences report occasional drafts and cold spots that add to the atmosphere without diminishing comfort. The program is compact—about two hours—making it an easy evening addition to a travel itinerary dominated by daytime tours of the battlefield and museums.

Why book it? It’s a rare night where literature, local lore, and local cuisine meet. Travelers who want an atmospheric counterpoint to Gettysburg’s daytime solemnity will find the mix of theatrical skill and culinary comfort memorable. It is especially suited to winter visitors: the short daylight, crisp air, and early nightfall amplify the dramatic readings.

Practical details: the event is held in the Farnsworth House Inn Main Dining Room, 401 Baltimore St, Gettysburg, PA 17325, with tickets priced as listed and seats limited. Bring a light layer against cool dining room drafts, arrive on time—late entry may not be allowed—and reserve ahead; performances sell out. Whether you’re a Poe fan, a history traveler looking for color at night, or simply someone who enjoys a well-staged meal, this dinner-theater offers a compact, memorable way to spend an evening in Gettysburg. The next performance on January 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM is priced at $45.95 per person; guests should reserve in advance through the Farnsworth House Inn reservation link. This compact, atmospheric evening makes a perfect single-night cultural stop while touring Gettysburg’s museums and monuments, or a standalone treat for readers who love dark fiction.

About Historic Farnsworth House

Historic Farnsworth House offers guided tours, paranormal investigations, living-history shows, and specialty events in a preserved Civil War–era property. Located in Gettysburg, the Farnsworth House is listed as a National Historic Place and draws visitors interested in military history, Victorian domestic life, and paranormal investigation.

Visitors can choose from a variety of experiences that interpret the house’s Civil War significance and its later Victorian-era character. The Farnsworth House Tour highlights the attic used by a Civil War sharpshooter, a Victorian viewing parlor with an antique coffin, and exterior walls bearing more than one hundred bullet holes. Medical history programs such as the Blood, Guts and Glory Civil War Medical Presentation present authentic instruments and a lifelike operating-room demonstration to examine wartime medicine.

For guests seeking the supernatural, the property offers the Mini Paranormal Night, Haunted Cellar Tour, Tormented & Lost Souls Tour, and gallery readings by professional mediums during special events. Outdoor programming includes Campfire by the Creek Ghost Stories beside a flowing stream. The site also stages family-friendly entertainment like A Civil War Era Magic Show…. LIVE!, performed by a veteran magician with decades of experience.

Group sizes for investigative nights are limited to maintain an intimate experience; some tours specify a 15-person maximum. The Farnsworth House operates as a curated historic attraction and event venue, emphasizing factual interpretation, trained guides, and artifacts connected to the Civil War and Victorian periods. Visitors are encouraged to book specific experiences in advance to secure preferred dates and times. Tours run seasonally.