THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Step into East Cemetery Hill where a ghostly guide leads a 90-minute walking tour through the National Soldiers' Orphanage Homestead. Learn the building’s Civil War history while navigating dim yards and listening for stories that blur history and the supernatural.
Step into East Cemetery Hill where a ghostly guide leads a 90-minute walking tour through the National Soldiers' Orphanage Homestead. Learn the building’s Civil War history while navigating dim yards and listening for stories that blur history and the supernatural.
Fog clings to the stone walls of East Cemetery Hill as the group gathers outside Ghostly Images on Baltimore Street. The tour begins with a flicker of a lantern and a voice that insists it once lived in these rooms — the guide is the ghost, and the city’s Civil War past presses close as you move through shadowed yards and the threshold of the National Soldiers' Orphanage Homestead.
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Gettysburg Battlefield Tours · Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Fog clings to the stone walls of East Cemetery Hill as the group gathers outside Ghostly Images on Baltimore Street. The tour begins with a flicker of a lantern and a voice that insists it once lived in these rooms — the guide is the ghost, and the city’s Civil War past presses close as you move through shadowed yards and the threshold of the National Soldiers' Orphanage Homestead.
This building served as General O.O. Howard’s headquarters during the Battle of Gettysburg, later becoming a wartime hospital and then an orphanage for children of fallen soldiers. The house’s heavy timbers and wartime repairs reveal layers of 19th-century construction and the social aftershocks of the conflict. Gettysburg’s limestone and shale soils shape the rolling cemetery terrain; winds off the nearby ridges carry sharp, seasonal weather that can make an evening feel much colder.
Practical guidance: tours last 90 minutes and cover paved roads and unpaved yards with some steps — comfortable, closed-toe shoes are recommended. Arrive 15 minutes early to check in at 778 Baltimore Street; free parking is available nearby. Bring a small flashlight and a warm layer after dusk; photography is usually allowed but respect actors and other guests. The experience relies on storytelling tied to documented places, so pay attention to names and dates to connect anecdotes to the larger Gettysburg narrative.
Expect evocative storytelling, a slow walking pace, and moments where history and the present overlap — the air seems to resist movement on East Cemetery Hill, daring you to listen.
easy.
1.5 hours.
Minimal fitness required; participants should be able to walk slowly for 90 minutes over uneven ground and a few steps.
Yes — the operator notes it’s physically easy, but parents should consider whether children are comfortable with theatrical ghost stories and dim, confined spaces.
Photography is generally allowed in exterior and some interior areas, but follow the guide’s instructions and avoid flash during performances.
Parts of the route include steps and uneven surfaces; contact the operator ahead to discuss accessibility and possible accommodations.
For a full refund cancel at least 24 hours before departure; last-minute cancellations are non-refundable.
The homestead was used as General O.O. Howard’s headquarters and a wartime hospital before becoming an orphanage for children of soldiers after the Civil War.
Stay on marked paths and avoid touching historic fabric; Gettysburg’s preservation depends on visitor respect for fragile structures and grave markers.
Gettysburg Battlefield Tours operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.
Fog clings to the stone walls of East Cemetery Hill as the group gathers outside Ghostly Images on Baltimore Street. The tour begins with a flicker of a lantern and a voice that insists it once lived in these rooms — the guide is the ghost, and the city’s Civil War past presses close as you move through shadowed yards and the threshold of the National Soldiers' Orphanage Homestead.
Fog clings to the stone walls of East Cemetery Hill as the group gathers outside Ghostly Images on Baltimore Street. The tour begins with a flicker of a lantern and a voice that insists it once lived in these rooms — the guide is the ghost, and the city’s Civil War past presses close as you move through shadowed yards and the threshold of the National Soldiers' Orphanage Homestead.
This building served as General O.O. Howard’s headquarters during the Battle of Gettysburg, later becoming a wartime hospital and then an orphanage for children of fallen soldiers. The house’s heavy timbers and wartime repairs reveal layers of 19th-century construction and the social aftershocks of the conflict. Gettysburg’s limestone and shale soils shape the rolling cemetery terrain; winds off the nearby ridges carry sharp, seasonal weather that can make an evening feel much colder.
Practical guidance: tours last 90 minutes and cover paved roads and unpaved yards with some steps — comfortable, closed-toe shoes are recommended. Arrive 15 minutes early to check in at 778 Baltimore Street; free parking is available nearby. Bring a small flashlight and a warm layer after dusk; photography is usually allowed but respect actors and other guests. The experience relies on storytelling tied to documented places, so pay attention to names and dates to connect anecdotes to the larger Gettysburg narrative.
Expect evocative storytelling, a slow walking pace, and moments where history and the present overlap — the air seems to resist movement on East Cemetery Hill, daring you to listen.