How long is the performance?

The theatrical seance runs roughly one hour, making it an efficient evening activity.

Is this an actual seance?

No. This is a theatrical recreation and demonstration of historical techniques, not a real attempt to contact the dead.

Are children allowed?

Policies vary; the low light and sudden effects may unsettle young children—check with the venue for age guidance.

Can I take photos during the show?

Photography is typically restricted to maintain ambience and protect the integrity of the performance.

Is the venue accessible?

Historic buildings may have limitations; contact the Farnsworth House Inn directly to discuss specific accessibility needs.

Do performers explain the methods used?

Yes. The program demonstrates stagecraft and then often explains the mechanics and historical context behind the effects.

Inside a Civil War-Era Seance: Theatrical Parlor Performance in Gettysburg

Step into the parlor at the Farnsworth House Inn in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Theatrical Recreation of a Civil War-Era Seance reanimates a fraught chapter of American social life. Located in a town defined by its battlefield history, this performance uses dim candlelight, period furniture, and an actor-guided seance to recreate how 19th-century Spiritualists sought contact with lost loved ones. The scene centers on a restored Victorian parlor: a round table that trembles under suggestion, a cast-iron chandelier reduced by candlelight, and a narrow cluster of chairs that bring the audience within arm's reach of the actors. Costuming and props—tarot-like calling cards, brass candleholders, and an ornate phonograph case—anchor the illusion in material culture rather than spectacle. The production highlights techniques of misdirection and mechanical cunning used by mediums, revealing how tears and hope often met theatrical craft. This experience blends historical context with stagecraft. Performers demonstrate how table tipping, rapping noises, and message boards were staged, then step back to explain the mechanics behind the effects. The program balances empathy for the bereaved with a clear-eyed look at deception, echoing the era when Spiritualism swelled after Civil War losses and when figures like early debunkers sought answers. Audience members leave with both goosebumps and a sharper sense of how grief, performance, and technology intersected in the 1800s. Why book it while you’re in Gettysburg? The show offers a compact, atmospheric alternative to battlefield tours—a cultural waypoint that adds social history to the town's military story. The Farnsworth House Inn's setting in the town core makes the performance an easy evening stop for travelers staying nearby; the show's small-group format keeps the feeling intimate and immediate. Plan ahead: the theater-style seating is close and lighting is intentionally low; the experience can be intense for visitors who avoid dramatic surprises or dim spaces. Photography is usually restricted to preserve illusion and ambience. Tickets are affordable and the roughly hour-long running time is an efficient way to deepen a Gettysburg itinerary without committing a full day. Whether you come for the period detail, the curiosity of historical trickery, or the human stories behind Spiritualism, this theatrical seance is a striking, educational evening. It reframes the town's Civil War legacy by examining how communities coped with loss, and it does so with craft, care, and just enough chill to make you check the room twice. Plan to combine the show with nearby walking history: a short stroll afterwards reveals period architecture and late-night taverns. Staff are available to answer questions about provenance and research sources, and printed notes often accompany tickets. For visitors chasing layered stories of the Civil War era, this performance supplies a compact, memorable chapter that complements Gettysburg's larger narrative daily.

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.