Laughing Through History: Comical History of America Dinner Theater in Gettysburg

Farnsworth House Inn sits at 401 Baltimore St in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where a two-hour dinner-theater called The Comical History of America stages raucous, R-rated history lessons led by a Benjamin Franklin figure and a rotating company of actors. The Main Dining Room at the inn is the performance space; the building’s reputation as a haunted historic inn gives the evening a theatrical edge that blends history, humor, and local lore. Dinner is included—Baked Chicken Pot Pie (egg noodles, potatoes, and tender chicken slow-cooked beneath a golden crust), Fresh Garden Salad, Roll & Butter, and a choice of Warm Apple Pie or Classic Chocolate Sundae—so you arrive ready to eat as much as to laugh. The show riffs across 250 years of American oddities, from Viking missteps to modern eccentricities, with sketches, monologues, and audience banter that turn textbook moments into comic set pieces. The Spirit of ’76 character and Benjamin Franklin guide the crowd through scenes that celebrate the country’s people rather than institutions, making the performance a distinctive, community-focused night out in Gettysburg. With a capped group size of 30 and a run time of approximately 2 Hours, the event balances intimate theater energy with the communal experience of a shared meal. This program is special for the Gettysburg scene because it layers living-history theatrics onto a town already defined by its past. The Farnsworth House Inn’s Main Dining Room functions as both dining hall and stage, and the inn’s haunted reputation adds a playful tension - one minute you’re laughing at a punchline, the next you’re listening for a creak. Practical details: tickets cost $45.95 per person plus tax; beverages and tips for the actor and server are not included; all sales are final. Check-in is in the Farnsworth House Inn Main Dining Room 401 Baltimore St, Gettysburg, PA; small-group seating and the actors' proximity mean your choices—laughter, heckling, applause—shape the room. Note the policy: all sales are final. For travelers mapping a full Gettysburg weekend, this show is a lively counterpoint to daytime tours, offering a low-effort, high-entertainment evening that pairs local flavor with theatrical wit and communal warmth. Visitors should plan to arrive early to settle into the dining room and read the room’s historic photos, and be prepared for an adult-oriented, Rated R evening. The mix of comedy, local storytelling, and a classic comfort-dinner menu makes this experience ideal for history-minded travelers who want entertainment with bite rather than a formal lecture. Whether you’re in town for the battlefield tours or an overnight stay, this two-hour dinner theater is an arresting way to spend an evening in Gettysburg that feels both of the place and unlike anything else on Baltimore Street.