I rolled into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania yesterday for a meeting regarding the Ghost World Conference we’re having here in July. Gettysburg is a town where history (and its ghosts) are most certainly alive. There are multiple competing ghost tours in this little town, reenactors walk the streets and battlefields (are they reenactors or are they ghosts?), and even the locals will acknowledge their supernatural side if you ask.
Last night I went to dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern, a home constructed in 1776 that now serves Colonial and Continental cuisine. We ate in the Springhouse Tavern located in the basement of the building which was a perfect setting for our ghostly discussion about theories, research, and the people doing the investigations.
After dinner, we decided to pay a quick visit to Sach’s Bridge — just a couple of miles from the restaurant. Sach’s Bridge was the main retreat route for the Confederate forces after the battle of Gettysburg. It’s also said to be one of the more haunted hot spots here.
When we arrived, we noticed there were a few people already on the bridge snapping away pictures, and looking for spooks. This was the evening of January 12th — clearly off-season for Gettysburg, but there they were ghost hunting. And there we were casually doing the same.
When we got closer, I saw that they were three teenagers. They showed us some of the “orbs” they had captured on their digital cameras and we asked if they belonged to any investigative groups. They said they did not.
Every time I come to Gettysburg, I’m amazed at how many supernatural tourists and armchair ghost hunters I run into. Interest in this field continues to spread and people are asking questions (even if they’re asking those questions with a digital camera). This is a good thing.
Gettysburg is a shining example of an historic location that full appreciates and embraces its important historical significance, but also accepts its supernatural appeal. Some visitors may come here only looking for ghosts, but they’re bound to leave with a little history too. This is also a good thing.