Haunted Gettysburg Orphanage

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania has been a mecca to Civil War history buffs and

Photo credit: Gettysburg Tour Center

paranormal investigators for years. Thousands of people descend upon the town each year to watch the reenactment of America's deadliest battle, and to gain knowledge about those who lived and died there during that time. There are few places in Gettysburg one can venture to that are free of ghostly encounters.

A place well-known for its paranormal activity is the Soldier’s National Museum. In the 1860's and 70's it housed the orphans whose fathers fought and died for the Union. Rosa Carmichael was a teacher and disciplinarian at the orphanage. She was a wicked women who despised the innocent children. Rosa would abuse and torture the orphans by shackling them to walls and by locking them in a dungeon-like room she created in the basement. In that dark, dank room she would tie their hands together and force them to stand upright in vats of water until they nearly drowned. In 1876 she was convicted, fined and run out of town for her cruelties, and the orphanage was permanently closed.

Today, the museum is one of the most haunted locations in Gettysburg. Many believe it is Rosa whose ghost lingers in the building. A number of paranormal groups, including the television shows Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters have done investigations here. The tragic events that occurred here are certain to have imprinted the fabric of time; creating an atmosphere most suitable for hauntings.