Canines & Cannon Fire: A Dog-friendly Gettysburg Ghost Tour
The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the deadliest in American history, with over 50,000 soldiers missing, killed, or wounded. Since then, countless people visiting the area have had ghostly and paranormal experiences.
I was super excited to be invited to go on a dog-friendly Gettysburg Ghost Tour with Civil War Ghosts (nationally known as US Ghost Adventures). Their tours do a fascinating job blending Civil War history with “tails” of lingering spirits.
So, if you’re into history, love a good ghost story, or just want something different to do with your dog in Gettysburg, this tour is the perfect entertaining mix of educational and eerie. In this guide, I’m sharing all the dog-friendly tips and helpful info you’ll want to know before heading out to hunt ghosts with your pup.
Disclosure: Civil War Ghosts provided two complimentary tickets for this tour. This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission if tickets are purchased through them. All opinions are my own and not influenced by compensation.
Are the Civil War Ghost Tours in Gettysburg Dog Friendly?
Yes, in fact, all of the US Ghost Adventure tours nationwide are dog-friendly as long as your pup isn’t disruptive. Locally, Civil War Ghosts also offers haunted pub crawls, which can be dog-friendly, depending on the pubs scheduled for the night. If you’d rather book one of these tours, they recommend calling ahead of time to confirm that your furry friend will be allowed at each stop.
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Civil War Ghosts also has daytime food tours and overnight ghost hunts available, but there are no dogs allowed on these.
What to Expect on Your Gettysburg Ghost Tour
If you are going on one of the evening ghost tours with Civil War Ghosts, you will meet at the Brickhouse Inn Gift Shop. We arrived early and were guided to a nice firepit area behind the building so we could sit, relax, and stay warm.
When it was time for our tour to start, we gathered closer to the street to meet our tour guide. She went over the rules for the night before we headed out. We did the Echoes of the Fallen Tour, which had about 6 different stops and a tour length of about 1 hour and 15 minutes. We ended near the battlefield, at which point everyone went their own way or stuck around if they had paid for the extended version.
Civil War Ghosts Tours Prices and Hours
Civil War Ghosts Tours in Gettysburg are available year-round, and you’ll need to go online to reserve and purchase your tickets. Adult tour tickets cost between $26 – $30, depending on which tour you choose. You can also add on extras, like adding an extended version with 4 additional haunted locations, or rent an EMF activity detector for your tour.
Echoes of the Fallen generally start at 6, 7, and 8 pm., and the Ultimate Dead of Night tour starts at 9 pm.
Parking for Civil War Ghosts Tours
There is no designated parking for these tours. You can find metered street parking (pay with app) throughout downtown Gettysburg, or there’s a parking garage across town.
Are there Bathrooms on the Civil War Ghosts Tours?
There are no bathroom breaks on the tours. There are several public bathrooms around historic Gettysburg; otherwise, you will have to try your luck at a local restaurant, bar, or coffee shop. In fact, Bantam Coffee Roasters is a great dog-friendly coffee shop where you can use the restroom and grab a drink before your tour.
Where to Stay When Visiting Gettysburg
There’s no shortage of places (especially dog-friendly) to choose from in and around Gettysburg. From hotels, short-term rentals, to even camping outside of the city- it’s up to you!
Going on the Echoes of the Fallen Tour
If you are going on one of Gettysburg’s ghost tours, I recommend you arrive about 15-20 minutes early. This should give you enough time to find parking and walk to the meeting place at the Brickhouse Inn gift shop.
Once it’s time for your tour to start, your guide will gather everyone together to go over the rules and share a little about themselves. They’ll be dressed in historical clothing and carry a lantern, so you should have no problem following them on your walking tour.
The first stop will be right there at the Brickhouse Inn. Then your tour guide will continue nearby to about 5 other stops, including the famous Jennie Wade House and a haunted orphanage.
Our guide did a great job covering the Civil War, historic Gettysburg, and the paranormal experiences that people have had around town. She even shared some personal experiences she’s had in some of the buildings, including places that offer overnight ghost hunting opportunities.
The Echoes of the Fallen Tour will end at the edge of the Gettysburg battlefield. The battlefield is closed at night, but you are free to stand at the edge, take pictures, and see if you can catch anything supernatural on camera.
This is the time for you to tip your awesome guide and either head home or continue your nightly stroll. Otherwise, if you paid for the extended tour, you’ll continue on to the bonus haunted stops.
My Thoughts on the Dog-friendly Echoes of the Fallen Tour
I found this tour’s pace to be much more relaxed than the haunted tour we took in Hot Springs, which I greatly appreciated. At no point did we feel rushed or that we had to pick up the pace. I had invited a couple of friends to join my husband and me on the tour, and all 4 of us had a good time. It was their first ghost tour, and it’s safe to say that they are now hooked!
There were some occasions when we stopped near busier streets, where it was a little hard to hear everything, but as long as you didn’t stand too far back, it wasn’t a problem. Our guide was more than happy to repeat anything that was missed the first time.
This was our puppy Evie’s first tour (as well as another dog’s), and everyone was very understanding if they startled and barked at strangers (potential ghosts) approaching the group at night. Even at the beginning of the night, the employees made a point to tell us they love having dogs along on the tour, which made the evening much less stressful.
It did help that we all made every effort to keep our dogs from disrupting the tour. Meaning none of the dogs were allowed to continually bark without immediate attempts by their owners to redirect their attention, put them in air jail, or step away from the group briefly until they calmed down.
My favorite part of the night was hearing about the controversy around Jennie Wade’s death and where the shot that killed her came from. Hearing the pros and cons of the two opinions was interesting, and I have to confess that I’m not sure which spot I’m leaning towards.
Even though I had previously toured the house during the day, I still learned a lot of new information during this ghost tour. It was also really cool to have our guide show us historical photos of the buildings and areas we were visiting to make it easier to see how they looked in the past.
Tips for Bringing Your Dog on a Civil War Ghosts Tour
We took 2 of our dogs on the Echoes of the Fallen Ghost Tour and put together some tips so you and your furry friends can have a successful spooky visit:
- Make sure your pup is people and dog-friendly. There will be multiple other people and even dogs on the tour, so you will want to make sure your dog is comfortable.
- Show up early. Give your dog enough time to get the lay of the land and smell of the people before it gets dark. This is even more helpful if other dogs show up to join you on the walking tour, so you can see how they will interact with each other.
- Keep your pets on a tight leash. You will be walking on sidewalks and crossing streets. Keep your dog close to keep them safe and to allow other people to comfortably use the sidewalks.
- Be aware of your surroundings. You will be walking near and crossing the main street. People, dogs, and vehicles will be passing you throughout the evening. Keep an eye out for your pup so they stay safe, and so you can prepare them for any surprises coming their way- especially once it gets dark.
- Pick a place with your dog in mind. Pick a spot in your group where your dog will be most comfortable and out of the way.
Nearby Attractions:
For ideas of places to visit in and around Gettysburg, check out these stops.
Attractions in Gettysburg:
Dog-friendly Attractions near Gettysburg:
- Gettysburg National Military Park
- Antietam National Battlefield
- Harper’s Ferry National Park
- Monongahela Forest (areas like Seneca Rocks or Cranberry Glades Botanical Area)
- Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Tails from the Battlefield: A Dog-Friendly Ghost Tour in Gettysburg
I love going on ghost tours because we get to learn about history in a different and unique way. But even more, I love taking our dogs with us to see if they can sense anything otherworldly that humans may miss. So, if you’re visiting Gettysburg with your pup (or any other city), make sure to book a ghost tour with US Ghost Adventures for a paw-normal evening out with your furry friend!
Pin For Later:
This is so neat! You always take your dog so many wonderful places! I wish every dog could go on even half as many adventures as yours does.
I love to travel and am very picky on who gets to watch our pups. It’s much easier to just take them with LOL
What a fun mix of history, ghosts, and pups—such a unique, dog-friendly way to experience the area.
I love it! I’ve been 4 times and still haven’t gotten to see everything I want. The next visit will be more places we can take our pups to.
This sounds like a fascinating place to visit! I know it had a huge impact on American life and history. As for the ghosts – YIKES! I had not thought but yes, you will have a whole new perspective on history after dark!
Gettysburg is wonderful! And surprisingly they have more than Civil War things to do and learn- like a World War 2 museum!
Super guide to dog-friendly Gettysburg ghost tours. I bet your friends are hooked. I always enjoy the history that the “players” give on these ghost tours. There are a few in my area, and I find the history fascinating. I bet the pups will want to do more fun ghostly tours as well.
They are definitely hooked! And I can’t wait to bring all our dogs on ghost tours again. We are still teaching Evie how to behave in public so she is only able to go out with Emma until we get a bit further along in training her and Francis.