Gettysburg, PA

(If you have any scary places to tell us about, e-mail the details to HauntedHouses@ScaryPlace.com)

A Quick Review:

The Rooms - We stayed in two rooms, the haunted Jenny Wade and the luxurious Lincoln Room. These two and the others we peeked into were all excellent and well worth the money, particularly the Lincoln room.

The Tavern - Although we got a disappointing reception the first evening when they closed early due to a lack of customers, it warmed up nicely into a pleasant place to while away some time chatting with like-minded folks.

The Food - The food was a very mixed bag. Most B&Bs we have been to pride themselves on elaborate and creative breakfast fare and offer a two hour serving window in order to be convenient to their guests. However, we were somewhat disappointed with the rather pedestrian offering of pancakes, hash browns and bacon. While it was tasty, it was still less interesting than we had expected. To add to our disillusionment, we had to arise earlier than we would have preferred to, in order to meet their short 8am to 8:30am breakfast serving time window. On the other hand, the meal we had that evening as part of the Dinner Theater was excellent and unusual - Game Pie - similar to a chicken pot pie, except filled with duck, turkey and pheasant. It is no wonder that they have been written up in Bon Appetit, the culinary arts magazine. However, our lunch the next day would certainly not have made it into that magazine. We ordered an enticing-sounding dish made in a home baked bread bowl, loaded with salted ham and covered with creamy cheddar cheese. However, what we ended up with was smothered with CheezWhiz instead... a major culinary disappointment. Overall, the kitchen, or kitchens, at Farnsworth House need to take a look at their fare and would do well to avoid cost cutting shortcuts like CheezWhiz if they wish to be considered a prime dining location.

The Mourning Theater - During the off-season, the Farnsworth House Civil War Mourning Theater condenses three of its entertainment events into something of a sampler, rolling the Parlor Magic Act, the Victorian Seance Spirit Theater and the storytelling Mourning Theater into one evening of Dinner Theater. We found it to be well staged and performed, and somewhat enhanced by otherworldly forces. It even managed to send a chill or two up the spines of two experienced chill-seekers like us. Well worth your time to experience.

The Bookstore - The bookstore is an excellent resource for both the Civil War buff and the Ghosthunter. They carry a wealth of books, videos and tapes, including some scary stories on cassette tape and a video by A&E featuring the Farnsworth House on one of it's episodes of "The Unexplained". Very entertaining and enlightening.

Overall Impression - Very good. Just go for the wonderful rooms and the spine tingling entertainment. The food is a toss-up, so keep your expectations in that department modest. That way you will be pleasantly surprised when something like Game Pie comes along.