08/04/2025
I often see people on Facebook asking, "What's the best ghost tour in town?" Far too often, I read very negative remarks, such as, "they are all the same, they are just taking money from tourists." As the manager of tours at the Farnsworth House Inn, I like to highlight that our guides dress in authentic style period attire (instead of jeans and baseball caps) and have conducted extensive research, not just on the ghost stories but also on the history that supports them. We are the ONLY tour in town with access to the Historic Farnsworth House (one of the most haunted inns in the country), our guides NEVER use scripts or tablets, and Gettysburg's ghost storytelling tradition actually started here. I also mention the variety of tours we offer, including ones held inside the Inn during bad weather.
However, I rarely get to talk about "The Jeremy Jar." For those who don't know, Jeremy is one of our most beloved spirits and is believed to be about six years old. People love to leave coins behind for Jeremy because he likes "shiny things". We decided to take those coins left behind and put them in the "Jeremy jar" (which is actually a sealed desk) and donate the contributions to St. Jude's in honor of Jeremy.
This is something we point out on the tours, and often times customers will donate on their own and my guides are always appreciative (even if it's in lieu of their own tips).
In the past, we also donated an entire night's proceeds from the tours to the restoration fund for the train station during its renovation and also contributed a night's revenue to a local women's shelter.
This tour company takes pride in giving back and paying it forward as part of the privilege of sharing the town's stories. So, no, "all the tours are not the same."
On behalf of Jeremy, St. Jude's, and all of us at the Farnsworth House, we sincerely thank you for choosing us.
