Paranormal Pennsylvania: 5 spooky spots across the state
Across Pennsylvania, residents have long reported paranormal encounters with UFOs, cryptids, ghosts, and more. Here are the sites to visit to learn more.
Tales of alien creatures, ghostly specters, and strange creatures abound in Pennsylvania—if you know where to look. Whether we’re talking UFOs in southwestern Pa. or ghosts in Gettysburg, read on to learn about the stories behind some of Pennsylvania’s most famous paranormal sites.
Sachs Covered Bridge – Gettysburg
Perhaps the most haunted town in the country, Gettysburg is known for ghostly encounters and historical hauntings. But even the most haunted town in the United States will have its own “most haunted” site, and according to many, that unfortunate award goes to Sachs Covered Bridge.
The town truss covered bridge was built in Gettysburg in 1852, and it was used to cross Marsh Creek by both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. During the day, the historic red bridge looks charming, but at night, the quaintness turns creepy. The story goes that three Confederate soldiers were hanged—either for desertion or for spying—from the bridge’s wooden beams. Visitors report feelings of unease at the bridge, the sound of strange breathing, and even the scent of cigar smoke though there is no one else around.
The bridge is open to foot traffic at all times, but you can join a ghost tour if you’d like to visit with a group.
Kecksburg UFO Incident – Kecksburg
In 1965, thousands of people across several states in the eastern US saw a fireball much larger than a shooting star soar across the sky. And in Kecksburg, located in Pennsylvania’s Westmoreland County, residents saw the fireball land. The media melee that followed resulted in the closure of the woods, where folks said they saw something fall. And after that, the alien rumors quickly spread.
Though the incident happened more than 50 years ago, numerous books and even the annual Kecksburg UFO Festival were born because of it, with residents and UFO enthusiasts still excitedly discussing what might have landed in rural Pa.—and what the government might have covered up. Kecksburg even has a monument to the incident—it’s a large acorn-shaped object, since that’s the shape some people said they saw. You can visit it, along with a small gift shop, in the heart of Kecksburg.
Bigfoot in Western Pa.
Bigfoot is often associated with the Pacific Northwest, but let’s be honest—there are enough furry humanoid creatures to go around. And that’s evidently the case, because Pennsylvania has been the site of numerous Bigfoot sightings. People have reportedly seen the big guy all across the commonwealth, but there have especially been sightings in western Pennsylvania and the Allegheny National Forest. And more importantly, perhaps, the folks in and around this region really like the legend.
For instance, each summer, the Forest County Bigfoot Festival hosts a Bigfoot hunt in the national forest. And because of a reported sighting along the Ghost Town Trail in Indiana and Cambria Counties, the trail is now home to a wooden silhouette of Bigfoot that’s perfect for photo ops. Finally, the Bigfoot Outpost in Acme is a little shop where you can buy Bigfoot merch and, of course, talk Bigfoot.
Explore the remote woods of the national forest or the mountains of western Pennsylvania to see if you can find Bigfoot yourself.
Raystown Ray – Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County
Bigfoot isn’t the only cryptid about in Pennsylvania. Actually, there are many Pa. cryptids, from the crying squonk to the Clinton County Giwoggle. But one of our favorites—because it makes a beautiful and picturesque lake its home—is Raystown Ray, the monster of Raystown Lake. The central Pennsylvania lake is the largest lake in Pennsylvania, meaning, if real, Ray has quite a spacious home.
Indeed, sightings have been reported throughout the long and deep lake—enough that Raystown Ray has been afforded its own merch shop! You can visit the beautiful lake to swim in the warmer months or just admire the waters in the colder months. See if you can spot Ray—if not, at least you can enjoy the lake!
Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia
Over the years it operated as a prison, Eastern State Penitentiary saw thousands of prisoners walk through its doors. Their stories were never happy ones. Though the penitentiary was not meant to punish prisoners, and instead inspire penitence in them through solitude, that’s not what happened. Solitary confinement, rather than encourage remorse, simply caused many prisoners spiral mentally.
When the garish prison finally closed in 1971, it wasn’t long before the stories of hauntings became popular outside the cells. Today, Eastern State Penitentiary is a museum and one of the most popular Philadelphia tourist attractions. The museum curators have attempted to tell a story of mass incarceration and the consequences of confinement, and the place is worth a visit on these merits alone.
But there are also stories of paranormal happenings. Visitors report feeling uneasy and depressed in the prison—almost as if good feelings have been leeched from the air because of what happened there. Paranormal investigators have also visited the prison and said they heard voices and saw strange visions. The host of the Travel Channel’s “Portals to Hell” said the prison was “easily one of the most haunted places I’ve ever been.” You can visit the prison, too—the museum is open to the public most days.
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