Founded in 1866 to care for children who lost their fathers at Gettysburg, the orphanage gained notoriety under the harsh rule of matron Rosa Carmichael. Accused of cruelty, Carmichael reportedly confined children to a cellar “dungeon,” where they were shackled, beaten, and left in darkness. Today, ghost tours describe hearing the cries and laughter of children echoing through the basement, with visitors reporting tugging at their clothes and the feeling of small hands brushing against them. EVPs have captured plaintive voices calling for help, and shadowy figures are often seen at the windows after dark. The orphanage’s grim history and chilling activity make it one of Gettysburg’s most unsettling haunted sites.