civil war ghost tours reviews

Civil War Ghosts By US Ghost Adventures

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Civil War Ghosts of Gettysburg Tour by US Ghost Adventures

The Historic Welty House Ghost Hunt by US Ghost Adventures

Ghosts of Gettysburg Ultimate Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Civil War Ghosts By US Ghost Adventures - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

The 11 Best Ghost Tours in Gettysburg (Updated for 2024)

If you want to spend the evening with the ghosts of Gettysburg, check out the list of the 11 best ghost tours in Gettysburg.

Whether you are looking for a Gettysburg ghost hunt or spending the evening learning about the history of the very haunted Gettysburg, there is a tour for you.

The ghost tours in Gettysburg are a good mix of history and the paranormal. Some tours have both, while others focus on mostly history with a bit of haunted history, while others are focused on ghosts with a bit of history.

There is a ghost tour in Gettysburg for you, whatever you are looking for.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please see my  Privacy Policy  for more information.

The 11 Best Ghost Tours in Gettysburg PA

Civil war ghosts of gettysburg tour.

Explore paranormal and historical stories about terror and mystery on one of the best ghost tours in Gettysburg with the Civil War Ghost of Gettysburg Tour .

The tour heads to the Brickhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast , where you will hear about the hauntings that occur from the battle that took place where the bed and breakfast now sits.

Other stops include the very haunted Arbor House Publishing. The site is located at the front lines of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the soldiers’ spirits who fought still remain on site. The tour also takes you to the Dobbin House Tavern, the oldest house in Gettysburg, built in 1776, has ghosts that linger in the hallways making their presence known to whoever visits the tavern.

The Civil War Ghosts Walking Tour has a lot of history, and you will hear the accounts of the many people who died in the war. The tour guides are fantastic, but I personally loved Justin and Clinton. They are engaging and knowledgeable, and they share photos and their own ghostly experiences.

Book the Extended Tour

Book the extended tour if you want more ghost stories and to use ghost hunting equipment like EVPs and dowsing rods.

If you are really into ghosts and want to spend the night, you can book a night at the Brickhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast. Then, spend the night with the spirits you just learned about on the tour!

Gettysburg is pretty busy, so it will be much louder in town if you go on the weekend. So please be sure to stand close to the guides to make sure you can hear the spooky stories.

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 25 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Book here: Civil War Ghost of Gettysburg Tour

Gettysburg: Ghost Hunt Tour with Ghost Hunting Equipment

Visit the most haunted locations in Gettysburg with the Gettysburg: Ghost Hunt Tour with Ghost Hunting Equipment .

The Gettysburg ghost hunt is a 50% ghost walk tour and 50% ghost hunt. It is the perfect tour for people who want to learn about battle history while trying to reach out to the ghosts who wander around Gettysburg.

Tour guide Marc is an amazing guide. He has a passion for the paranormal, which shows on this tour. He is a lot of fun and engaging while allowing you to explore as long as you want. You will use ghost-hunting gear and the guidance you need while exploring. For example, we heard disembodied voices that haunted the area.

The ghost-hunting part of the tour is located in a super spooky haunted place full of activity. It gets pretty dark and scary, so bring a flashlight with you! While many people get responses from spirits, and it might make you a believer, responses by ghosts are not guaranteed.

• There is a maximum of 22 guests on this tour.
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book up fast!

Book here: Gettysburg: Ghost Hunt Tour with Ghost Hunting Equipment

Haunts and History Family Ghost Walking Tour in Gettysburg

If you want a family-friendly ghost tour in Gettysburg, I suggest taking the Haunts and History Family Ghost Walking Tour . The guided tour takes you to the city’s most haunted locations, where you will hear past and current paranormal activity tales.

The tour is full of spooky history mixed with in-depth personal stories told by really great knowledgeable guides. Tour guide Kendra made the tour very interesting as she told us about the haunted past and horrific details of the battle in 1863 that turned Gettysburg into a mass graveyard.

One of the stories you will hear on the haunts and history tour is the history behind the bullet chips on the old sycamore trees near the Farnsworth house.

• There is a maximum of 22 guests on this tour
• This tour is perfect for families.

Book here:  Haunts and History Family Ghost Walking Tour in Gettysburg

Echoes of War All Ages Ghost Tour

If you are travelling with kids or are interested in an all-ages ghost tour in Gettysburg, I recommend the Echoes of War Ghost Tour . The tour takes you through the heart of downtown, where you will explore some of the most haunted sites in Gettysburg. You will hear the tales about the former citizens who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.

The places you will visit on the tour include the David Wills House, Gettysburg College, The Union Hotel and the incredibly spooky and haunted Farnsworth House Inn, home to 16 ghosts!

The tour guides are fantastic storytellers while interacting with everyone on the tour. The spooky tales will capture your attention and fully immerse you during the entire tour. I took this tour with Major Finn and Cedric; both were wonderful tour guides who knew the history of Gettysburg well.

• There is a maximum of 25 guests.
• This is a family-friendly, all-ages ghost tour.

Book here: Echoes of War Ghost Tour

Ghosts of Gettysburg Ultimate Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour

The Ghosts of Gettysburg Ultimate, Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour , is by far one of the best ghost tours in Gettysburg. Tour guide Eric is what really makes this tour so great! He is such a fantastic storyteller and knows how to keep you captivated by all of his Gettysburg knowledge and historical tales.

The walking tour is perfect for people who prefer historic stories over the over-the-top haunted stories often told on other tours. You will still love this tour if you are into the spookier side of Gettysburg’s history.

Visit places like the Dobbin House Tavern, once used as a hospital. Other locations include the site where Abraham Lincoln (Baberaham Lincoln? Sorry, I can’t NOT make that joke anytime he is mentioned) gave the Gettysburg Address.

Other places you will pass by and learn about include the 1863 Inn of Gettysburg, the Rupp House History Centre, the Gettysburg Hotel and many more locations.

• There is a maximum of 20 guests.

Book here: Ghosts of Gettysburg Ultimate Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour

After Dark Investigations – Evening Investigation

If you want nothing but a paranormal experience with a tiny bit of history, the Evening Investigation by After Dark Investigations is for you.

You will spend most of the evening using paranormal equipment, trying to reach out to the ghosts that roam the haunted locations of Gettysburg, including the very haunted Sachs Covered Bridge.

The evening investigation is by far one of the best ghost tours in Gettysburg, but it isn’t accessible as it is not a walking tour. You will need to have your own car for this investigation as you will follow the guides in a caravan.

They also have an evening investigation called Fright Nite for seasoned investigators and people who love working with equipment. It is the same length, but you will visit three locations.

The third location is a bonus site that has never been investigated on other tours. If you like the evening investigation, I recommend going on this tour next time!

• There is a maximum of 20 guests on this tour
• You need to have your own vehicle to go on this tour!

Book here:  After Dark Investigations – Evening Investigation

Gettysburg: Devil’s Hour Paranormal Investigation Tour

Have you ever wanted to go on a paranormal investigation and feel like the ghost hunters you see on TV or YouTube? Well, with the Gettysburg: Devil’s Hour Paranormal Investigation Tour , you will!

Not only is the tour group small, but you will also have an intimate experience investigating the ghosts that wander around Gettysburg. Plus, you will get to use all the paranormal equipment you’ve seen others use for years.

One of the things that makes this one of the best ghost tours in Gettysburg Pa is that every tour is unique to the group! If you want more guidance with speaking to the ghosts – the guides are there for you.

However, if you prefer to be left alone, the guides will give you enough space to talk and investigate the ghosts of Gettysburg that are right for you.

Most of the locations you will investigate are not the usual spots you will visit on other ghost tours around town. Plus, the tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable about each site, so you will feel like you know the complete history before reaching out to the ghosts that haunt the area.

Just to let you know, you will need to have your own vehicle to go to each location. So, don’t take this tour if you cannot get to each site on your own.

• There is a maximum of 10 guests on this tour

Book here:  Gettysburg: Devil’s Hour Paranormal Investigation Tour

Gettysburg: Beginner’s Evening Paranormal Investigation Tour

Have you always wanted to get into paranormal investigations but need help figuring out where to start? Then, the Beginner’s Evening Paranormal Investigation Tour is the tour for you!

The tour guides educate you about the haunted history of each location and resident ghosts and how to use all the paranormal investigation equipment needed. Equipment that you may get to use includes K2 Readers, EMF detectors, the Ovilus and more.

The tour guides are really fun and help make the tour creepy while being educated about the ghosts that haunt Gettysburg.

• This tour is perfect for beginners!

Book here:  Gettysburg: Beginner’s Evening Paranormal Investigation Tour

Gettysburg: Advanced Paranormal Investigation Tour

Are you looking for an advanced paranormal investigation tour in Gettysburg?

If you have gone on all of the ghost tours, learned how to use all of the standard ghost hunting equipment or have already been on paranormal investigations and want a tour that is a bit more advanced – take the Gettysburg: Advanced Paranormal Investigation Tour .

This tour takes you deeper into the paranormal world at three of Gettysburg’s most haunted locations. Some of the equipment you will use include K2 meters, the Ovilus and infrared cameras.

Just to let you know, you will need your own vehicle to go to each location. So, don’t take this tour if you cannot get to each location on your own.

This is my favourite tour and one of the best ghost tours in Gettysburg Pa.

Book here:  Gettysburg: Advanced Paranormal Investigation Tour

Mystery!: A Gettysburg Evening Walking Tour

Are you looking for a unique ghost tour in Gettysburg? With the Mystery! Gettysburg Evening Walking Tour , you will hear some of Gettysburg’s untold tales.

You may hear about secret meetings and strange things that happened to the burial grounds of former soldiers of Gettysburg. Other mysterious stories include unsolved crimes and bodies that have gone missing from local cemeteries.

• There is a maximum of 6 guests
• This tour runs on Saturdays only

Book here: Mystery!: A Gettysburg Evening Walking Tour

Gettysburg: Ghost-Themed Self-Guided Driving Tour

If you want a self-guided ghost tour, the Ghost-Themed Self-Guided Driving Tour is for you. The tour, which you will use via a mobile app, was developed by local guides and narrated by paranormal expert Mark Nesbitt .

The tour is valid forever, so you can go whenever and how often you want. But first, visit Gettysburg’s most haunted spots. This is one of the best Gettysburg ghost tours for people who wish to take their time at each location or don’t want to deal with ghost tour crowds.

The tour takes you to the Gettysburg Heritage Center, where you loop around the Gettysburg Battlefield. Then to Oak Ridge to hear about the Brigadier General who sent his men to death. The mobile app, which works offline, also includes animated videos where you can get into the spooky stories.

You will visit General Lee’s headquarters on Seminary Ridge, where you will hear about a soldier who was buried alive. Another location is the site where the ghost of John Reynold is often spotted.

The stories are well-narrated, and informative and draw you in. Other sites you will visit include Eisenhower Farm, where doors are slammed, and you can hear footsteps. Plus, other places I haven’t mentioned, including Devil’s Den.

If you are an introvert or want to take your time, this tour is the one I recommend!

•  Only one tour booking is required per group.
• The tour is self-guided, so it is just you and your friends!

Book here:  Gettysburg: Haunted Civil War Ghost Tour

The Best Ghost Tours in Gettysburg – Know Before You Go

While Gettysburg is super haunted, full of tons of history and one of the best cities in the US to visit if you love dark history – it is a bustling city.

Most of the haunted locations you will stop at during your ghost tour will be full of people taking other ghost tours, tourists and Gettysburg residents. Plus, many of the haunted sites are located next to a busy and loud road.

Be prepared to stand close to your guide to be able to hear all of the spooky tales, or go on a tour during the week as it will be less busy.

Even though the tours will be near noisy or busy places, they are worth it if you love ghost tours!

Some of the Gettysburg ghost tours I listed do require a vehicle of your own! I have made notes in the “What You Need to Know” tabs for these tours.

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Welcome to gettysburg's #1 rated ghost tour.

Walk alongside ghosts of the Civil War’s most decisive battle and join a Gettysburg ghost tour tonight to hear the gripping stories of its ghosts and hauntings.

Tread on hallowed ground where Civil War soldiers fell and the eerie presence of their lost souls persists to this very day. They want to be heard – will you listen?

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Choose Your Unique Gettysburg Experience

Tours are held daily, rain or shine, and year-round. Please see a list of available tours below to book your tour today, or for more information.

Civil War Ghosts of Gettysburg Tour

Walk alongside the ghosts of the Civil War tonight to hear the gripping stories of its ghosts and hauntings

Meeting Location All tours meet at 452 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA

Tour Duration 60 - 90 minutes

Availability Press "Book Now" for availability

Civil War Ghosts of Gettysburg Ultimate Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour

Tread on hallowed ground where Civil War soldiers fell and the eerie presence of their lost souls persists to this very day

Meeting Location See Confirmation Email

Tour Duration 90 - 120 minutes

Wonder Women of Gettysburg: Hidden Valor

Learn about the incredible women who played a behind-the-scenes role and became unsung heroines of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Meeting Location 301 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg PA

Gettysburg Battlefield Tour

Join this private battlefield tour, as an expert licensed battlefield guide will ride with you and cover the most integral parts of every iconic location of the Battle of Gettysburg, right on the national battlefield of Gettysburg.

Tour Duration 2 - 3 hours

Gettysburg Historic District Drink Tour

Join Us On A Leisurely Brew Tour Of The Town’s Most Distinguished Watering Holes

Tour Duration 2-2.5 hours

Gettysburg Brew Tour

Join Us For a Foodie’s Fiesta Touring Gettysburg’s Most Distinguished Watering Holes

Secrets of Gettysburg Tour

Explore the untold stories and little-known facts of this legendary small town on the Secrets of Gettysburg Tour.

Meeting Location Brickhouse Inn at 452 Baltimore Street

Tour Duration Approximately 1 hour

The Historic Welty House Ghost Hunt

Join us for a limited capacity (16 persons) ghost hunt in this newly opened area in Gettysburg, never before available to the public.

Meeting Location The ghost hunt meets in the yard behind the Brickhouse Inn and Welty House

Tour Duration Approximately 2 hours

Gettysburg Historic Downtown Food Tour

Join us for a tasty tour of four establishments through downtown Gettysburg, with farm fresh produce, nationally loved comfort foods, traditional pastries, and chocolates made by a top chocolatier.

Meeting Location Tours meet near the entrance of Sweet! The Candy Store, at 100 Baltimore St, Gettysburg, PA

Tour Duration Approximately 3 hours

THE EXPERIENCES YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT

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Welcome to Civil War Ghosts

Soldiers’ final resting place…or killing ground filled with restless souls.

The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle ever to take place on American soil and the tormented souls of its dead soldiers continue to haunt the town and Battlefield still nestled in the quiet landscape of southern Pennsylvania. The pain and agony of the spirits who died over the course of those three, unspeakable days of fighting was so intense that its echoes have never faded, despite the fact that the historic event took place over 150 years ago.

Almost 50,000 Union and Confederate soldiers, who fought under generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses E. Grant , drew their final dying breaths fighting for their lives and country, and many have never left, roaming the countryside and becoming the source of some of the most bone-chilling ghost sightings and hauntings of Gettysburg and the entire country.

Immerse yourself in the area’s tumultuous history and encounter the ghosts of the Civil War by walking the frightening and shadowy paths of Baltimore Street on a Gettysburg ghost tour. Experience firsthand the disturbing dark truths of this legendary town and visit some of the most historic and haunted buildings in the country while witnessing soldiers in blues or grays reliving some of the most terrifying moments of American History.

What Will I See and Do?

America’s most haunted battlefield surrounds the civil war’s most haunted buildings.

From the Farnsworth House Inn , that sheltered Confederate sharpshooters who were wrongly accused for the death of an innocent civilian and is now a popular bed and breakfast, to the heroic story and biography of Tillie Pierce , the tales of the infamous battle were written by those who lived through it.

Listen breathlessly on a nighttime ghost tour as the unsettling accounts are told by local experts and historians who will recount the exact details of how those tragic events unfolded and why they birthed all manner of unexplained ghostly activity that the town of Gettysburg is notoriously known for.

Visitors to the area frequently report seeing the bone-chilling apparitions of long-dead soldiers who once occupied places like the old Adams County Courthouse, where the shadow of a wounded fighter is spotted wandering the property, possibly searching for the rest of his regiment.

A Forsaken Town Plagued by Violence, Death, and Tragic Memories

The war left countless scars on the small Pennsylvania town, immortalizing its brutal legacy and ensuring Gettysburg would forever be a somber reminder of what remains of one of the country’s deadliest conflicts.

Proof that not all who lost their lives during the battle are truly at rest can still be seen and felt today at multiple haunted sites. See with your own eyes the bullet marks left by Confederate sharpshooters that are still visible on the side of the Welty House, where historians and locals say was the real origin of the single bullet that killed Jennie Wade, the only civilian casualty of the entire horrific battle.

Learn the horrifying details of her tragic death and hear the unbelievable stories of survivors like the Rupp family from the nearby Rupp House and Tannery, who hid across the street in the Welty House basement during the most terrifying hours of the battle.

Uncover the truth behind the headstones at Evergreen Cemetery that were damaged by crossfire during the war, where Lincoln himself paid tribute to the fallen soldiers with the Gettysburg address.  Even then, the hallowed and blood-soaked ground was already tied to souls of the dead and Gettysburg’s gruesome legacy of death and suffering has remained eerily visible ever since, with countless witnesses recounting the hauntings and sightings of the legendary battlefield.

Why is Gettysburg So Haunted?

Explore gettysburg’s violent past, victims, and present day hauntings.

Discover why Gettysburg is often at the top of the list of America’s most haunted cities by embarking on a Civil War Ghosts tour adventure, and experience firsthand the dark energy that hangs heavy over places like the Soldier’s National Cemetery and the nearby Evergreen Cemetery, a macabre resting place for those thousands of lost souls.

Visitors to the surrounding East Cemetery Hill have reported seeing the chilling figures of soldiers roaming the cemetery at night, who often appear in the form of mysterious, glowing lights that dim into shadowy figures and apparitions. Some witnesses even smell the inexplicable scent of peppermint and vanilla…which were once used by townspeople to mask the odor of decaying bodies during the war.

Journey back into the town’s somber history, and wander through the grassy knolls of what was already a place teeming with haunted history, long before Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address .

The Lost Souls of Gettysburg and the Real Ghosts of the Civil War

It’s difficult to imagine the grotesque scenes victims of the war must have seen, from the bloodied, dismembered soldiers, to the countless, lifeless bodies that littered the battlefield. Today, Gettysburg is oozing with grisly Civil War history, but the dark truths of this town go far beyond the reach of war. The Battle of Gettysburg left countless families torn apart, leaving hundreds of orphaned children trapped at the infamously sinister National Soldiers Orphanage Homestead.

These spirits — sometimes vengeful — have been active around the property for years. Few happy stories have come out of this haunted location, as the orphanage was run by matron Rosa Carmichael, whose sadistic tendencies tormented children for years.

Today, many claim that you can still hear the disembodied cries and groans of the orphanage’s former residents, with some even reporting that they have felt light tugs on their shirts or jackets…from the ghosts of long-dead children who might have met their grim demise at the home.

Join us to learn more about Gettysburg’s sordid past and the infamous spirits of these fatherless children, who still creep around the halls of the former orphanage today.

* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *

Preview The Most Haunted Locations In Gettysburg

The rupp house and tannery.

There’s no better house in the whole country to soak in the experience of what it was really like during the Civil War than the Rupp House and Tannery.

During the battle of Gettysburg, John Rupp hid in the cellar of his house as troops in one army occupied the front porch, and troops from the other army occupied the back. The Rupp House and Tannery remain standing as a house divided, where the spirits of a tumultuous time float in and out, sometimes materializing themselves to visitors.

The Farnsworth House Inn

Formerly known as the Sleepy Hollow Inn, the Farnsworth House is a bed and breakfast located in beautiful downtown Gettysburg.

During the Civil War, the Farnsworth House was re-purposed as a Confederate hospital. Overnight visitors claim to this day they have experienced the sensation of a midwife tucking them in at night, and the smell of cheroot, a plant with healing properties, wafting through their rooms.

The Jennie Wade House

The story of Jennie Wade is one of the most tragic stories of the war. The 20-year-old Wade was kneading bread in the kitchen of her house on Baltimore Street when a stray Confederate bullet pierced the door and shot right through her heart.

The site is now a museum, and both patrons and museum workers alike have reported chilling activity near the site where Jennie fell to her death. The original bloodstain never cleaned up, still marking the spot where it happened.

6 Reasons to Book the Gettysburg Ghost Tour Right Now!

1: you’re a history buff who wants to learn about a different, darker side of the civil war.

You know all the key players in the American Civil War, from Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant. You know exactly how and when the Battle of Gettysburg started, and how it ended. You’ve read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address time and time again. But to ignore the centuries-old sightings of the spirits and lost souls that occupy Gettysburg is to ignore an essential part of the region’s history.

Gettysburg and ghosts go hand-in-hand, meaning you don’t want to miss out on learning more about this crucial part of the town’s culture. Join us and feel for yourself the monumental loss of life at the Battle of Gettysburg, which can be seen in every nook and cranny of this historic down. Unbury what’s been buried and experience the dark truths of Gettysburg — beyond the history books.

2: You don’t believe in ghosts…yet.

If there’s one place that can make you a believer in ghosts, it’s Gettysburg. Just one look at the notoriously haunted Hall of Presidents will send a shiver down your spine, after you unveil the grim secrets of its hidden basement. But if the creepy wax figures and strange, disturbing energy don’t convince you, maybe the disembodied whispers of “mine” or the sight of a long-dead soldier who was once buried underneath the building will. The spirits of Gettysburg will be happy to convince you otherwise during a tour with Civil War Ghosts.

3: You and your friends want to go on a spooky adventure in an eerie town in the country

It doesn’t have to be Halloween for you to seek out haunting thrills and frights. If you and your friends are feeling brave, join us as we uncover the dark truths of this once war-torn city, and embark on a hair-raising adventure to sites such as the Farnsworth House, where bizarre, otherworldly phenomena has been reported by guests of the Inn for decades. Ditch the monotonous dinner outing or horror movie marathon for your next group activity, and look no further than this one-hour ghost tour for a terrifying trip around Gettysburg.

4: You want to experience a different type of experience on your vacation

Gettysburg is a hub for those fascinated by American history. But after you’ve paid a visit to the Gettysburg National Military Museum, hit the shops downtown, and indulged in the town’s excellent culinary scene, it’s time to switch up your typical vacation routine by joining Civil War Ghosts on a curated tour to some of Gettysburg’s most haunted destinations.

5:  You’re a local who’s been meaning to really dig deep and explore Gettysburg’s haunted history

You’ve heard the local legends for years: the sinister hauntings of the Farnsworth House, the unexplainable sightings of spirits roaming the corridors of the Gettysburg Municipal building. It’s time to finally cross a proper ghost tour of the city off your bucket list once and for all and experience firsthand the bone-chilling, otherworldly presences that reside in the historic region you call home.

6: You want to see the locations from your favorite ghost hunting shows in real life

EVP recorders, EMF gauges, and thermal cameras have all become a part of your everyday vernacular thanks to some of your favorite paranormal investigation shows. But don’t you want to experience some of these haunted sites in-person? Drop your TV remote and follow us to spooky locations like the Gettysburg Hotel, where you just might see an apparition of Union soldier James Culbertson lurking through the halls. You might think you know the stories behind these haunted spots, but be prepared to learn even more firsthand during a tour with Civil War Ghosts.

Further Reading

Trails & Tours

Plan Your Gettysburg Trip

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Civil War Ghosts & History Tours

844-757-5657 Online Only

Open Daily 10am-10pm

Join Civil War Ghosts on a nightly walking ghost tour to hear the gripping stories of the ghosts and hauntings of Gettysburg.  See where the civilians and soldiers fell, and where their eerie presence persists to this day. They want to be heard – will you listen?

Visit the many haunted downtown inns and buildings where the wounded took their last breaths in agony. Touch the traces of their sacrifice that remain and reach out from beyond in this small, haunted town that shaped the future of the United States.

Guests will explore the spooky and historic accounts of each of our carefully selected tour stops. Our ghost stories are intensely researched and 100% based on local history. We pride ourselves in hiring professional and courteous tour guides who are well trained and knowledgeable about local history. Appropriately spooky for all ages, our family friendly tour is a historic walk through the most haunted sites in the city for a night you won’t forget!

All tickets must be purchased in advance on our website  CivilWarGhosts.com

• Student Travel
• Handicap Accessible

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Check out our Inspiration Guide online or have us send you one. Have an immediate question? Call us at 1.800.337.5015

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Sharpsburg Civil War Ghost Tours

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

SHARPSBURG CIVIL WAR GHOST TOURS - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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Civil War Tour: This Hallowed Ground

Both Civil War tours are wonderful! We couldn't have done it by ourselves. Everything is perfectly planned. All you have to do is go and the days are always filled with great sites and amazing information.

– Teresa Holmes Taylor

This Hallowed Ground is one of our most memorable tours!  It gives you a panorama of the major events that began and ended the Civil War, starting with First Manassas, culminating with Gettysburg and breathing the air of finality at Appomattox.

The Civil War was the defining event in American history. It was an ordeal by fire that, according to the most recent historical estimates, cost the lives of as many as 750,000 American soldiers and left more than 300,000 wounded—casualties higher than all our other wars combined.

We study the military campaigns and strategy and delve into the causes as well as the people who were willing to sacrifice their lives and property for their country, whether north or south. Who were those soldiers whose hearts were, in the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, “touched by fire?” How were they trained? Until the turning point at Gettysburg, why did the Confederate officers and soldiers in the East often tactically outmaneuver, fight harder, and campaign better than the Union generals? And, finally, why did the North win?

Our professional historian will lead the group and conduct informal discussions throughout the tour. We can learn from, and be inspired by, the skill, the courage, and the endurance displayed by the generation that brought us through the Civil War. In addition to retracing battles we include education sessions to enhance our understanding of the war and people.

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• Manassas, Gettysburg, Appomattox:  This tour is a study of the causes behind the conflict and the major battles that began and ended the Civil War, starting with First Manassas, culminating with Gettysburg and closing with the surrender at Appomattox.
• Harpers Ferry:  We visit Harpers Ferry at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, where John Brown staged his infamous raid that failed to incite a slave rebellion.  He was captured and hanged there.  Stonewall Jackson later captured the town, arsenal and entire Union garrison as a prelude to the Antietam Campaign.
• Antietam:  Antietam was the site of the bloodiest day of war in American history when, on 17 September 1862, there were 23,000 casualties.
• Gettysburg:  At Gettysburg we study the three days that marked General Lee’s final attempt to score a major victory in the north.
• Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, Wilderness:  We tour the area of four major battles: Confederate victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville leading up to Gettysburg; then Spotsylvania and the Wilderness Campaign fighting to keep the Grant’s Union armies at bay.

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1 welcome reception.

Schedule your flight to the Washington Dulles International Airport. The group will meet at a nearby hotel where we will have a Welcome Reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

DAY 2 Manassas: Confederate Victories, Union Disarray

Our program begins with a visit to the battlefield at Manassas. Both the North and South thought that a war would be short. Union leaders believed their greater resources and manpower would prevail while the Confederates doubted northern resolve. The first battle of Manassas (Bull Run) on July 21, 1861, saw the proud but green Union Army facing the better-led Confederates who won a decisive victory. The Union Army retreated unpursued to Washington. Innocence and illusion were over for both sides. By the time of Second Manassas at the end of August 1862, both armies had gained combat experience, but the result was an even more significant Confederate victory.

DAY 3 Harpers Ferry, Antietam

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, Harpers Ferry is one of the loveliest places in the eastern U.S.

This was the scene of John Brown’s raid in October 1859— a desperate act that hastened the outbreak of war. Brown was hanged for treason on December 2, but the raid hardened radical sentiment for he was seen as a martyr in the North and a radical insurrectionist in the South.

The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with 23,100 men killed or wounded. Although neither side gained a decisive victory, Lee’s withdrawal and failure to carry the war effort effectively into the North caused Great Britain to postpone recognition of the Confederacy. It also allowed President Lincoln to compose and later issue the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring all slaves free in the states still in rebellion.

DAY 4 Gettysburg: Days One and Two

The Battle of Gettysburg, lasting three days, July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, was the bloodiest battle and the turning point of the Civil War. More than 50,000 Americans on both sides were casualties. Gettysburg was General Lee’s final attempt to carry the war north. Although nearly two years of fierce fighting still lay ahead, after Gettysburg the prospects of a Union victory changed from if to when. We will stand at Little Round Top, where the 20th Maine Regiment, led by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, repulsed several Confederate assaults and preserved the Union position at Cemetery Ridge. This action was described by author Michael Shaara in his epic narrative The Killer Angels .

DAY 5 Gettysburg: Pickett’s Charge, Lincoln’s Address, 
The Civilian Experience

Today we walk the field of Pickett’s Charge, perhaps the most famous attack in American history. As noted by historian James McPherson, “Pickett’s Charge represented the Confederate war effort in microcosm: unsurpassed valor, apparent initial success, and ultimate disaster.” Of the 14,000 Confederates who attacked, only about half returned.

Some four months after the battle, President Lincoln came to Gettysburg to deliver one of the greatest speeches in American history. We will visit Shriver House, a museum dedicated to the civilian experience during the struggle. Dinner will be at the Dobbin House, the oldest building in Gettysburg (1797) and a stopping point for escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad.

DAY 6 Fredericksburg–Richmond: The Heroism of Clara Barton–Chancellorsville

This morning we will return south to Virginia and visit Fredericksburg – a region of four major battles: Fredericksburg, December 1862; 
Chancellorsville, May 1863; 
The Wilderness, May 1864; 
Spotsylvania Court House, May 1864. Richmond— the soul, and Capital of the Confederacy—was the northern army’s main target. The direct route from Washington to Richmond passes through Fredericksburg. Clara Barton, later to found the American Red Cross, won fame and gratitude for her heroic nursing of the wounded on both sides. We visit Chatham Plantation, where the “holy angel” from Massachusetts worked at her makeshift “hospital.” Barton had already helped the wounded at Antietam and Second Manassas. Later, she would serve at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania and become supervisor of nurses for the Union Army of the James.

Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville were decisive Confederate victories. Wilderness and Spotsylvania were tremendous but tactically inconclusive battles in Grant’s 1864 Overland campaign. After visiting Fredericksburg, we’ll continue to Chancellorsville, where we analyze the battle, see where Stonewall Jackson received his mortal wounds, and discuss the aftermath.

DAY 7 Petersburg: The Confederacy and the Antebellum South

By the summer of 1864, the war in Virginia settled into a brutal siege around Richmond and nearby Petersburg that would last until the spring of 1865. We will visit the fascinating National Battlefield at Petersburg, the scene of the Battle of the Crater. After walking the ground over which the battle took place, we travel a short way to visit the memorable National Museum of the Civil War Soldier at Pamplin Historical Park. The Museum tells the story of the nearly 3,000,000 Americans — northerners and southerners, whites and blacks, immigrants and native-born — who fought in the Civil War. While at the Museum, we will explore Tudor Hall Plantation, which features a working kitchen and slave quarters that present a multi-media exhibit on antebellum slavery and plantation life.

DAY 8 Appomattox

The final campaign began at Petersburg. the longest siege in American history, June 1864—April 1865. The siege was a precursor of the trench warfare of the First World War fifty years later. Only the considerable skill, courage, and endurance of Lee’s army kept the Union forces out away from Richmond. But on April 2 the northern army broke through and cut off the Confederate supply lines from the South, forcing Lee to retreat to the west. Grant pursued relentlessly, and virtually surrounded Lee’s army and forced the surrender on April 9 at Appomattox Court House. The United States was reborn. After visiting Appomattox, we will return to our hotel for our farewell dinner.

DAY 9 Transfers to Airports

One morning transfer to Dulles Airport. Because Dulles is a two-hour drive from Richmond, you will not be at the Dulles airport until 10 a.m., so book your flight after Noon. There will only be one group transfer so if your flight is earlier than noon, your transfer will be on-your-own.

• May 11 - 19, 2024 - Waitlist Only!
• June 15 - 23, 2024 - Waitlist Only!
• September 14 - 22, 2024 Sold Out!
• October 5 - 13, 2024 Sold Out!
• May 10 - 18, 2025
• June 14 - 22, 2025
• September 13 - 21, 2025
• October 11 - 19, 2025

Recommended Reading

• Battle Cry of Freedom  by James M. McPherson
• Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote

Tour Includes

• Three- and four-star hotel accommodations for eight nights
• Breakfast and dinner each day
• Sightseeing: Harpers Ferry, Shriver House, Chatham Plantation, Pamplin Historical Park, Tudor Hall, National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, McLean home
• Travel between cities via deluxe, air-conditioned motorcoach with tour manager
• End-of-tour airport transfers to Richmond and Dulles Airports
• Hotel porterage, taxes and service fees

Activity Level

Although we do walk numerous battlefields, there is nothing that is overly taxing.

Photo Gallery

• James Arnold
• Mark Bielski, Ph.D., Director
• Gerald J. Prokopowicz, Ph.D.

TRIP COST $4,390

Prices are per person based on double occupancy. For a single room add $1,000.

Our Guests’ Reviews

There are 6 reviews for ' Civil War Tour: This Hallowed Ground '. Add your review

My original interest in this kind of tour comes from my nephews passion of the Civil War and we wanted to travel together at least once. Was interested in doing the Band of Brothers tour, which is how I knew that SAHT had these Civil War Tours. Because of the whole covid situation still lingering we decided to do The Hallowed Ground tour. We were not disappointed!!! Touring all the different sites, of where not only the battles happened but how the citizens on both sides of the conflict were entrenched in some of these battles was a point of view that I had not stop to long to wonder about. Gerry Prokopowicz’s knowledge, understanding & perspective of this time in our history was captivating, interesting as well as respectful toward the subject matter!!! Love how he was able to incorporate the human aspect of this important part of our history!!! His passion on the subject pours through, not only in his explanation of things but in his continued interest in still being in awe of new discoveries!!! Openness to questions & different points of views with a respectful way of explaining them was humbling!!! Connie Kennedy, our guardian angel, was equally as passionate in making sure that every person got to enjoy the tour to the degree in which we wanted to experience it!!! Her love of history & the joy it brings us comes through in her loving, caring & respectful way of making sure we are having the ultimate experience!!! Smiling every day & being of good humour was greatly appreciated!!! Hal our trusted good humoured transportation specialist didn’t only get us to places on time safely, he also was part of the tours ability to make us feel welcomed as well as taken care of in every aspect possible!!! These three individuals, along with the support staff of Jenni, Carmen, Terri & Cheryl, made it impossible not to have an eyeopening, educational & amazing tour!!!

As for the tour itself and the content of the tour, it was as exceptional as the wonderful people that guided us as well as those who were individually informative and passionate about the separate subject matters they taught us about!!! There is a tremendous amount of content packed into the tour but with a relaxed feeling of taking it all in!!! So much information as well as sights to see and so little time to see it all but it was done exceptionally well!!! Got to see and learn a lot with the time we had!!! Well laid out to take in the most of what there is to experience!!!

From my experience on this one tour with SAHT, I know that I will definitely tour with them again!!! If we are as well guided, taught and taken care of as I felt on this tour, it is a no brainer, I will take other tours with them in the future!!! The entire staff I had the privilege & honour to experience on this tour made it possible to enjoy it to the fullest with no misfortunes!!! Food & lodging were part of the experience that your staff made sure we were happy and always well taken care of!!!

My heartfelt gratitude & appreciation for Gerry, Connie, Hal, Jenni, Carmen, Terri & Cheryl for making this an experience of a lifetime!!!

With James Arnold as our historian, he brought life to the battles fought. The tour manager, Nick, and our driver Hal, were exceptional. All three gentlemen worked together to provide a wonderful experience. The accommodations were excellent and meals provided were great. It is an experience well worth the cost and certainly would do it again! (Bring comfortable walking shoes!)

This Hallowed Ground

If ever I could call a tour “perfect,” this would be it. Jack Mountcastle is not only a walking encyclopedia, but he’s funny and entertaining. The tour was especially meaningful to me since I was able to walk where my Civil War relative walked, and share from his journal. Savannah, our “fixer” and Hal, the driver, were wonderful. An added attraction was the happy group of like-minded tour participants. We all learned so much and left with our heads filled with facts, and our hearts filled with new friendships.

This Hallowed Ground Tour

I took the Hallowed Ground Tour in May 2018 and have time to reflect on this marvelous experience. I read and watched quite a bit before the tour, but there is no substitute for visiting the sites where history was made. My highlights were standing on Little Round Top, walking Pickett’s charge, and seeing the Union river crossing site at Fredericksburg. My personal favorite was the Minnesota memorial at Gettysburg where the 1st Volunteer regiment held the Union line with an 82% casualty count on the 2nd day. Gerry P our historian was excellent in addition to his hidden musical talents. Matt B our guide was excellent as well. If you want to understand how our nation became one from many, this tour is for you.

It was fantastic!

Where do I begin? I just got back from This Hallowed Ground Civil War Tour. It was not just great, it was fantastic! I learned so much from an expert authority on the Civil War, Jack Mountcastle. His wealth of knowledge and understanding of what happened was far beyond my expectation. I am still thinking of all that we saw and heard as I go about my day. Special moments will live in my memory forever. Thank you for providing this type of experience to me. It was well organized with all of our needs taken care of.

Happy traveling…….

I'll remember this trip for years

I could not let a day go by without following up on our tour.

The planning of the tour was over the top. The battlefields that were chosen and why they were an important part of the war, the places we stayed were wonderful and who could complain about the food! Not only was it good but in several of the establishments, there was more history. It was obvious that a lot of thought and planning went into this adventure.

All of the above though would be a mute point if not for your staff. General Mountcastle was excellent. On our trip it was obvious that many had done their homework as they asked very pointed questions. Jack not only had the answers but could follow up with more information. He was able to put us right there with the feel and thought of the day. Keith Buchanan was right there as well. No one had to worry about wandering off or being left behind. You knew he was there for you and in control of our environment. He made sure everything flowed as expected. Hal was also an integral part of the adventure. The bus was clean, cool and on time. I also thought how appropriate that even though he had been on this trip before, you would see him many times out walking the field, listening to Jack and wandering the museums. It is obvious that more information can be gleaned all the time.

I will be remembering this trip for years to come and sharing my experience about your tour and team. We have several friends on the East Coast and I have made copies of my material and will be sending it as an inspiration to take the trip! Please share with your staff, including Terri and the others that I may have spoken with over the phone how much they are appreciated.

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Civil War ditches present politics in favor of gripping action and emotion

Ex Machina director Alex Garland wanted to tell a timeless human story, not an agenda-driven, partisan one

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A version of this review ran in March 2024 in conjunction with the movie’s original coverage embargo. It has been updated and republished for the theatrical release.

In an era of divisive, high-stakes U.S. politics, it isn’t surprising to see so many people online responding to the entire concept of Alex Garland’s Civil War as if it’s inherently toxic. Set on and around the front lines of a near-future America broken into separatist factions, Garland’s latest (after the fairly baffling fable-esque Men ) looks like a timely but opportunistic provocation, a movie that can’t help but feel either exploitative or far too close to home in a country whose name, the United States, sounds more ironic and laughable with every passing year.

And yet Garland says that America’s present widespread divisions aren’t really what Civil War is about . The movie is about as apolitical as a story set during a modern American civil war can be. It’s a character piece with a lot more to say about the state of modern journalism and the people behind it than about the state of the nation.

It’s almost perverse how little Civil War reveals about the sides in its central conflict, or the causes or crises that led to war. (Viewers who show up expecting an action movie that confirms their own political biases and demonizes their opponents are going to leave especially confused about what they just watched.) This isn’t a story about the causes or strategies of post-united America: It’s a personal story about the hows and whys of war journalism — and how the field changes for someone covering a war in their homeland, instead of on foreign turf.

Lee Miller (Kirsten Dunst) is a veteran war photographer, a celebrated, awarded, deeply jaded woman who’s made a career out of pretending to be bulletproof in arenas where the bullets are flying — or at least being bulletproof long enough to capture memorable, telling images of what bullets do to other people’s bodies and psyches. Her latest assignment: She and her longtime work partner Joel (Wagner Moura) have been promised an interview with the president (Nick Offerman), who is now in his third term in office and coming off more than a year of public silence.

It’s a dream opportunity for a war correspondent — a chance to make history, and maybe more importantly, to make sense of the man whose choices seem to have been key in pushing the country over the line and into war. But securing the interview will require traveling more than 800 miles to Washington DC, through active war zones, and past hostile barricades erected by state militias or other heavily armed local forces. Tagging along on this potentially lethal road trip is Jessie ( Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny), a green but ambitious 23-year-old photographer who Lee obviously thinks is likely to get herself killed along the way — or get the whole traveling party killed.

The tension between Lee and Jessie forms the center of Civil War , far more than the tension between any particular political perspectives does. They’re potential mentor and her potential replacement, the past and future of their chosen career, allies but competitors, chasing the same things within a small profession known equally for its rivalries and its interpublication commiseration. That gives the film plenty of low-key, sublimated tension, which gets more air than the actual country-wide conflict the two women are navigating. For all that the movie is coming in a time when pundits keep warning about the potential for an actual new American civil war , Garland’s Civil War barely tips its hand about the specifics of the conflicts.

There’s plenty there for viewers who want to read between the lines, about which states are in revolt (California, Texas, and Florida all get passing mentions as separatist states) and about the soldiers — mostly Southern and many rural — who get significant screen time. (Jesse Plemons surfaces as yet another in his long line of terrifying men with clear potential for violence, and a dangerously blank affect that keeps people from knowing when that violence is coming.) But Lee’s angry exhaustion and Jessie’s fear and excitement over learning more about the profession from someone she respects are the real heart of the story.

All of which makes Civil War a movie more about why war correspondents are drawn to the profession than about any particular perspective on present American politics. And it’s a terrific, immersive meditation on war journalism. Lee and her colleagues are presented as half thrill-seeker adrenaline monkeys, half dutiful documentarians determined to bring back a record of events that other people aren’t recording. They’re doing important work, the movie suggests, but they have to be more than a little reckless both to choose the profession and to return to the battlefield over and over.

Lee never gives any big speeches about the difference between covering war in Afghanistan and in Charlottesville, but it’s clear she’s fraying under the pressure of watching her own country in such a rattled and ragged state, with hardened soldiers on both sides demonizing other Americans the way Americans have demonized entire foreign nations. Jessie, for her part, seems impervious to the weight of that reality, but still far less inured to cruelty and to combat. The two women push powerfully at each other, with a clear, beautifully drawn, yet unspoken sense that when Lee looks at Jessie, she sees her own younger, dumber, softer self, and when Jessie looks at Lee, she sees her own future as a famous, capable, confident journalist.

All of this character work is built into a series of intense, immersive action sequences, as Lee’s group repeatedly risks death, trying to negotiate their way across battle lines or embed themselves with soldiers during pitched combat. The finale sequence, a run-and-gun combat through city streets and tight building interiors, is a gripping thrill ride that Garland directs with the immediacy of a war documentary.

The entire film is paced and planned with that dynamic involved. It’s a particularly gorgeous drama, shot with a loving warmth that reflects its point of view, through the eyes of two photographers used to conceiving of everything around them in terms of vivid, compelling images. A late-film sequence shot as the group drives through a forest fire is especially beautiful, but the movie in general seems designed to impress viewers on a visual level. By mid-film, it becomes clear that Lee shoots with a digital camera, while Jessie shoots on old-school film, and that for both of them, that choice is important and symbolic.

In the same way, Garland’s shot choices and the movie’s vivid color keep reminding the audience that this is a movie about not just documenting moments, but capturing them well enough to mesmerize an audience. In some ways, Civil War comes across as nostalgic for an earlier era of journalism and photography. The collapse of the internet seems to have reset the news to a point where print journalism dominates over TV or social media, and no one seems to be getting their news online. It’s the most prominent retro aspect of a story that’s otherwise reflecting a potential future.

What the movie isn’t about is taking sides in any particular present political conflict. That may surprise and disappoint the people drawn to Civil War because they think they know what it’s about. But it’s also a relief. It’s hard for message movies about present politics to not turn into clumsy polemics. It’s hard for any document of history to accurately document it as it’s happening. That’s the job of journalists like Jessie and Lee — people willing to risk their lives to bring back reports from places most people wouldn’t dare go.

And while it does feel opportunistic to frame their story specifically within a new American civil war — whether a given viewer sees that narrative choice as timely and edgy, or cynical attention-grabbing — the setting still feels far less important than the vivid, emotional, richly complicated drama around two people, a veteran and a newbie, each pursuing the same dangerous job in their own unique way. Civil War seems like the kind of movie people will mostly talk about for all the wrong reasons, and without seeing it first. It isn’t what those people will think it is. It’s something better, more timely, and more thrilling — a thoroughly engaging war drama that’s more about people than about politics.

Civil War debuts in theaters on April 12.

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COLUMN: Exploring life during wartime in A24’s ‘Civil War’

Does the “anti-war” film really exist? According to François Truffaut , one of the pioneers of the French New Wave, the answer is no. Onscreen violence is invariably exciting to the viewer when it is presented as narrative conflict. Steven Spielberg, director of “Saving Private Ryan,” believes otherwise : “Of course, every war movie, good or bad, is an anti-war movie.” So maybe the film’s depiction of war violence is inherently oppositional; it’ll unsettle the viewer no matter the intention behind it.  

This is a debate “Civil War” director Alex Garland seems entirely uninterested in contributing to. Despite the blunt title and dystopian, near-future setting, Garland’s vision of a divided America focuses largely on the individual — in this case, a group of photojournalists with an ethical obligation to capture the decline of American civilization through their lens.  

Structured like an apocalyptic road movie, the film tracks Lee (Kirsten Dunst), a seasoned industry veteran, Joel (Wagner Moura), Lee’s partner and Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a young photographer whom Lee begrudgingly takes under her wing, as they travel to Washington D.C. to interview the president before he’s killed by the rebel Texas-California alliance (referred to in the film as the Western Forces). Along the way, they stop to photograph various small-scale conflicts including a sniper stand-off at a remote farmhouse and a militia’s charge against a group of loyalists.   

For the most part, the fighters react to the journalists’ presence with indifference. But, in the most unnerving scene — an important distinction for a film that rarely lets the viewer catch their breath — an assault rifle-toting insurgent (Jesse Plemons) questions them, asking “What kind of American, are you?” Sporting cheap red sunglasses and chilling apathy, Plemons’ executioner isn’t a big bad military man; he’s a seemingly normal guy who’s using the war to realize his own idea of a new America.  

Garland’s emphasis on the individual is exemplified by his stubbornness to not reveal the origins or reasoning behind the war. The political framing of the conflict is neutral and, from the journalists’ perspective, unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Understanding the civilian’s response means understanding the war more intimately.  

The nature of the conflict is ambiguous, but the violence is not. Although Jessie is noticeably shaken at first, the journalists react to the brutal bloodshed with unflinching professionalism. These moments are horrifying because they’re presented so casually. In Garland’s America, the natural world’s sounds have been replaced by the echo of distant gunfire. When Lee, Joel and Jessie reach the White House, the cacophony of chaos becomes overwhelming. Gunfire hasn’t been this soul-piercing since Michael Mann’s “Heat” in 1995.  

With decaying buildings, overgrown greenery and lifeless bodies littered in the street, “Civil War” looks more like an early episode of “The Walking Dead” than a big budget war movie, but an eerie layer of familiarity remains. The nice New York City hotel that acts as a hub for journalists like Lee and Joel is fully functional despite riots outside. Rebels wear Hawaiian shirts as they sneak up on a wounded soldier. A sniper sports a neon green buzz cut and painted nails. The inhabitants of a small town in the middle of nowhere ignore the war and go about their lives like nothing’s wrong. These traces of normality aren’t as provocative as they are helpful in pinpointing the ethos of Garland’s America.  

“Civil War” is ultimately a film about coping with ethical, moral and personal responsibility. Lee and Jessie go to dangerous lengths to get the money shot, but we never actually see how their photos impact the public. Lee understands the weight of this burden, but Jessie becomes intoxicated by the chase. If violence is inherently exciting, then the camera is the ultimate weapon — a loaded gun with the ability to immortalize even the ugliest truths.  

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Civil War — Movie Review

I f the concept of director Alex Garland’s  Civil War  is taken on a surface level, it is easy to say that releasing a film like it during an election year is provocative, to say the least. However, after watching the movie, it’s clear that Civil War operates as a warning, free of blame or politics. But while the heavy tones are evident throughout the film’s runtime, does it make for great cinema? The results are mixed.

Civil War is a technical tour de force. Every camera shot is meticulously crafted and purposeful, creating a feast for the eyes. Every gunshot, every military jet flyby, rattles the viewer. On a technical level, cinematography, sound design, general direction, Civil War sings. All of those elements easily put the audience in the unsettling headspace of our protagonists.

Those protagonists, Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, all portray their characters with a subtle nuance that augments the dread induced by Civil War’s subject matter. Dunst’s world-weariness, Moura’s wide-eyed embrace of the conflict’s violence, Spaeny’s innocence, and Henderson’s wisened veteran all help to create a world that audiences can feel. However, this may lead to the best and worst parts of the film.

Civil War is a dour, depressing drag of a film. Truly the feel-bad movie of the year so far, there is shockingly little levity here. This is a war film. The difference between Civil War and, let’s say, Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk is that in those films, audiences could get behind a side. We knew — these were our heroes. These were the villains. That kind of backstory and development is not offered in this film.

Do not look for background or reason in Civil War. Indeed, this is not a “why” or “how” movie. The movie doesn’t explain sides, how we got to this point, the geographics of the war, or even which side stands for what. There’s not even a vague explanation of the timeline. It’s not clear how long the war has been going. We’re dropped into Civil War in progress, like cinematic paratroopers on the battlefront. 

In Civil War, it seems the message is — there is no good side. Everyone is bad in their own way. It’s a commentary that, while thought-provoking, does not make for the most engaging cinema. Perhaps Mary Poppins was right, and a spoonful of sugar would have helped this medicine go down. However, what Civil War offers is a bitter pill, and although a technical marvel, it can be hard to swallow as a result.

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7 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week

Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or an avid buff, our reviewers think these films are worth knowing about even if you’re not planning to see them.

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By The New York Times

Critic’s Pick

A hot-button movie people are arguing over.

‘Civil War’

Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is set in a near-future when the United States is at war with itself and something called the Western Forces, made up of Texas and California, is fighting the federal government.

From our review:

It’s mourning again in America, and it’s mesmerizingly, horribly gripping. Filled with bullets, consuming fires and terrific actors like Kirsten Dunst running for cover, the movie is a what-if nightmare stoked by memories of Jan. 6. As in what if the visions of some rioters had been realized, what if the nation was again broken by Civil War, what if the democratic experiment called America had come undone? If that sounds harrowing, you’re right.

In theaters. Read the full review .

The rare reboot that gets it right.

‘don’t tell mom the babysitter’s dead’.

After the babysitter hired to watch them for the summer keels over, a 17-year-old slacker named Tanya (Simone Joy Jones) is forced to support her even lazier younger siblings.

Don’t tell helicopter parents, but the gleefully transgressive flicks that entertained a generation of latchkey wildlings are coming back in style. Wade Allain-Marcus’s rollicking update of the 1991 cult favorite keeps the plot … and amps up the immoral humor. It’s a snappy, gutsy comedy about how kids are spoiled and ignorant, and yet the adult workplace is only passingly more mature.

A deceptive horror film where the good guys aren’t so good.

‘in flames’.

In Pakistan, 20-something Mariam, her widowed mother, Fariha, and her younger brother are struggling when Uncle Nasir suddenly becomes very interested in the relatives he had been neglecting.

As the women scramble to save their home, the walls close in on them, and that’s the point: “In Flames,” a confident feature debut written and directed by Zarrar Kahn, is one of several recent films from around the world that frame patriarchy as a nightmare. … When the film finally gives way to full horror, the pace picks up, and we see what the movie’s been doing all along.

Time travel courtesy of a few bops.

‘the greatest hits’.

Since her boyfriend died in a tragic accident, any song Harriet (Lucy Boynton) hears attached to memories of him catapults her, quite literally, back to the moment in their relationship when that song was playing.

“The Greatest Hits” proceeds slowly and repetitively, which doesn’t have to be a problem: The gentleness of the pace and storytelling gives the cast space to breathe and react to each other, to build relationships that feel reasonably authentic. Similarly, the music choices (which are all over the map both in genre and era) are fun and fresh, lacking the on-the-nose quality that a film with more bang-on choices might have provoked. But as it goes on, the movie begins to feel mired in its own high-concept conceit without space to develop it further.

Watch on Hulu. Read the full review .

A movie about sasquatches. Either you’re in or you’re not.

‘sasquatch sunset’.

This tale of sasquatches follows a pack of four of the creatures through a wordless year of mating, childbirth, death and discovery.

A sincere gift to Bigfoot believers or a surreal cinematic prank, “Sasquatch Sunset” mimes the familiar beats of the nature documentary. This may be a one-joke movie, but it’s an oddly endearing jest, the beasts’ resemblance to primates tweaking our empathy.

Like ‘A Quiet Place,’ only not as good.

On a remote farm, Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his teenage sons scavenge during the day; at night they’re besieged by feral beasts, who may be the mutated victims of an epidemic.

From the review:

The director [Benjamin Brewer] builds tension in brief pockets of silence, and when we do see the monsters, they look quite good — sticky and spindly in a tactile way, like the aliens in John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” But a competent director can do only so much with a poor script, and “Arcadian” is littered with shortcuts and screenwriting clichés.

Tutu-wearing street kids meet the ghosts of old wounds.

This trippy ensemble drama set in Kinshasa explores Congolese society through magical realism and four loosely connected stories.

To say “Omen” is ambitious feels like an understatement. The film begins with a mystical interlude in which a woman pours her breast milk into a river, and sustains this vivid symbolism throughout, making details with natural explanations (a birthmark, a seizure) take on an otherworldly heft. In its best moments, a quiet element of absurdity grounds the spectacle.

An earlier version of this article misidentified an organization in the Civil War in the movie. It is the Western Forces, not the Western Front.

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Even before his new film “Civil War” was released, the writer-director Alex Garland faced controversy over his vision of a divided America  with Texas and California as allies.

Theda Hammel’s directorial debut, “Stress Positions,” a comedy about millennials weathering the early days of the pandemic , will ask audiences to return to a time that many people would rather forget.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

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