Pennsylvania is famous for its history, but some of that history refuses to stay in the past. Across the state, historic taverns, breweries, and pubs have become gathering places for both the living and, according to local lore, the dead. From shadowy catacombs to centuries-old dining rooms, these establishments offer the perfect combination of good food, cold drinks, fascinating history, and ghost stories.
If you’re looking for a night out with a little more atmosphere, consider visiting some of Pennsylvania’s most haunted watering holes.
Bube’s Brewery
In Mount Joy, Bube’s Brewery offers more than craft beer and historic ambiance. This 19th-century brewery complex has fully embraced its reputation as one of Pennsylvania’s most spirited drinking establishments.
The property includes a hotel, restaurant, brewery, and underground catacombs that were once used for refrigeration. Those subterranean spaces are particularly popular with paranormal enthusiasts, with visitors and staff reporting shadowy figures and other unexplained activity.
One of the brewery’s most frequently discussed spirits is a woman in a long white gown. Local lore identifies her as Pauline Engle, the granddaughter of original owner Alois Bube. Pauline reportedly lived a secluded life in the hotel’s upper floors, and some believe her spirit remains there.
And Pauline isn’t supposedly the only ghost on the property. Visitors have also reported encountering the apparition of Alois Bube himself, as though the brewery’s founder continues to keep an eye on his old empire.
The Garden at City Tavern
Historic Philadelphia has no shortage of ghost stories, and The Garden at City Tavern is particularly intriguing. The original City Tavern was an important gathering place for Philadelphia’s wealthy and influential residents. The building eventually suffered severe damage in an 1834 fire and was demolished. A reconstructed version opened in 1976, reviving the historic tavern and, according to legend, some of its former occupants.
One particularly unsettling story involves a waiter who allegedly died in a duel in 1790. His spirit is said to return to the tavern still dressed for work, although there’s one horrifying detail: He’s reportedly covered in blood.
Another apparition is associated with the devastating 1834 fire. Legend tells of a bride-to-be who died in the blaze and may have accidentally started it herself. Her ghost is said to appear briefly before disappearing just as quickly.
Church Brew Works
What could be more unusual than drinking a locally brewed beer inside a former church? Church Brew Works occupies a former Catholic church in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. The dramatic building has been transformed into a brewery and restaurant, but according to staff and visitors, some of its former occupants may still be around.
At least two entities are commonly associated with the building. One is a woman in white who has reportedly been seen inside the brewery. Kitchen employees have also described encounters with a mischievous spirit that apparently enjoys interfering with their work. The reported activity doesn’t stop with apparitions. Guests and employees have described disembodied voices, unexplained footsteps, and objects apparently moving on their own.
Even if you don’t encounter anything paranormal, the setting alone makes Church Brew Works worth visiting. Few places combine religious architecture, industrial brewing, Pittsburgh history, and ghost stories quite so effectively.
Dobbin House Tavern
Dobbin House Tavern sits in the heart of Gettysburg, right down the road from the famed Brickhouse Inn. This town’s history is inseparable from America’s most devastating conflict. Built in 1776, the Dobbin House is Gettysburg’s oldest standing structure. Long before the Civil War, it witnessed generations of colonial life. Then, during the Civil War, the surrounding community became engulfed in the Battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath.
Given that history, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the building has acquired a reputation for paranormal activity. Stories connect the tavern with Revolutionary-era soldiers and colonial spirits, while the broader Gettysburg area is famous for reports of apparitions, unexplained sounds, and other strange encounters.
The tavern provides an especially atmospheric setting for exploring these stories. Its historic construction and candlelit ambiance can make an ordinary dinner feel like a journey into another century. And that’s part of what makes haunted taverns so compelling: You aren’t simply hearing a ghost story in an abstract setting. You’re sitting inside a place where generations of people actually lived, worked, celebrated, suffered, and died.
Raise a Glass to Pennsylvania’s Ghost Stories
Pennsylvania’s haunted breweries and taverns demonstrate that history doesn’t always need a museum display or battlefield marker. Sometimes it’s sitting at the bar. From the underground catacombs of Bube’s Brewery to the colonial atmosphere of City Tavern, the former church at Church Brew Works, and the centuries-old Dobbin House Tavern, these establishments offer a unique way to experience the state’s past.
So the next time you’re looking for a night out, skip the ordinary bar and find somewhere with a little history behind the bar. Perhaps you’ll find a few ghosts sitting alongside you.
