Edgar Allen Poe Birthday Dinner Theater: Candlelit Readings & Game Pie in Gettysburg

On a cold January evening in downtown Gettysburg, the Farnsworth House Inn’s Main Dining Room becomes a stage for the eerie and erudite. Located at 401 Baltimore St in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Edgar Allen Poe Birthday Dinner Theater pairs candlelit readings with a hearty colonial-era supper, offering an experience that feels equal parts literary salon and haunted-house tour. For visitors who come to this town to walk the ridgelines of the 1863 battlefield, an evening here slides history into a different register—one of Gothic fiction, theatrical monologue, and savory game pie.

Doc Weitzel, the evening’s narrator, delivers dramatic readings of Poe’s most unsettling work with an actor’s timing and an archivist’s care, coaxing the dark humor and precise terror from each passage. Between readings, servers bring a house specialty: Game Pie—a layered blend of turkey, duck, and pheasant with mushrooms, bacon lardons, long grain and wild rice under a golden crust—paired with fresh garden salad, roll and butter, and a choice of apple or shoo-fly pie for dessert. Beverage and gratuity are additional. Seats are limited to thirty, which keeps the performance intimate and immediate.

The Farnsworth House Inn sits on a street addressed to Gettysburg’s history; its Main Dining Room retains period details that amplify the storytelling—worn floorboards, low-light fixtures, and an architecture that predates modern bustle. Audiences report occasional drafts and cold spots that add to the atmosphere without diminishing comfort. The program is compact—about two hours—making it an easy evening addition to a travel itinerary dominated by daytime tours of the battlefield and museums.

Why book it? It’s a rare night where literature, local lore, and local cuisine meet. Travelers who want an atmospheric counterpoint to Gettysburg’s daytime solemnity will find the mix of theatrical skill and culinary comfort memorable. It is especially suited to winter visitors: the short daylight, crisp air, and early nightfall amplify the dramatic readings.

Practical details: the event is held in the Farnsworth House Inn Main Dining Room, 401 Baltimore St, Gettysburg, PA 17325, with tickets priced as listed and seats limited. Bring a light layer against cool dining room drafts, arrive on time—late entry may not be allowed—and reserve ahead; performances sell out. Whether you’re a Poe fan, a history traveler looking for color at night, or simply someone who enjoys a well-staged meal, this dinner-theater offers a compact, memorable way to spend an evening in Gettysburg. The next performance on January 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM is priced at $45.95 per person; guests should reserve in advance through the Farnsworth House Inn reservation link. This compact, atmospheric evening makes a perfect single-night cultural stop while touring Gettysburg’s museums and monuments, or a standalone treat for readers who love dark fiction.