Farnsworth House Inn — Hotel in Gettysburg

We very much enjoyed our stay in the Custer room at Farnsworth. The location to attractions and places to eat was great. The beer garden and tavern just steps were great places for a night cap and a just a few steps from our door. ||We heard no road or beer garden noise as it was warm and the air conditioner was running. It did rain one night and the noise of the rain on the air conditioner was incredibly loud and kept us up most of the night.||We had an issue finding parking. There were many cars parked in the designated area that did not have Farnsworth house tickets in their windows. Several times we had to locate other parking. || We had no idea you had to sign up for a specific breakfast time ahead of time. The statement on the website is vague: ||"Breakfast served from 8 am to 10:00 am to bed and breakfast guests daily from our special guest breakfast menu available upon check-in."|| When you arrive you need to select a breakfast time for the entire length of your visit, in 30 min increments: 8, 8.30, 9 etc. We didn't know this, so some of the earliest times were already booked.|| You arrive at breakfast with all the other guests who signed up for that time slot. There is a set menu for every guest..example..french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes. So even though everyone is getting the same exact thing, it appears they are only cooking one meal for one person at a time. ||we had to miss breakfast the first day because we didn't know we needed an appointment and had already booked a tour at 9 am. Glad we did not accept the 8.30 am breakfast because we would have missed our tour.||The second day, we were able to get an 8.30 am breakfast. We didn't get our food until 8:50 as guests from the 8 am booking were still being served. Coffee was gone until server had time to take pot back to refill. One server also means that if she gets into conversations with other guests, everyone else waits. We feel this is not the fault of the server, but of those who manage.||The third day we booked an 8 am breakfast. We were the first to arrive but the door was kept locked until 8 am sharp. We were the first to be served but didn't get our food until 8:25. We had to eat fast because we had booked a 9:15 tour..||The weekend we visited, they had one server to manage the entire room. There is only 1 airpot coffee dispenser, so when it ran out, it was some time before she could attend to that. Cards on tables also suggested guests tip the server.|| We would not have stayed here had we known the full scope of the breakfast situation...it really put a hamper on the start to our busy days. If you are booking early tours or like to get up and go out, this may not be the best option for you. Even with the earliest booking of 8 you may well be there for 30-40 minutes.||We could have avoided any dissatisfaction if the website was more descriptive of how they...

I came to Gettysburg with my husband for an anniversary trip, and we had the worst time at the Farnsworth. All of the staff we encountered had a bad attitude. We weren’t sure where check-in was, so we asked the guy at the restaurant in the courtyard, who just pointed towards the gift shop without speaking. Didn’t say anything after we said “thank you” either. The lady at the check-in desk was just as bad, she did speak to us, but was very condescending, visibly irritated, and had a tone with every response - When all I was doing was getting the key.

I accidentally booked a room in the courtyard, which was not specified on the listing (bummer, but ultimately my fault) and we were informed by another staff member that we couldn’t even go into the main house to look around. We wanted to book a tour of the house/attic (which I find it strange that this isn’t already included, but whatever) and there were none running. We paid for a tour of the cellar and the storyteller was very nice and informative, but I was still disappointed that we couldn’t go upstairs.

The room was nice, but no fridge or microwave - not major, but annoying since it’s standard with most other places. There were also no paranormal occurrences in the room during our stay, which isn’t their fault, but again annoying. Makes me question the authenticity of the “most haunted building in Gettysburg.” The only thing that left me feeling haunted was the mean staff and lack of amenities.

Scheduled breakfast at 10 the next morning, we were finishing packing our things as check out was at 11:00, so we went to the main house at 10:10 to the door being locked. I go over to the gift shop to see what the problem was, and the lady from check-in was on shift again. She went in to unlock the door for us, and we proceeded to be borderline reprimanded by her and the wait member for being late. Nobody told us that we had to be there on the dot. Had I known it would be a problem, we would’ve made it a point to be there at 10:00.

The whole experience was especially upsetting because I had wanted to stay at the Farnsworth since I was little, and it was horrible once I finally got the chance. Don’t meet your heroes; and don’t book a room here unless you want to be treated like a bother, being made to feel guilty for just being there.

Stayed at the Days Inn after that and I was immediately having a better time. It was cheaper, the staff were significantly nicer, we got a discount at the restaurant next door, there was a microwave, mini fridge, and coffee maker in the room, 24hr tea and coffee in the lobby, a pool, and we didn’t get scolded for being late to breakfast. Wish I would’ve just skipped the...

In this review, I'm specifically talking about the restaurant. This was my second time in Gettysburg and the first time we did not get to eat at the Farnsworth House. I generally choose my restaurants based on atmosphere rather than food offerings. I don't mind having a bad meal in a pretty or interesting restaurant. That was why I initially chose Farnsworth House. It is a historical building with small dining areas, antique furniture, and locally owned. Those are generally my requirements. Reservations are required. I was seated at my table, and it was already ready for me complete with a glass of water and bowl of pickled green beans. A small scroll sat in the midst of the table setting. "Is this my menu?" I asked. The hostess said it was. The beans were a great intro appetizer, though I also ordered the mussels which were in the appetizer menu. The order of mussels was enormous and delicious. Had I not been there for a full experience, I really could have stopped at the full plate of mussels and maybe one side dish. When it came time to order my food, I selected the sweet potato pudding and pumpkin fritters as sides rather than things I'm more familiar with like baked potatoes and garden salads. I can get those anywhere, after all. This did have the misfortune of skewing my meal towards carbs, but it also gave me a unique experience. I received two rolls--good but not amazing--and 'spoon bread' which was amazing. The rolls also came with homemade apple butter. I believe herein lies my only complaint about the restaurant, and it is, indeed, a minor one. There are, I know, reusable ramekins made from metal or ceramic. Instead, the apple butter and the dressings I saw served at other tables came in one-use plastic ramekins. I thought that unfitting for a restaurant of this quality, where dishes were served on custom crookery and metal trivets. My main dish was the game pie, a mix of pheasant, turkey, and chicken served in a metal baking dish and covered with a pastry crust. My taste buds came alive at its flavor. The pumpkin fritters were like semi-sweet donuts, and could have been a dessert item had they been covered in powdered sugar or frosting. The sweet potato pudding was simply the best whipped sweet potatoes I have ever had. The entire meal, from diffuse lighting, crafted cocktails, and every menu item I tried, was a culinary delight. 10/10 for atmosphere and...