An 1860 railroad hotel turned Confederate receiving hospital that treated 70,000 soldiers — the museum now offers public paranormal investigations on select Friday nights
400 S Main St, Gordonsville, VA 22942
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Museum admission varies; paranormal tours priced separately. Call or see website for current rates.
Access
Limited Access
Three-story historic building; stairs required to access upper floors
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1860 · National Register of Historic Places (1973) · Gordonsville Receiving Hospital 1862-1865 · Freedman's Bureau Hospital · Journey Through Hallowed Ground
Benjamin F. Faulconer designed the Exchange Hotel in the Greek Revival style; it opened in 1860 as a passenger hotel at the crossing of the Virginia Central Railroad and the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. Gordonsville was a significant rail junction, and the hotel served as a comfortable stopping point for travelers moving through central Virginia.
In March 1862, as the Civil War's second year began, the Confederate Army converted the building into a field receiving hospital. Its position on the rail network made it a logical triage point for casualties from nearby engagements — Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and others. In the first year alone, the facility admitted more than 23,000 sick and wounded. Both Confederate and Union soldiers received treatment; 26 Union soldiers died at the facility during the war.
The hospital treated a total of more than 70,000 patients across four years of war. Approximately 700 soldiers died on the premises and were buried in the surrounding grounds, though documentation of exact burials is incomplete. Four confirmed suicides occurred among staff or patients during the hospital's operation, including two female nurses associated with the boarding houses on the grounds.
Following emancipation, the building operated as a Freedman's Bureau hospital, serving formerly enslaved people during the early Reconstruction period before transitioning back to commercial hotel operations. The building declined through the early twentieth century and was saved from demolition when Historic Gordonsville, Inc. acquired and restored it in 1971. The museum has operated continuously since then and now maintains an extensive collection of Civil War medical artifacts and personal effects.
Sources
The Exchange Hotel's paranormal record is longer and better-documented than most comparable Virginia sites. Staff began maintaining written accounts of incidents in 1989; by the mid-2010s the log had recorded roughly 80 separate events. A former staff member who worked the building for over a decade described hearing doors closing in locked sections and the sound of something heavy being dragged across floors — consistent occurrences in accounts from multiple periods.
Several distinct figures are described in staff and visitor accounts. A woman in period clothing associated with the summer kitchen — identified in accounts as Anna, a cook — is described moving between the kitchen and the main building. Her presence is described as benign; one account records that when asked what she was cooking, an EVP response answered 'fried chicken.' Three female visitors on one occasion held a 15-minute conversation with a gentleman seated on a hospital cot; staff confirmed after the fact that no other visitors were in the building at the time.
Black-clad nurses are repeatedly described by visitors climbing the stairs and moving between upper-floor rooms. A younger presence — described as a girl of about nine years old — has left barefoot tracks on wet floors, and an EVP recording from one investigation captured what investigators described as a child laughing and singing.
The museum formally incorporates its paranormal history into programming. Public ghost hunts are offered on select Friday nights and cover the main building, the summer kitchen, and the old train depot adjacent to the property. Private investigations for groups of up to eight are also available by booking.
Notable Entities
Self-guided tour of the three-floor restored hotel and hospital, with collections of Civil War medical instruments, uniforms, firearms, and personal effects. The museum covers the hospital's operations treating Confederate and Union soldiers, and its post-war Freedman's Bureau function.
Scheduled public ghost hunts run 7pm–11pm on select Friday nights, covering the main building, summer kitchen, and old train depot. Participants receive a historical briefing before the investigation. Reservations required; check the museum website for scheduled dates and ticket availability.
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