Hundreds of paranormal enthusiasts flocked to Gettysburg this past weekend as the world-famous “Annabelle” haunted doll made a rare public appearance. The event, part of the “Devils on the Run” national tour, was held July 11–13 at Gettysburg’s historic Soldiers’ National Orphanage Homestead, a 19th-century building that once served as a Civil War field hospital.
Stories of the doll’s curse inspired The Conjuring film franchise, though filmmakers changed Annabelle’s appearance to a more menacing-looking figurine. (The original doll, by contrast, is a faded rag doll in a childlike dress.)
Over 1,200 people attended the sold-out three-day exhibition, which was hosted by local tour group Ghostly Images of Gettysburg in partnership with the doll’s caretakers from the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR). The visitors, many traveling from out of state, lined up for a chance to see the notorious Raggedy Ann doll up close.
The successful weekend took a heartbreaking turn at its conclusion when event organizer Daniel Rivera, 54, died unexpectedly on Sunday night, just hours after the final Gettysburg session ended. According to Adams County dispatch records cited by local media, Rivera was found unresponsive in his Gettysburg hotel room on Sunday evening. Authorities have not yet determined an official cause of death, but no foul play is suspected.
“It’s with deep sadness that Tony, Wade, and I share the sudden passing of our close friend and partner, Dan Rivera,” said a statement from NESPR. “We are heartbroken and still processing this loss. Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal. His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him. Thank you for your support and kind thoughts during this difficult time.”
Local host Ghostly Images of Gettysburg paid tribute to Rivera, saying, “Dan was a great man and a good friend of ours. Our condolences go to Dan’s family. Dan will be missed by all who knew him.”
Annabelle’s stop in Gettysburg was part of a wider tour bringing the notorious doll to reputedly haunted locations nationwide. The Raggedy Ann doll’s dark legend dates back to the 1970s, when Ed and Lorraine Warren, renowned paranormal investigators, claimed it was “inhabited by an inhuman demonic spirit.” The Warrens kept Annabelle locked in a “blessed case” at their Occult Museum in Connecticut for decades.