We’ve revealed that the ultimate destination of our Road Warrior Trip was Niagara Falls, but our first stop was the Gettysburg National Battlefield. This place is HUGE, so I thought I’d share what you need to know when visiting Gettysburg National Military Park and Battlefield.Â
It is the site of the deadliest battle in the Civil War (estimates go up to 51,000 soldier casualties). It is where Lincoln chose to deliver his famous Gettysburg address on the heels of war. Gettysburg National Military Park and Battlefield is a unique partnership between the National Park Service and privately held ownership. It is a place that is an integral, infamous, and famous part of American history.
In short: Gettysburg National Military Park and Battlefield are worth seeing.
We’ve been to the Appomattox National Historic Site, the place where the war actually ended. But Gettysburg has been scaled up for tourists, been the beneficiary of thousands of dollars of investments, and is a much larger production. While the Civil War was surrendered in Appomattox, Gettysburg is the behemoth of Civil War history and storytelling today.
Due to the death and drama, Gettysburg began to serve as a memorial ground almost immediately after the battle. So many lives were lost at the Battle of Gettysburg, so much of the action recorded and witnessed, that we haven’t really lost what transpired. It is easier, in other words, as humans to comprehend the enormity of what the Civil War was here at Gettysburg than at the place of a peaceful, small surrender. At Gettysburg, the loss and the sacrifice are palpable even centuries later.
Additionally, historians claim this is where the war was decided. While many battles made the war, this battle DECIDED the war. Once the Union troops won at Gettysburg, it paved the way for them to secure victory in the war.
Want behind-the-scenes articles on our Road Warrior Trip?
Subscribe for the Monthly Newsletter with unique content!
At Gettysburg, the battlefield is maintained by the National Park Service. Yet the Visitors Center is owned and operated by the Gettysburg Foundation.
This means that the Visitors Center (and related activities therein) is expensive and not covered by the National Parks Pass. But it is also updated and a very pleasant experience. There are plenty of ways to engage with history.
What to do at Gettysburg National Battlefield:
Table of Contents
Overall tips on visiting Gettysburg National Battlefield.
This area is all about the battlefield and the battle. There isn’t much to do outside of soak in the history and tour the field. So be prepared.
You will want backpacks, bug spray, snacks, sunscreen, and water bottles. You will not be able to bring those into the Visitors Center, but as you either walk, bike, or drive around the massive grounds, these will come in handy.
To reiterate: your Parks Pass will not gain you entry to the Visitors Center here as it is privately owned. There is no fee to visit the battlefields.
The entire Military Park is over 6,000 acres. So it helps to have a plan of attack (see what I did there?) before going.
Visit the Museum, Cyclorama, and Visitors Center.
There are many interactive and informative exhibits inside the Visitors Center.
There is a movie presentation, a cyclorama, and a Civil War Museum. As of the date of this article, tickets to all three exhibits are almost $21 per adult and $16 for kids ages 6-12. You can buy each experience individually, but we did the package deal and were glad we did.
There are also guided bus tours to purchase as well as occasional free events and presentations that happen around the grounds.
The Cyclorama was our favorite part. Created in the 1800’s, this is a very large painting that depicts the Battle of Gettysburg (again, note how the importance of the battle here was realized and captured very early on). The painting is presented in the round – meaning it surrounds you. This gives it a three-dimensional feel.
The painting is detailed and vibrant. The colors are astounding. There was so much to look at. While visitors stand in the center, a narrator talks through the battle’s three-day progression, and different areas of the painting light up.
The Civil War Museum inside the Visitors Center is HUGE. I felt completely overwhelmed by this. The museum isn’t trying to capture only the Battle of Gettysburg, but much of the history of the entire war.
If military history really attracts you, you will be in heaven in this museum. Just give yourself plenty of time to enjoy it.
Starting at the Visitors Center and doing all three exhibits was important for our understanding of Gettysburg. As you may imagine, all three experiences presented the same information (the way the battle progressed, the military formations, important details, and pertinent facts) but in different ways. This meant that by the time we started to explore where the battle happened, we had very good context for where we were. I found this key to making our visit here successful.
More Spots on our Road Warrior Trip Include:
Walk the battlefield, up to The Angle.
We elected to walk while at Gettysburg. While we were prepared to rent bikes, we quickly realized that the place we most wanted to see – the Angle – was a very quick walk from the Visitors Center. The path was lovely, with wildflowers all around, and we enjoyed going by foot.
This really is a beautiful part of America. There are miles of views of rolling hills and green fields. It is dissonant to think of the tragedy that occurred against such stunning vistas. There are leafed-out, old knobby trees that were there when the battle happened. Tragedy and trauma aside, Gettysburg National Military Park is simply pretty.
The Angle is the furthest Confederate troops penetrated the Union line. And it is here you can see just how close the battle was – it is here you realize how this war could have easily gone the other way. It was sobering to stand there and imagine a completely different, and unknowable, path for our nation.
Enjoy a Ranger Program.
Our kids are at the ages where longer tours with historical depth are available to them and, even, enjoyable! Gettysburg offers daily Ranger Programs during peak visitation season.Â
Programs vary in topic and last anywhere from 50 minutes to two hours.
Rent bikes or ride a horse.
As mentioned, the Gettysburg National Military Park is huge. It would be very hard, and likely not enjoyable, to walk the entire thing!
If you want to get to as much of the battlefield as possible but the auto tour doesn’t appeal, consider bikes or horses.
You can purchase guided tours of either transportation method at Gettysburg, or you can rent bikes for the day.
Note some areas of the battlefield, particularly the places we wanted to see, were closed to bikes and horses. You would have to park your bike and walk apace. But, overall, it would be a fun way to explore the vast expanse of Pennsylvania landscape.
Drive the car tour.
From what I can tell, most of the 1,000,000+ yearly visitors see Gettysburg via car.
Truthfully, this isn’t our preferred way of touring (especially after having spent hours in the car to even get there). But there are ways to make an auto tour productive and enjoyable. It does, after all, get you out of the heat and sun! And you get to see more of the battlefield than you may be able to see on foot.
There are apps you can download and a map you can pick up at the Visitors Center.
Note that because this is popular there will be traffic around the loop and a wait at some of the sites. So be patient and enjoy the ride.
If are you driving and can cover more space, consider a stop at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. This is where the revered and history-altering Gettysburg address was delivered.
Visit the buildings.
There are a few historic buildings on the grounds of Gettysburg, but not all of them are available for touring.
The largest and best option if you’d like to visit a historic home is Eisenhower’s place. Adjacent to Gettysburg, President Dwight D. Eisenhower maintained a farmhouse for weekend retreats. The house is available to tour at select times.
Where to camp near Gettysburg National Miliary Park and Battlefield
Since we were on our Road Warrior Trip, we were pulling Shirley Jean behind us. We knew we’d be camping and opted for Caledonia State Park.
We tend, as a general rule, to prefer state and national park sites as places to camp. We find they have more privacy, space, and room to set up.
This was not necessarily the case with Caledonia State Park. The sites were not very large and it seemed as though a recent tree blight had forced the park to remove many of the trees that would have made this feel wooded and secluded.
But it was still well-maintained, the bath houses clean, and the location to Gettysburg National Military Park was convenient.
When our Road Warrior Trip was completely over and our pop-up camper stowed back in our garage, we spent time reminiscing about all we had seen during our 10-day family trip. This stop ended up being the favorite for some of us.
A visit to Gettysburg National Military Park and Battlefield, a place where the very path of the United States of America was set, leaves a lasting impression.
For more on Gettysburg, visit these websites: