Gettysburg National Military Park

Gettysburg Park is a reminder that Gettysburg isn't just a tourist attraction or a National Park. It was a war, with all the blood and violence that the age could muster, and it was all unleashed on a sleepy farm town in the middle of Pennsylvania. All Americans need to visit this battlefield for an amazing trip through history.

Abraham Lincoln gave the stirring two-and-a-half-minute Gettsyburg Address at the site of this very battlefield. In Lincoln’s own words: "The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here but it can never forget what they did here." The Gettysburg Address is so memorable because it is so true. On this historic battlefield was fought the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It was this battle which turned the tide for the North and eventually led it on the road to victory. As can be seen, however, from the seemingly endless sea of graves that dot the battlefield, it was a battle fought with the loss of many lives.

You can tour the battlefield by car or a double-decker tour bus. On the bus you will be provided with the headsets to hear the history told with heart wrenching accuracy to beautiful music. There is no cost to enter the park. Some of the other museums and exhibits do require you to pay a fee.

One of the most interesting exhibits is the Cyclorama, a 360 degree monumental piece of artwork that gives you a sense of Pickett's Charge. The cyclorama is displayed in a round room in which you stand in the center. The painting surrounds you with the entire story of the battle. The Gettysburg cyclorama is one of less than 10 remaining original cycloramas. The charge to enter is $3.00 per person.

Other exhibits, displays and tours you can take include a mental institution which details the bizarre and inhumane conditions that existed during the war, and a home of a simple school teacher from Maine, by the name of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who became a national hero overnight when he ordered "Charge...!" atop Little Round Top just before the battle. One of the most interesting and exciting things to do is taking a "ghost walk" at night with a tour guide dramatically telling stories of the war.

There are many bed and breakfasts, hotels and places of lodging to stay in the nearby town of Gettysburg. Be sure to spend some time in this quaint city which is filled with shops and historical sights, it's definitely family-friendly. Souvenirs abound, along with small museums one of which is the Civil War Wax Museum.

Everywhere downtown, there are signs pointing to attic windows with information about the happenings in the town at the time of the war. One says, “a sniper was killed up here” another points to an original bullet hole left in a wall, another points to a shed, where a General hid for three days after the battle. Another interesting home to visit is the Jenny Wade House, the only civilian killed during the battle, shot through the wall of her home. Everywhere, original battlefield sites and artifacts have been preserved or restored. You can easily take up several days or a week to see the whole area.

In Gettysburg National Park you can walk through the cemetery and see all the monuments, thousands of simple head stones and the elaborate statues of officers on horses. You can hike up the hill to the battlefield. Some of the monuments open up to reveal an inside with more historical information. These memorials are beautiful, mostly of soldiers and horses, some of particular people, and even a few angels to watch over the entire battlefield. The lush greenery of the battlefield is beautiful, making the long hike to Little Round Top very enjoyable. Once you arrive at the picturesque point of Little Round Top, it's time to gather up your reserve energies because the best is yet to come. Devil's Den awaits below. A vast wasteland of megaliths and hidden crevices, it's any young adventurer's dream.

Adults will enjoy it too, but it's the kids who will really get a kick out of it. Many of the best hiding places won't accommodate someone larger than a small child. Bring your best climbing shoes, because you'll want to spend hours in what once was a deadly battle site.

I recommend this trip to all families. It is a great trip to spend with your loved ones, and it gives youngsters an appreciation for a war that was fought over a hundred years ago.