The quaint Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg is a great travel destination. Whether a Civil War buff or history lover or not, Gettysburg should please everyone.
One thing to do immediately when entering town is to look for brass plaques on the buildings. These markers say "Civil War Building" and point out the structures and homes that were standing during the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle took place during the first three days of July in 1863 and ended with more than fifty thousand casualties.
Tours of the battlefield can be taken in various ways. The visitor center sells and rents tapes and CDs for a self guided auto tour for those wishing to take as much time as desired on the tour. Double-decker buses with narration can be used for touring, or National Park Service guides are available for hire to drive the tour in the visitor's vehicle while telling stories of the battle.
The battlefield is covered with thousands of monuments of all sizes, and having a guidebook of some sort before arriving, or purchasing one at the visitor center upon arrival is a definite help. In addition to being an extensive souvenir shop and book store, the center serves as a museum with many displays housed here. The Electric Map, depicting the battle, is located within the visitor center, also.
Attractions in town are numerous. The Hall of Presidents and First Ladies located at 789 Baltimore Street has wax figures of all the presidents and the presentation is each of them "speaking" to the audience. Smaller wax figures of the First Ladies wearing replicas of their inaugural ball gowns are also displayed.
Other museums in town include the National Civil War Wax Museum at 297 Steinwehr Avenue, the Lincoln Room Museum found at Lincoln Square in the middle of town, the Soldiers National Museum at 777 Baltimore Street, and the Lincoln Train Museum at 425 Steinwehr Avenue. The Schriver House at 309 Baltimore Street is a museum that offers tours showing the inside of a house that was standing during the battle.
Mary Virginia Wade, known as Jennie, was the only civilian to be killed during the three day battle. She fell at the home of her sister while baking bread for the soldiers. The home is located on Baltimore Street beside the Holiday Inn Battlefield and the house is open for tours.
At 401 Buford Avenue, visitors can walk through the house that Confederate General Robert E. Lee used for his headquarters. There is a gift shop at the location of this small museum.
Twenty-five thousand miniature soldiers help show visitors what happened on this land in 1863 in a multimedia presentation and diorama at the Battle Theatre at 571 Steinwehr Avenue. For another way to understand the battle, a 360 degree oil paining on canvas showing Pickett's Charge is located in the Gettysburg National Military Park Cyclorama Center. The painting was finished in 1884 and is presented with a light and sound program.
There are many places on the battlefield for visitors to spend time and learn of what happened there during the battle. The huge and mysterious rocks of Devil's Den are always a favorite among tourists, as is the site of Pickett's Charge. Other places to enjoy include the Peach Orchard, Oak Hill with the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, Little and Big Round Tops, Culp's Hill, and the Wheatfield.
The final stop of the driving tour is the National Cemetery. This is the site at which Abraham Lincoln gave the immortal Gettysburg Address. The cemetery holds some beautiful monuments, and seeing the rows of stones that are marked "unknown" is quite sobering.
There are also attractions and activities in town not related to the battle, of course. Mulligan MacDuffers Mini Golf is located at 1360 Baltimore Pike and the Gettysburg Family Fun Center is found at 860 York Street. Buy tickets at the visitor center to tour the Gettysburg farm of President Dwight D. and Mamie Eisenhower. Buses for the farm tour leave often from the visitor center daily.
For tourists who enjoy animals, performing Falabella miniature horses can be seen at the Land of Little Horses at 125 Glenwood Drive. There are trails, other animals, and special events held here, too.
If you are looking for something different to do after dinner, try one of the candlelight ghost walking tours offered in Gettysburg. Two places to get tickets are Ghosts of Gettysburg at 271 Baltimore Street and the Farnsworth House Candlelight Ghost Walks at 410 Baltimore Street.
The Farnsworth House holds over 100 bullet holes and offers a fine dining restaurant as well as lodging. They have a Mourning Theater for nightly ghost stories as well.
Gettysburg has many shops offering everything from souvenirs to period clothing for reenactments to antiques. Area restaurants offer all kinds of cuisines and dining experiences.
