EXPERIENCE
Start your visit to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by walking on the grounds of the Civil War battle that put the town on the map. The Gettysburg National Military Park & Visitors Center features a variety of experiences that bring the battlefield to life. Visitors can feel Pickett’s Charge happening all around them in the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama and tour the battlefield landmarks led by the expertise of licensed guides.
For a look at the far-reaching consequences the Civil War had on American society, head to the Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum. Opened in 2023 and named a Best New Museum by USA Today the same year, the Beyond the Battle Museum focuses on eyewitness accounts of the war and its aftermath. Visitors can interact with 12 galleries of exhibits, including “Caught in the Crossfire,” which uses advanced technology to give tourgoers the experience of being trapped behind enemy lines as the war rages.
LEARN
To learn more about the legacy of the Battle of Gettysburg, start at the beginning at the Seminary Ridge Museum. Through three floors of exhibits, artifacts, and dioramas, tourgoers learn the conditions that started the war, what the first day of fighting was like, how wounded soldiers were cared for, and more. The museum’s cupola, which once served as a lookout, is now a 360-degree view of everywhere fighting took place.
Gettysburg’s military history did not end with the conclusion of the battle or the Civil War. Make time for a visit to the World War II American Experience Museum to see the surprising connections Gettysburg had with the Second World War, including the establishment of a German POW camp on the battlefield grounds. The American Experience Museum brings World War II to live with authentic artifacts, vehicles and uniforms, while also documenting the homefront and how everyday civilians did their part to help the war effort.
EXPLORE
Military history isn’t all that Gettysburg has to offer. This rural borough is bursting with agricultural sites such as Hollabaugh Bros., Inc. Fruit Farm & Market. This working fruit and vegetable farm offers tours for all ages to experience nearly every aspect of operations. Take a wagon ride around the farm, pick apples from the tree during autumn visits, and visit the Bee Room to learn how pollinators do what they do.
Besides learning all about American history, Gettysburg is a place where groups can make their own history. From interactive museums and hands-on demonstrations to civilian stories, unique battlefield tours, agricultural experiences, and a multitude of group-friendly dining options, you will find that Gettysburg and surrounding Adams County—conveniently located nearby many other iconic destinations such as Hershey, Lancaster, and Washington, D.C.—is an ideal group travel destination. Destination Gettysburg can assist in the planning process with sample itineraries, images, group rate information and site tours.
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Destination Gettysburg
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Lead image:
Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum
Photo by Jeremy Hess