I’ve decided to sprinkle in a few posts that are a little different this summer. It’s summer so I hope you get to do some sort of travel. Living in Pennsylvania, one of our favorite places to visit year after year is Gettysburg! Gettysburg is a little historical town which had the unfortunate job of hosting the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and was the turning point of the Civil War. Since my family and I have traveled there most years, we have amassed our favorite things to do and places to go while there and, of course, I have several books I would recommend reading to get more out of your visit—and to enjoy even if you are not able to visit Gettysburg!
The Battlefield
You can drive, you can take a bus tour, or you can hire a guide to drive you around the battlefield in your car for a personalized experience. One of our favorite ways to experience the battlefield is to bike it! There is something about being out in the open air that allows you to take in the battlefield and what it would feel like to be marching across it, that you just cannot appreciate the same way from a car.
Reading Companion: Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Museums
The Visitor Center
Roughly 10 years ago they redid the Visitor Center and wow—is it nice! The museum inside the Visitor Center takes you through the Civil War chronologically. While this isn’t imperative if you are trying to see as much of Gettysburg as possible (I would block at least a half day for this), it is a great refresher if you are rusty on your Civil War history.
Also found inside the Visitor Center is the Gettysburg Diorama—a large painting going all the way around a circular room. A narrator and spotlight explain the parts of the battle depicted in the painting. Again, a great overview of the battle.
Seminary Ridge Museum
This just recently opened but I am so glad that it did! The old seminary, located on top of a hill known as Seminary Ridge, was used as a lookout point for the battle of Gettysburg. The cupola on top of the seminary gives you a panoramic view of Gettysburg. If you decide to see the museum (which focuses mostly on the history of the seminary and the part it played in the battle of Gettysburg). I highly recommend paying the extra for the cupola tour. You will be able to see and hear about the troop movements. I had been to Gettysburg so many times, but never had as clear of an understanding regarding the actual battlefield logistics as I did after taking this tour.
Museum of Gettysburg
Located on Baltimore Street, my dad and I were poking into the little shops and stores, taking in the bullet holes stills found in the bricks of the houses in Gettysburg, when we happened upon this little museum, which looked more like a house than a museum. What a hidden gem! This museum has artifacts such as a mummy’s head, Adolf Hitler’s foot stool, Marilyn Monroe’s undergarments, an object’s from the Kennedy assassination. At this time, only donations are required to enter this museum so don’t miss it!
Reading Companion: Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
The Horse Soldier
This is a privately owned antique store, which sells antiques such as Civil War uniforms, guns and bayonets from the Civil War, as well all the other detritus from war that you might imagine. Go visit some of the other museums—then come to this one and see the price tag for all the objects you grumbled about having to pay to see—it will put things in perspective!
Human Interest
Gettysburg Aftermath Night Walking Tour by Grave Digger Tours
If you go to Gettysburg you will see just about every shop on Baltimore Street (one of the main thoroughfares) have nightly ghost tours which you can go on to hear the ghostly history of Gettysburg. I am not a ghost tour person. But I am a huge fan of the aftermath tour! Take a tour of Gettysburg in the evening and hear about how the residents of Gettysburg coped after war left thousands of dead men and horses on their land. Many people moved away due to the stench. Learn what one widow with ten children did to save her family after all the dead left on her property ruined her well’s drinking water….
Reading Companion: The Last Full Measure by Ann Rinaldi
The Jennie Wade House
As bloody as the battle of Gettysburg was, only one civilian was killed during the battle—young Jennie Wade. For a human interest angle take this tour! Though called the Jennie Wade house, this house is in fact Jennie Wade’s sister’s house, who Jennie was staying with for a few days, as her sister had just had a baby. See what life was like for those who had war come to their homes.
Reading Companion: The Slopes of War, a Novel of Gettysburg, by N. A. Perez
Ten Pin Alley and the Tillie Pierce House
Ten Pin Alley, like a bowling alley, and the Tillie Pierce house are again another great human interest angle to explore if you are visiting Gettysburg. See how young Tillie Pierce survived as a young girl during the battle of Gettysburg.
Reading Companion: Two Girls of Gettysburg, by Lisa Klein
Other Things to See
Evergreen Cemetery
If you come to Gettysburg, you can’t leave without making a quick stop by Evergreen Cemetery and taking a moment to stand under the arches where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.
Eisenhower’s Estate
Located just off of the battlefield is the Eisenhower estate where you can take a tour of this president’s home!
Dining
There is no shortage of good places to eat in Gettysburg! While we don’t typically eat out a ton when we come to Gettysburg, a few places we really enjoy and have heard other rave about are:
O’Rourke’s
Pub-style food, reasonably priced and very tasty.
Appalachian Brewing Company
This brewery has great burgers too!
Coffee 82
Located on main drag to where many of these shops are located, get your morning started off with a great cup of coffee with some innovative flavor options.
There is no shortage of things to see and do in Gettysburg. We haven’t seen it all! As I’m sure is evidenced by this post, I highly encourage you to add a trip to Gettysburg to your bucket list. If you cannot come now, make sure to visit at some point in the future!
Disclosure
Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!