Gettysburg

Gettysburg, in Adams County in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, goes down in history as the battlefield in the Civil War where, despite terrible tragedy and loss of life, there was hope for the Union. In many ways, Gettysburg is where the North won the Civil War, and where Abraham Lincoln gave the Union hope that, somehow, something good was to come out of the lives lost in battle.

Understand
See also: American Civil War

Gettysburg is a borough and the county seat of Adams County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. However, Gettysburg is famous for the Battle of Gettysburg that was fought July 1-3, 1863. The fighting started when Union and Confederate troops converged just north of the town of Gettysburg. Three bloody days of fighting ensued, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. The town is also the location where President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Battlefield in the Gettysburg National Military Park. The Battle is remembered both for Pickett's Charge and the "high water mark of the Confederacy" (considered by some to be the closest the Confederacy came to winning the war) as well as the turning point of the war that the failure of said charge and the overall offensive ultimately meant.

Terrain and climate

Flat meadows surrounded by rocky hills, with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains looming in the distance. In the countryside north of Gettysburg is the "Fruit Belt" of Pennsylvania with thousands of acres of apple and peach orchards and vineyards.

Gettysburg has a humid continental climate, with hot, humid summers and cold moist winters. Spring and Fall are mild and pleasant. Heavy winter storms occasionally strike the area, but these are fairly rare. Heaviest snowfall occurs during February and early March. Severe thunderstorms may occasionally hit the region, mostly in July and August.

Get in

By plane

By car

Gettysburg can be reached via US Rt 30 from Philadelphia, or via State Rt 97 from the Baltimore area. From the south, US 15 runs through the town for visitors arriving from the Washington DC region.

By train

Amtrak operates service to Harrisburg and Lancaster. Taxi service and car rentals are available to Gettysburg from there.

By bus

Rabbit Express runs buses to/from the Harrisburg Amtrak station and airport.

Get around

By car

By far the best way to see the park is with your own vehicle. Roads wind extensively throughout the battlefields, and include many places to pull off and allow visitors to walk around. Use caution when using these roads, as there may be many people walking or bicycling on these roads. The speed limit throughout the park is 15 mph. When in your car, you may navigate by map or purchase a CD at several locations throughout Gettysburg that will orientate you to the battlefield.

By bus

Guided tours on buses are available. There are several different types of bus tours: one is with licensed battlefield guides (adult $30, child $19) and one is with headphone narration (adult $26, child $15).

By bike

If you have the time and have an average level of fitness, bikes can be rented and can provide an enhanced experience in the park. Cycling the major sites of the July 1-3 campaign can be completed in one day and allow you to experience battle lines and topography in a much more realistic fashion than car or bus.

By horse or carriage

The battlefield features NPS horse trails where you can either bring your own horse or book a battlefield tour on horseback with Confederate Trails of Gettysburg Guided Battlefield Horseback Tours https://confederatetrails.com . 2 hour guided battlefield tours and town history tours by Horse-drawn carriage or on foot are also a must do when visiting Gettysburg; walking and carriage tours can be booked with Horse Tours of Gettysburg's Victorian Carriage Company Authorized by GNMP and use only Licensed Battlefield Guides.

By foot

One of the best ways to tour the battlefield is by foot β€” either running, walking or hiking. There are 26 miles (40 km) of roadway and several hiking trails, both flat and rugged.

See
  • 🌍 Gettysburg National Military Park, 1195 Baltimore Pike, ☏ +1 717 334-1124. Battlefield/park roadsː 30 min before sunset-30 min after sunset. Museum and Visitor Centerː 8AM-5PM (March 1-Nov 30); 9AM-4PM (Dec 1-Feb 28). Gettysburg is the site of one of the most important battles of the American Civil War, and the largest land battle ever fought in North America. This National Park Service controls most of the area surrounding the small town and preserves the historic battle field. The museum and visitor center are run by the Gettysburg Foundation, a non-profit partner of the National Park Service at Gettysburg. The visitor center houses the museum collection as well as special exhibits from across the country and the fully restored Gettysburg Cyclorama, a must-see for any visit. You can also hire a very knowledgeable licensed battlefield guide here. You can also purchase tour tickets for the Eisenhower Farm. The surrounding military park is free and open to the public. Film, Cyclorama & Museumː Adults $18.75, Seniors and Veterans $17.75, Youth (6-12) $13.75, Child (under 5) and Active Military free. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Jennie Wade House, 548 Baltimore St, ☏ +1 717-334-4100. 9AM-5PM. The only Gettysburg citizen killed during the Battle of Gettysburg was 20 year old Jennie Wade, fiancΓ©e of Corporal β€œJack” Skelly. The old McClellan Home, now the Jennie Wade House and Museum, with but few minor changes and repairs, remains much as Jennie Wade must have known it more than 100 years ago. The walls of the old house, which lived through the Battle of Gettysburg and witnessed the tragic death of Jennie Wade, tell the story of the building and of those in it during the Great Battle. 
  • 🌍 The Gettysburg Heritage Center, 297 Steinwehr Ave, ☏ +1 717-334-6245. Daily Marchβ€”December 9AMβ€”5PM. Extended Spring & Summer hours 9AMβ€”7PM. Last tour begins 45 minutes before closing. Presents the entire story of the Civil War era and the Battle of Gettysburg with remarkable realism. Learn the causes, effects and significant personalities that shaped the Civil War and as a result, ultimately, American history. Throughout five hallways of scenes, the museum recreates history with life-sized dioramas of the Civil War. Visitors complete a self-guided museum tour that begins with the economical, social, and political causes of the war and ends with the untimely assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Following the self-guided tour, visitors enter into the internationally acclaimed, digitally enhanced Battleroom Auditorium. Amidst the sounds of thunderous battle cries and bullets, visitors will witness a life-sized recreation of the Battle of Gettysburg. Discover how a small town in rural Pennsylvania became known for one of the bloodiest battles in American history. An animated Abraham Lincoln delivering the immortal Gettysburg Address follows the battle recreation. $5.50 adult, $3 youth (ages 6 β€” 17), 5 & under free. 
  • 🌍 Eisenhower National Historic Site. The preserved farm home of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the edge of the battlefield. It served as Eisenhower's weekend retreat and a place to meet world leaders, then as his home after leaving office. You can visit the home only on a shuttle bus tour, which leaves from the Military Park's visitor center. (updated Feb 2020)
  • 🌍 National Apple Museum, 154 West Hanover Street, Biglerville, ☏ +1 717-677-4556. early May to mid–Oct: Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1-4PM, M-Th by appointment. It has exhibits on early picking, packing, and shipping of fruit, pest management, commercial fruit processing equipment, early orchard photographs, and a recreated 1880s farm kitchen and a General Store. The museum also features collections of farming implements, apple peelers, fruit labels, and other apple memorabilia. By donation. (updated May 2023)

Do

Cinema and theatre
  • 🌍 Gettysburg Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle St, ☏ +1 717-337-8200, . For those who need a break from the Battlefield, there the Majestic, a theater in downtown Gettysburg renovated to its original 1925 Colonial Revival glory. There is a theater for live performances, as well as a cinema which plays the highest quality art films, including American independent films, foreign language films, documentaries, short subjects, and film festival prize winners. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Gateway Theater 8, 20 Presidential Circle (US 15 & US 30 at Gateway Gettysburg), ☏ +1 717-334-5575. The state-of-the-art Gateway Theaters is one of the most technologically advanced movie theaters in the region. 

Winter recreation

Buy
  • 🌍 Lord Nelson's Gallery, 17 Chambersburg St (one half block off of downtown Lincoln Square), ☏ +1 717-334-7950, . Mβ€”Sa 10-5, Su 11-3. Established in 1990, the gallery specializes in wildlife, nostalgic, Eastern Frontier/American Indian and Colonial art, sculpture, fine handcrafts and related historical books. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Gettysburg Bicycle & Fitness, 307 York St, ☏ +1 717-334-7791. Sells excellent American Bikes (Specialized, Trek, ..) in all price ranges. You will get excellent advises, perfect service and good prices. The shop also lends Bikes for tours on the battle field and organizes a yearly Mountainbike race called "Maximus" in Michaux State Forest. 
  • 🌍 Hollabaugh Brothers, 545 Carlisle Rd, Biglerville (9 miles north of the square in Gettysburg on Rt. 34), ☏ +1 717-677-8412. M-Th 9AM-6PM, F Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Hollabaugh Brothers is a third generation, family farm with a retail farm market offering fresh fruits, vegetables, gifts, jarred goods, home-style baked goods, and fruit gift baskets. The Hollabaugh family also provides scheduled educational orchard tours. Hollabaugh Brothers is a 500 acre working, family farm. Buses welcome, adequate free parking. 
  • The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg, 1863 Gettysburg Village Dr (US 15 & Baltimore St (PA 97)), ☏ +1 717 337-9705. (updated Jul 2017)
  • 🌍 Gallery 30. A fine art gallery. (updated Dec 2018)

Eat

Restaurants abound throughout the town, from nationally known chains, to local Mom & Pop diners.

Drink

Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the park at any time.

Bars
  • 🌍 Garryowen Irish Pub, 126 Chambersburg St, ☏ +1 717 337-2719. Good Irish pub with great music entertainment on special days like St. Patricks. It's traditional Irish menu is very tasty. 
  • 🌍 The Pub, 20-22 Lincoln Sq (Southeast corner of The Square), ☏ +1 717-334-7100. Monday 8AM - 10PM, Tuesday & Wednesday 11AM - 10PM, Thursday 8AM - 10PM, Friday & Saturday 8AM - 11PM, Sunday 8AM - 9PM (closed on Sundays December and January, closed on major holidays). Casual dining with an extensive menu. Plenty of vegetarian options. 

Cafes
  • 🌍 Ragged Edge Roasting Company, 110 Chambesburg St, ☏ +1 717 334-4464. The Ragged Edge serves breakfast, sandwiches, salads and coffee. They offer a free wireless connection. The local products, beautiful gardens, and in house art gallery all add up to an award winning experience. 

Sleep

Camping and backcountry

There are seven campgrounds in Gettysburg: Artillery Ridge Campground, Drummer Boy Campground, Gettysburg Campground, Gettysburg KOA, Round Top Campground, Granite Hill Campground, Gettysburg Battlefield Resort (Membership)

Hiking, camping, and grilling can be done at nearby Caledonia State Park, located approximately 25 miles west of Gettysburg on US Rt 30. Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve in nearby Fairfield, Pa., has more than 600 acres and miles of trails for hiking as well.

Hotels
  • 🌍 1863 Inn Of Gettysburg, 516 Baltimore St, ☏ +1 717 334-6211. $139. 
  • 🌍 Antrim 1844, 30 Trevanion Rd Taneytown, MD, ☏ +1 410 756-6812. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Nestled at the foot of the rolling Catoctin Mountains in Central Maryland. Built in 1844, Antrim was once a thriving plantation and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Owners Dorothy and Richard Mollett have restored the mansion and the estate buildings on this 24-acre site. Located 15 minutes from Historic Gettysburg 160-400. 
  • 🌍 Brafferton Inn, 44 York St, ☏ +1 717 337-3423. 
  • 🌍 Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, 1857 Gettysburg Village Dr (At the intersection of Routes 97 and 15 on the site of The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg), ☏ +1 717-337-9518, . Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. 
  • 🌍 Dobbin House Tavern, 89 Steinwehr Ave, ☏ +1 717 334-2100. Includes Gettystown Inn Bed & Breakfast. 
  • 🌍 Gettysburg Hotel, One Lincoln Sq, ☏ +1 717 337-2000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The Gettysburg Hotel has a tradition of hospitality that dates to 1797, when James Scott first opened his tavern. The hotel existed during the Battle of Gettysburg. President Lincoln honed the immortal words of his Gettysburg Address at the Wills House, just steps away from the hotel. Nearly a century later, at the height of the Cold War, the hotel served as President Dwight Eisenhower's national operations center while he recuperated from a heart attack at his nearby farm. The Gettysburg Hotel consists of 122 spacious non-smoking guest rooms and suites, each beautifully appointed with dark wood bedsteads and other elegant period furnishings. Roof top seasonal swimming pool, business center, fitness center. Restaurant Centuries on the Square and pub McClellan's Tavern are located on the premises. 
  • 🌍 Hilton Garden Inn Gettysburg, 1061 York St, ☏ +1 717-334-2040. 
  • 🌍 Union Hotel, 27 Chambersburg St (One half block west of downtown Lincoln Square), ☏ +1 717-337-1334. Check-in: 3PM β€” 8PM, check-out: 11AM. An elegant 12 room suite hotel in historic downtown Gettysburg. Every suite is individually styled and has kitchenette, bedroom and private bath. Home baked continental breakfast served in room, free on-site private parking. $140-250. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Quality Inn & Suites, 871 York Rd (Route 15 N. to York Road), ☏ +1 717-337-2400. All rooms include free continental breakfast, wireless internet, 24-hour business center, indoor pool with jacuzzi, in room irons and ironing boards, in room safes, hair dryers. 
  • 🌍 Wyndham Gettysburg, 95 Presidential Circle (US 15 & US 30 at Gateway Gettysburg), ☏ +1 717-339-0020. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Upscale hotel with fitness center, business center, 1863 Restaurant, and within walking distance of Gateway Theaters. $99 β€” 199. 

Stay safe

Gettysburg is very safe. However, it can get very crowded during the summer, and especially on summer weekends. If large crowds are not pleasing to you, especially avoid the anniversary dates of July 1-3.

Go next

Other Pennsylvania cities
  • Harrisburg - The capital of Pennsylvania.
  • Allentown - Pennsylvania's third most populous city rich in history.
  • Hershey - Chocolate country.
  • Lancaster - Amish country.
  • Philadelphia - birthplace of American independence.
  • York - Central Pennsylvania country.

Other regional cities
  • Baltimore - Including the National Aquarium.
  • New York City - America's largest city and some say the best city in the world.
  • Washington, DC - The nation's capital, about an hour and a half away.
Routes through Gettysburg
Pittsburgh ← Chambersburg ←  W  E  β†’ York β†’ Lancaster


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