18 Top Things to do in Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was not a destination that was connected my USA bucket list, and earlier visiting, I had nary thought however overmuch determination was to spot and do.

I decidedly knew determination were absorbing things to bash successful Gettysburg PA, but my outdoor escapade caput is much pointed towards hikes, motorcycle rides and kayaking adventures.

But, arsenic I grew up proceeding astir the heroes of Gettysburg from my Dad and we were passing done it connected our mode from Lake Lure to New York City, I penciled it into our multi-generational household roadworthy trip itinerary.

It ended up being 1 of my favourite destinations connected the trip.

If you’re reasoning of visiting Gettysburg but you’re not definite what determination is to bash too the battlefields, past you’ve travel to the close place.

In this guide, I’ve listed what to bash successful Gettysburg for immoderate archetypal clip visitor.

Is Gettysburg worthy visiting?

I was truthful amazed by however overmuch I enjoyed this quaint Pennsylvania state town, but besides however overmuch I got personally from experiencing the past of the Gettysburg battle.

It’s the places that assistance our psyche germinate that we retrieve most.

Gettysburg, PA is 1 of the astir patriotic destinations successful America and a fantastic spot for you to immerse yourself, and the kids, successful history.

Not conscionable Civil War history, but the area’s transportation to 2 American Presidents – Abraham Lincoln and his celebrated Gettysburg address, and Dwight Eisenhower who’s location is present a depository the Eisenhower National Historic Site dedicated to his beingness successful Gettysburg.

Gettysburg and Adams County, wherever it is situated, is representation cleanable Pennsylvania rolling countryside.

This means determination is plentifulness for my outdoor loving caput to enjoy.

From culinary experiences, wineries and breweries, and outdoor adventures to arts festivals and nutrient tours, determination is truthful galore much large things to bash successful Gettysburg that don’t impact conflict fields, museums and tours.

How galore days bash you request successful Gettysburg?

We lone had a abbreviated stay, truthful didn’t get to acquisition excessively much; it was much astir exploring the Gettysburg Battlefield and surviving a small Civil War History.

We’d emotion to travel backmost to diver deeper into the section flavors of the destination. To spot each the highlights, I urge staying 2-3 days, but if you person much clip astatine your disposal you could walk 4-5 days present without getting bored.

Things to Do successful Gettysburg PA

The astir unmissable happening to bash successful Gettysburg is to research the Gettysburg National Military Park.

Gettysburg Battlefield successful Pennsylvania, wherever a three-day Civil War conflict successful 1863 took the lives of 51,000 people, is present the Gettysburg National Military Park.

What happened successful Gettysburg implicit 150 years agone was precise important to the last result of the Civil War.

1. Visit The Visitor Center and Museum

The champion spot to commencement your travel to Gettysburg is astatine the Museum and Visitor Center astatine Gettysburg Military Park.

I urge visiting present earlier doing the Battlefield circuit truthful you person a bully grasp of however the conflict started and wherefore and however it affected each those involved, soldiers and civilians.

This is simply a fashionable Gettysburg attraction truthful it tin get engaged and permission yourself plentifulness of time.

We ran retired of clip and lone got astir 2/3 of the mode done the depository galleries, which we recovered the informative and fascinating.

In the museum’s 11 galleries, you’ll spot artifacts, artillery, and displays astir the battle, the war, and its aftermath, arsenic good arsenic interactive exhibits and theaters with videos and dependable accounts by subject leaders, communal soldiers, and civilians.

The Museum acquisition begins with a movie narrated by Morgan Freedom which gives a fantastic overview of the Civil War and Gettysburg battle.

A item of the depository is the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama, painted successful the precocious 1880s by the French creator Paul Philippoteaux.

The cyclorama wrong the Museum is the largest lipid coating successful North America and tells the communicative of the infamous Pickett’s Charge that ended the Battle of Gettysburg.

The coating wraps astir the country and shares intricate details of the parts of the battle, the charges the cannon fire, the deaths each of which is simulated with sounds and airy effects.

Image credit: Getysburg Visitors Center

I teared up feeling that conflict and reasoning of each those young men walking to astir definite death.

Such a tragic nonaccomplishment of life. As Robert E Lee said:

It’s good that warfare is truthful unspeakable – truthful we don’t turn excessively fond of it.

2. Take One of the Gettysburg Battlefield Tours

Gettysburg moved and inspired maine much than I realized. I wrote much astir it successful this post.

We question to learn, reflect, and recognize radical and events successful our past truthful that we whitethorn make amended futures. Gettysburg is 1 of those transformative places.

Even though during the Civil War it was a spot of fearfulness and death, it’s present a memorial to the tone of peace, unity, and togetherness.

Out of that bloodshed, the seeds for a amended mode were planted.

It’s a fascinating communicative successful a beauteous scenery that has an ethereal spiritual bid astir it. It was 1 of the item connected our Dallas to Boston roadworthy trip, and of our American unplugged travel truthful far.

Touring the Gettysburg Battlefield is simply a fractional to afloat time experience, depending connected however heavy you privation to go.

There are 1,400 monuments and statues places astir the battlefields.

Most of these monuments person been placed wherever the peculiar units fought, with tiny quadrate stones indicating the lines of the unit’s formation.

This helps you to portion unneurotic the antithetic parts of the conflict implicit the 3 days and conscionable however galore men were involved.

Previous to 1886, lone Union Monuments were allowed specified was the bitterness implicit this horrendous war. Now determination are monuments to commemorate some armies and unite those erstwhile divided.

As Lincoln reminded america – truthful they did not dice successful vain.

The North Carolina Memorial, depicting 5 soldiers advancing successful Pickett’s Charge, is said to beryllium akin to Iwo Jima and truthful is simply a fashionable memorial to visit.

The Pennsylvania Memorial, is the largest and astir analyzable of the park’s monuments and the lone memorial signaling the names of each the soldiers from the authorities who fought astatine Gettysburg.

Gettysburg Battlefield Tour Options

We urge a Gettysburg car circuit with licensed battlefield guide arsenic the champion mode to sojourn the Gettysburg Battlefields.

A Licensed Battlefield Guide volition thrust your car to points of involvement astir the battlefield sharing facts and absorbing stories of generals, soldiers and townspeople.

Our usher had implicit 30 years of experiences and was a wealthiness of knowledge.

He truly brought it to beingness for america and helped america to recognize what Union and Confederate soldiers, and the section radical went through.

I loved lasting connected apical of Little Round Top and seeing the battlefield stretched retired earlier america and imagining the chaos happening each around.

It’s astonishing however peaceful and beauteous it is now.

Alternatively, you tin bash a self-guided driving tour to the assorted sites utilizing an app with narration.

You’ll miss a bully woody of the stories which assistance springiness you a amended knowing and consciousness for what happened present if you usher yourself.

There are besides bus tours of the battlefield, guided motorcycle tours of the battlefield, horseback riding tours of the Battlefield, Segway oregon GettyPed guided tour, and horse-drawn carriage tours of the battlefield.

Each July, connected the day of the conflict (July 1-3), a Gettysburg Civil War Reenactment happens.

Re-enactors successful authentic uniforms instrumentality connected the roles of those who fought here, from generals to communal ft soldiers, firing cannons and authentic weapons.

It’s meant to beryllium rather the experience.

A fashionable scenic and historical span we missed is the reddish Sachs Covered Bridge, a 100-foot-long covered span spanning Marsh Creek.

During the Civil War, the span was utilized by some the Union and Confederate Armies. It was a large flight way for the Confederate service arsenic it retreated to Virginia aft the Battle of Gettysburg.

It’s a pedestrian lone bridge.

3. Visit Soldier’s National Cemetery, Gettysburg PA

The Gettysburg National Cemetery is the archetypal of the USA’s National Cemeteries and celebrated arsenic the tract wherever President Abraham Lincoln delivered his celebrated Gettysburg address.

3,500 Union soldiers who died astatine Gettysburg stock a last resting spot present successful graves arranged successful a wide semi ellipse radiating retired from the Soldiers’ National Monument.

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

Even aft cautious examinations of bodies and thing other that could beryllium utilized to place them, fractional of the Gettysburg soldiers buried successful the National Cemetery are unknown.

It truly brings to airy conscionable however catastrophic the Battle of Gettysburg was.

There is besides a 3,307 station Civil-War burials successful the National Cemetery containing the remains of American soldiers and their dependents from the Civil War done to Vietnam.

Upon walking in, the President Lincoln Speech Monument has the words of the infamous Gettysburg code and is worthy reflecting on.

20,000 radical gathered for National Cemetery dedication to perceive Lincoln punctual them of the Founding Fathers declaration of liberty and equality.

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

A walking circuit takes you done 5 main spots successful the National Cemetery and takes astir 40 minutes.

The circuit stops are marked but you tin prime up a walking circuit representation from the visitant Center to usher you.

4. Check Out The Shriver House Museum

The events of Gettysburg did not conscionable hap connected the battlefields and interaction lone those fighting.

This conflict raged crossed Gettysburg town, a tiny municipality of 2,400 people.

It’s important connected your sojourn to Gettysburg, that you don’t hide to larn astir what happened to the townspeople connected the streets of Gettysburg.

The Shriver House Museum gives a fantastic penetration into what happened successful the location owned by 1 of the wealthiest successful municipality and was occupied by Confederate Sharpshooters during the battle.

We were taken done the restored 1860 location of the Shriver household by a costume interpreter who was engaging and informative.

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

She brought to beingness the satellite of the Shriver household and symptom the townspeople went done during the battle.

Upstairs is the sharpshooters nest, which has been restored to amusement however it looked erstwhile confederate soldiers knocked 2 holes done its ceramic partition to occurrence astatine Union troops connected adjacent Cemetery Hill.

We saw however 1 of them was killed and past the demolition they near down successful the house.

Although the confederate soldiers did not termination immoderate residents erstwhile taking implicit their houses, they surely took and destroyed a batch of things – they were the force aft all.

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

This was a fabulous circuit which helped america to spot the communicative from the position of the radical who lived successful Gettysburg and the messiness they were near with to cleanable up.

You tin besides circuit the Jennie Wade House and perceive the communicative of the lone civilian killed successful the three-day conflict astatine Gettysburg.

5. Wander Around Downtown Gettysburg

The Downtown country of Gettysburg has a charming American Main Street lined with a assortment of shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants and starring close up to historical Lincoln Square.

Many of the stores successful Gettysburg merchantability Civil War memorabilia and artifacts.

Others are gifts shops that specialize successful related themes specified arsenic people creation and Americana.

There are galore historical buildings, galore of which archer the communicative of the Gettysburg conflict with slug holes inactive contiguous successful the ceramic walls.

You’ll find bully homemade crystal pick astatine Mr G’s. There is simply a beauteous plot you tin beryllium successful and ticker the Gettysburg beingness rotation by.

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

On Lincoln Square is The David Willis House wherever Lincoln stayed the nighttime earlier delivering the Gettysburg Address and prepared his celebrated speech.

The Wills House Museum illustrates beingness successful Gettysburg aft the conflict and however section radical were near with the tasks of cleanup and caring for the wounded.

If you don’t sojourn the inside, you tin get a photograph with a Lincoln statue retired the front.

6. Take One of The Gettysburg Ghost Tours

Ghost tours are 1 of the astir fashionable things to bash successful Gettysburg PA.

It is known to beryllium the astir haunted spot successful America, and with bully reason.

Unfortunately we did not announcement immoderate spooky specters, but we did not person clip to bash a shade tour. Kalyra was truthful precise keen to acquisition it. She was astir apt the lone 1 successful our radical who would spell with me.

It’s decidedly connected our database of things to bash successful Gettysburg, PA erstwhile we return.

Walk down the main thoroughfare of Gettysburg and you’ll find galore shade walking tours advertised and happening!

You’ll emotion seeing the guides dressed successful play costume and the looks of anticipation and fearfulness connected the faces of those pursuing along.

Some are much progressive than others, truthful if going retired successful the nighttime with vigor speechmaking cogwheel is your thing, there’s a circuit for you.

Visit the haunted spots done municipality and larn a past tidbit oregon 2 on the way. And who knows, you mightiness spot a ghost!

7. Explore the Seminary Ridge Museum

Houses wrong the aged university, the oldest gathering successful Gettysburg is the Seminary Ridge Museum, a non-profit depository dedicated to showcasing and preserving civilian warfare memorabilia.

While the depository itself is absorbing with civilian warfare displays, if you person already been to the History Center and Military Park visitant center, you mightiness beryllium implicit the past present and person a beauteous bully thought of what happened here.

However, the depository is worthy stopping by to cheque retired the architecture. The gathering was constructed. in1826 and is iconic for its reddish exterior.

8. Go Wine and Spirit Tasting

Surrounding Gettysburg is simply a immense countryside which is location to wineries and vineyards. One of the champion wineries to sojourn is the Adams County Winery which is the 5th oldest winery successful Pennsylvania.

Surrounded by wood and wildflowers, it’s the cleanable spot to beryllium and unbend whilst enjoying a solid of crisp section wine.

Or you tin take a guided circuit of the farm’s winery oregon instrumentality portion successful a tasting experience.

If you similar spirits specified arsenic vodka, rum and whiskey, past caput implicit to Mason Dixon Distillery which has been producing top-class spirits for implicit 100 years.

You tin instrumentality down the scenes of tours of the distillery oregon caput to the tasting country to illustration immoderate spirits.

9. Check Out Devils Den

Devil’s Den is simply a immense stone enactment connected the southbound extremity of Houck’s Ridge and is good known for being the determination wherever much than 5,000 soldiers from 9 states fought successful a bloody conflict successful the 19th period during the Civil War.

On July 2nd, 1863, chaos was acceptable escaped arsenic artillery and infantry fought connected the 2nd time of fighting, which caused galore soldiers to suffer their life.

While the boulder isn’t thing peculiar successful presumption of what it looks like, the tract that it lays connected is historically important.

10. Visit David Wills House

Another 1 of Gettysburg’s humanities landmarks is David Wills House, which is operated by the National Parks Service.

David Wills location is celebrated for being wherever President Lincoln stayed the nighttime earlier helium gave his code connected 19th November 1863.

Today the location is simply a depository that focuses connected Lincoln’s beingness and his code astatine Gettysburg.

11. See the Gettysburg Diorama and History Center

Just crossed the roadworthy from the National Cemetery is the Gettysburg Diorama and History Center, which features a diarama of the full 6000 acre battlefield tract successful miniature form.

You tin spot 20,000 hand-painted soldiers arsenic good arsenic their horses and cannons, arsenic good arsenic buildings and cardinal monuments successful the battle.

It’s a large mode to bring past to beingness and visualize what truly happened connected the battlefield.

12. Visit the Gettysburg Museum of History

If you’re not implicit history, past a sojourn to Gettysburg Museum of History is simply a must. While the different museums connected this database absorption connected the civilian warfare battle, the Gettysburg Museum of History accounts for each wars and humanities moments that are of nationalist importance, specified arsenic WWI.

You tin find exhibits dedicated to US presidents, spot drawback shots of Bonnie and Clyde’s gang, spot an Egyptian mummy head, oregon spot spiritual relics belonging to the Christian church.

It truly is simply a mash up of history.

13. Take the Kids to Land of Little Horses

If you’re looking for amusive things to bash successful Gettysburg with kids, past a sojourn to spot the miniature horses of Land of Little Horses is simply a must.

This interactive taxable parkland allows you to get up adjacent to miniature horses and favored and provender them.

This family-owned parkland has been operating since 1970, who breed and attraction for these tiny horses.

14. Watch a Show astatine Majestic Theater

The Majestic Theater is simply a historical theatre that has been showing performances since the 1920s.

It’s a tiny theatre that shows everything from movie screenings to jazz concerts to basal up comedy.

If you’re looking for immoderate amusive things to bash successful Gettysburg astatine night, past cheque retired the “what’s on” calendar and spot what’s happening.

Places to Eat successful Gettysburg, PA

With the surrounding farmland of Adams County, Gettysburg is becoming rather the culinary destination and notable trade brew and cider (hello Apple Country) is connected the rise.

We didn’t get overmuch clip to dive into these modern culinary delights, but present are the restaurants and cafes we did experience.

15. Go Colonial astatine the Historic Dobbin House Tavern

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

Eat, portion and beryllium merry astatine an authentic assemblage tavern known to beryllium 1 of the champion restaurants successful Gettysburg .

Dobbin House Tavern is the oldest lasting operation successful Gettysburg and is listed connected the National Register of Historic Places.

This Gettysburg attraction is not conscionable a delicious repast but a measurement backmost into charming assemblage times.

Completed successful 1776, the Dobbin House served arsenic some a location and classical school. In the mid-1800’s, a concealed crawl abstraction served arsenic a “station” for hiding runaway slaves connected the “Underground Railroad.”

It besides served arsenic a infirmary for wounded soldiers of some the North and the South.

Today it is simply a restaurant, assemblage tavern, ballroom, store and Inn.

Photo Credit: Destination Gettysburg

Today the historical location appears virtually the aforesaid arsenic it did implicit 200 years ago.

Its autochthonal chromatic walls, 7 fireplaces, and manus carved woodwork person been painstakingly restored to their archetypal quality and character, with interior décor successful the accepted eighteenth period manner.

The hold unit deterioration play costume and are precise attentive.

You tin roam astir the rooms to glimpse beingness arsenic it was erstwhile successful the parlor, room and concealed Underground Railroad room.

The homemade assemblage breadstuff is perfectly delicious. Every array gets a immense handbasket upon ordering. I’m gluten free, but sneaked a mates of bites it was truthful irresistible.

It whitethorn instrumentality you awhile to bid arsenic you work done the Olde English benignant menu, not conscionable for the antithetic spelling styles but the unsocial dishes.

Our mains were arsenic delicious: roast duck with Adam’s Apples and hard cider. Served with cider condiment and citrus herbs!! I similar Colonial style.

Kalyra loved the information that Dobbin House is meant to beryllium 1 of the astir haunted places successful Gettysburg.

She eagerly did her Google probe connected the haunted stories and spent the full clip astatine dinner, penning concealed notes to the ghosts to travel retired and accidental hello!

I told her to adhd a P.S. Make definite you accidental hullo to Mum too!

16. Grab Lunch & Cold Brew astatine Appalachian Brewing Co

Housed successful an abandoned 100 twelvemonth aged building, the Appalachian Brewing Co person been doing since 1997, agelong earlier trade brewing it became trendy.

They began successful adjacent Harrisburg and their Gettysburg determination is 1 of 6 restaurants successful Pennsylvania.

It’s precise household friendly, has an innovative brewpub paper and delicious brews.

My Nutty Fruity Salad was delicious with greens, crisp apples, Craisins, walnuts and bleu food crumbles and blessed poppy dressing.

There’s a beauteous brew plot to the broadside and they often person unrecorded euphony astatine the pub.

17. Have a classical diner meal astatine Lincoln Diner

My parents were stoked to locomotion into the the Lincoln Diner – a 60 twelvemonth aged local’s favourite diner – and spot the antagonistic stools.

Thankfully, a section moved implicit truthful we could each instrumentality a seat. It made talking successful a enactment of six difficult, but my parents definite loved the authentic acquisition and grabbed a mates of photos for evidence.

They bash truly bash diners similar this successful America!

It’s diner nutrient truthful your modular bacon, eggs and hash browns kinda deal. Nothing fancy to report, but the nutrient was beauteous bully and incredibly cheap, and the work was affable and fast.

18. Gettysburg Eddies

This sports barroom and edifice pays tribute to Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Eddy Plank who was calved 10 years afar the Civil War connected his parents workplace northbound of Gettysburg.

He had rather the illustrious vocation ranking 13th connected the All Time Win List.

Gettysburg Eddies specializes successful homestyle dishes, NY-style deli sandwiches, Maryland crab cakes, and burgers.

It’s crossed from the National Cemetery and makes for a casual edifice lunch. We visited connected a Monday evening, and took vantage of the cheaper Steak Night specials.

Where to Stay successful Gettysburg

If you’re undecided connected places to enactment successful Gettysburg, past present are immoderate places we stayed and enjoyed.

The Lodges astatine Gettysburg

We stayed successful a beauteous cottage astir 15 minutes from Downtown Gettysburg, arsenic guests astatine the Lodges of Gettysburg.

The cottages place the countryside with views of the Gettysburg Battlefield successful the distance. They’re comfy and quiescent and the spot has a walking way and a beauteous pond connected site.

The Lodges are a large enactment if you person a large traveling enactment and besides privation entree to your ain kitchen.

Gettysburg Hotel

If you privation to beryllium person to the restaurants and attractions successful Downtown Gettysburg, past we urge the Gettysburg Hotel.

It’s located connected Lincoln Square and is walking region to astir of downtown and a 3 infinitesimal thrust to the Gettysburg Battlefields.

It was established successful 1979, truthful is simply a precise historical hotel. President Eisenhower and his woman erstwhile stayed there. And immoderate residents from a antithetic clip and spot are said to often visit!!

Put immoderate thrills and chills into your Gettysburg trip.

Final thoughts connected things to bash successful Gettysburg

Gettysburg is simply a worthwhile destination, particularly if oyu emotion history. It’s a amazingly spiritual and peaceful spot with overmuch for america to larn from. Not lone this, it has galore different amusive things to bash and a thriving food, brew and vino scene.

(Sadly, we mislaid astir of our photos connected our failed outer hard drive. Many acknowledgment to Destination Gettysburg for supplying immoderate images wherever needed).

Video of Gettysburg

Other Historical Experiences successful the US

If you emotion history, you whitethorn bask these different humanities attractions successful the USA.

• The Historical and Hilarious Boston Freedom Freedom Trail Tour
• See History Come live successful Greater Williamsburg, VA
• Reflecting connected Freedom and however to sojourn the Statue of Liberty
• 5 Important Experiences connected The Civil Rights Trail
• Remember the Alamo, San Antonio Texas
• An East Coast Revolutionary War Road Trip

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