Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania, where a three-day Civil War battle in 1863 took the lives of 51,000 people, is now the Gettysburg National Military Park.
Considered the turning point in the Civil War, Gettysburg is also famous as the scene of President Abraham Lincoln's best-known speech, the Gettysburg Address. Among the many things to see and do as you visit this historic national park are museums in the visitor center and elsewhere, a tour of the battlefields, and "Summer White House" of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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1. Battlefield and Monuments
Nearly 1,400 monuments and statues are placed across the huge battlefield, making it one of the largest collections of outdoor sculpture in the world. Most of these monuments stand where the particular units fought, with small square stones indicating the lines of the unit's formation.
While today's monuments commemorate both armies, in the beginning, Union veterans objected to any recognizing of the South. It was not until 1886 that the bitterness of the war had subsided enough for Confederate memorials to be accepted, and the first was erected at Culp's Hill commemorating the 2nd Maryland Infantry.
Highlights among the monuments mark the prominent positions and battles at Seminary Ridge, Cemetery Ridge, and Oak Ridge. On Seminary Ridge, the primary Confederate position on the west, one of the most prominent is the North Carolina Memorial, depicting five soldiers advancing in Pickett's Charge.
Atop the ridge stands the Virginia State Memorial, with a young bugler and color bearer surrounded by five fellow soldiers. Upper them, as though still commanding the ridge, is General Robert E.
Lee on his horse Traveler was cast in bronze by Louis Tiffany & Sons. Facing them on Cemetery Ridge, held by the Union lines for the final two days of battle, is the Pennsylvania Memorial, the largest and most complex of the park's monuments and the only memorial recording the names of all the soldiers from the state who fought here, engraved on 90 bronze tablets at its base.
On Oak Ridge, the site of the opening day's battle before the Union army fell back to Cemetery Hill, is the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. It was dedicated in 1938 by more than 1,800 Civil War veterans of both armies to "Peace Eternal in a Nation United" on the 75th anniversary of the battle.
2. Battlefield Tour
The best way to see the battlefield and understand what happened here is to take a tour with a licensed battlefield guide. Take a tour in your car with a battleground guide to explain the history or join a two-hour Gettysburg Battlefield Bus Tour with a guide who will point out the significant sites of each phase of the three-day battle.
You can also follow a self-guided driving or walking tour of the battlefield using a CD audio tour or the detailed guide book from the museum shop. A full walking tour will take about four hours.
3. Museum and Visitor Center
The best place to begin is at the visitor center and its museum, for an overview that puts the battle and this war in context. Here, you'll learn more about what caused the Civil War and how Gettysburg was that conflict's most decisive moment, as heavy casualties crippled the Confederacy and turned the course of the war in favor of the North.
Appropriateness of the museum is the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama, painted in the late 1880s by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux. The dramatic painting is enhanced by audio and visual effects that put visitors in the center of the fury of Pickett's Charge, on the third day of the battle.
In the museum's 11 galleries, you can see artifacts and exposes about the battle, the war, and its aftermath, as well as interactive exhibits and theaters with videos and voice accounts by military leaders, common soldiers, and civilians.
Address: 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
4. Soldiers' National Cemetery
Less than six months after the Battle of Gettysburg, the Soldiers' National Cemetery was dedicated to honoring the more than 3,500 Union soldiers who fought and perished here.
President Abraham Lincoln was asked to give a few remarks at the ceremonies on November 19, 1863, and delivered his famous Gettysburg Address, one of the shortest and most memorable speeches in history.
The first monument was erected in 1869, honoring the 1st Minnesota Infantry, which suffered staggering casualties here on July 2, 1863. The cemetery, designed by landscape architect William Saunders, forms a wide semicircle, its sections divided by state.
It is on Cemetery Hill, the Union battle line, and includes a large part of the battlefield. It was one of the first national cemeteries and includes the graves of the fallen in later wars, as well.
5. Little Round Top
The rocky hill known as Little Round Top was the scene of what is considered to be the most decisive encounter of the Battle of Gettysburg. One of the best vantage points of the battlefields, Little Round Top is also one of the most evocative, as you can not only get an overview of the set but experience the rough, rock-strewn terrain these men fought in.
On the second day of the battle, Confederate troops launched an assault against the Union left flank, which was repulsed in a bayonet charge by men of the 20th Maine Regiment. That charge saved General Meade's Army of the Potomac, winning the Battle of Gettysburg and turning the tide of the entire war.
The boulders of the adjacent rock-strewn area, known as Devil's Den, was a position for sharpshooters.
6. Gettysburg Civil War Reenactment
Each July, on the anniversary of the battle (July 1-3), history re-enactors in authentic Confederate and Union Army uniforms take on the roles of those who fought here, from generals to common foot soldiers of both armies, firing cannons and authentic weapons.
Historic lectures, demonstrations, replicas of military encampments, military band concerts, and displays of artifacts and period antiques are all part of the three-day commemoration of the battle, an event that has become a major annual tourist attraction in Gettysburg.
Address: 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
7. Eisenhower National Historic Site
Not all the Gettysburg historical sites have the connection of the famous battle. The home of President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower is the only one they ever owned, bought after his retirement in 1950, following a 30-year Army career.
The house is gotten as it was when Eisenhower used it in the 1950s as his weekend retreat and a place to entertain and meet informally with foreign dignitaries, who included Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and Nikita Khrushchev.
Among its decorations are Mamie's collections, White House artifacts, and gifts from foreign countries. A decorative arts tour, a collection of Eisenhower's paintings (he used to set his easel on the porch to paint), and a farm tour are special features here, along with a scavenger hunt for young visitors.
A shuttle bus leaves from the National Park Visitor Center, where you can buy tickets.
8. Shriver House Museum
The restored 1860 home of the Shriver family takes you back to the tense days when Confederate sharpshooters commandeered their house and knocked two holes through its brick wall, so they could fire at Union troops on nearby Cemetery Hill.
Costumed interpreters bring to life the world of the Shriver children as you tour the authentically restored rooms, see the sharpshooters' "nest," and learn how modern investigative techniques were used to authenticate what happened here.
During the restoration, medical supplies were found, confirming that it was also one of the houses used as a hospital for wounded soldiers.
Address: 309 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
9. Jenny Wade House
Despite the staggering losses to both armies in the battle that surrounded and filled the small town of Gettysburg for three days, only one civilian was killed. Twenty-year-old Jenny Wade was in her home when a stray bullet went through two doors before hitting her as she kneaded bread in the kitchen.
The Jennie Wade House Museum looks much as it did when she lived here and is authentically furnished throughout. Guides in period costumes discuss civilian and domestic life during the Civil War, and how it impacted Gettysburg. In front of it is a statue of Jenny Wade.
Address: 548 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
10. David Wills House
Following the battle, Gettysburg lawyer David Wills was active in local work to care for the wounded and bury the dead, and he led efforts to create a National Cemetery as a burial place for Union soldiers killed in battle or who died later of their wounds.
It was at his downtown home that Lincoln stayed the night before delivering the Gettysburg Address, and where he prepared that famous speech.
The Wills House Museum elucidates life in Gettysburg after the battle and how local people were left with the tasks of cleanup and caring for the wounded. This house became a center for those efforts, and as you tour its rooms, you'll see exhibits on the Gettysburg Address and Wills' work in helping families looking for loved ones who were at the battle.
Wills' office and the bedroom where Lincoln stayed and worked on his speech are restored to their 1863 appearance. A stunning statue of Lincoln stands outside the house. Take the Freedom Transit Shuttle from the visitor center.
Address: 8 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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