Doing Gettysburg Up Right

[KeyserSoze]

I'm probably violating some forum rule by making this post but here goes. I'll apologize later.

I'm heading to the east coast in the fall - September/October - and have negotiated two days in Gettysburg with my wife. Sad to say this is my first trip to that hallowed ground and I'm looking to the members for suggestions on how to make the most of my time there.

It'll be two full days, probably a Thursday and Friday. We'll be staying in the areas somewhere close. Other than that I'm open for advice and suggestions.

 

[Wallyfish]

For a first time visitor, I would start your trip by hiring a Gettysburg licensed guide for as many hours that you are comfortable with. The guide can drive you around the battlefield as they describe the action. You then can go back to areas that interests you the most.

Now before your trip, I would get yourself a Gettysburg Guide book or two. Before your visit, I would make a list of stops that you want to visit. Write down the book and page number so you can easily find the detail while you are standing on the spot of where it occurred. I also recommend using google satellite maps to get a basic understanding of the layout of the battlefield before your trip. There are some one way roads that can make for some inefficient drives if you don't know where you are going. You can also preload coordinates in your GPS unit for sites you want to visit. Also visit the National Park Service and check out the auto tour and info there. The autotour is great but there is so much more to the battlefield that should be seen.

You may want to consider staying at a Civil War hospital B&B. They cost a couple bucks more but they add so much to your Gettysburg experience.

So preplanning your trip is important and coupling that with a guide is my recommendation for your Gettysburg visit.

 

[JOHN42768]

You will enjoy it for sure.

 

[ErnieMac]

I would highly recommend A Field Guide to Gettysburg: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler. The museum / bookstore / Cyclorama is definitely worthwhile. Do you have any areas of the battle the really pique your interest? Maybe make time for a couple hours after the guided tour (assuming you take one) to devote to that area.

 

[Wallyfish]

I would highly recommend A Field Guide to Gettysburg: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler. The museum / bookstore / Cyclorama is definitely worthwhile. Do you have any areas of the battle the really pique your interest? Maybe make time for a couple hours after the guided tour (assuming you take one) to devote to that area.

I like this guide as well as it provides a concise description of the action at each stop. I believe this is the best guidebook for understanding the Battle action.

I love The Complete Gettysburg Guide by JD Petruzzi. It has less battle description but includes more maps. But this book includes a lot of other interesting sites to any Gettysburg trips. It includes graves of interests in both the Soldiers National Cemetery as well as Evergreen Cemetery. It also has directions to many rock carvings, Civil War Hospitals and much more.

Using these two books in tandem provide an excellent starting point for any Gettysburg trip.

 

[Package4]

I'm probably violating some forum rule by making this post but here goes. I'll apologize later.

I'm heading to the east coast in the fall - September/October - and have negotiated two days in Gettysburg with my wife. Sad to say this is my first trip to that hallowed ground and I'm looking to the members for suggestions on how to make the most of my time there.

It'll be two full days, probably a Thursday and Friday. We'll be staying in the areas somewhere close. Other than that I'm open for advice and suggestions.

I guess I would first ask you what you are interested in; the battle itself, weapons, uniforms, artifacts? All?

 

[KeyserSoze]

I guess I would first ask you what you are interested in; the battle itself, weapons, uniforms, artifacts? All?

The battle itself.

 

[KeyserSoze]

Thank you all for your replies. They are most helpful.

 

[Package4]

The battle itself.

Then I respectfully agree with the suggestions of both the battlefield guide and the 2 aforementioned books! I would also recommend reading "Stand to it and Give Them Hell" by John Michael Priest, it is disjointed/jumps around, but it puts you on the battlefield July 2nd in vivid detail.

 

[pamc153PA]

That's a really nice time of the year to visit the battlefield—usually a little cooler, and definitely less bus traffic. I'll agree with the idea of taking a tour with an LBG. They can either give you a basic tour, or go a little deeper if you ask. It would be wise to have an idea of what specifics you'd like if you want more than a basic tour. There are also horse tours, carriage tours on the battlefield, and town tours. Check out the Heritage Museum on Steinwehr, and the Seminary Ridge Museum. You definitely should have no problem filling up two days!

 

[infomanpa]

Great suggestions here. I would only add this way of breaking it up into 2 days: First day, make sure to visit the Visitors Center and see the museum in the morning. Then, book the Licensed Guide tour for the afternoon. By the end of the day, you will know where your interests lie. The second day you can go back to the battlefield and revisit some places for a more in depth look or visit places where the guide did not take you.

 

[ivanj05]

We made a one and a half day stop in Gettysburg this summer. With time and a small child both being factors, we settled on devoting our time to the audio auto tour. All in all the audio tour was pretty comprehensive, and we were able to hit most of the highlights we wanted to. If we'd had another day, we would have almost certainly paid for an LBG and hit places not covered by the tour. If you can squeeze it in, the Eisenhower house tour is well worth the time, and might be up your wife's alley. It was probably my wife's favorite part of the visit.

 

[E_just_E]

2 days is a tough proposition. First of all, I'd say read as much as you can before you get there to allow you to focus to specific places you want to go. Second, as soon as you get there, go to the visitors' center, skip the museum (too much time and not much there compared to the battlefield), go to the bookstore and get the tour audio CD and map and do it. About 2.5 hrs. Not horrible, but a good overview (and a lot of gaps, esp. as far as the first day and Culps' Hill goes.) By that point you will probably know what you want to focus on more. My suggestion would be to walk as much as you can on the battlefield. The Seminary museum is worthwhile (much more than the Visitors' center one), and a walk on the town is a must. The town is part of the Battlefield as well and a lot of the original buildings still survive.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Everyone has given you great suggestions. Even if you only have two days, you will be able to see a lot and get an excellent overview of the battle. My husband and I have enjoyed Gettysburg as a stand alone trip and as a stopover. Any amount of time there is fulfilling for someone who loves history! Stop by someplace like Sweney's Tavern at Farnsworth House for lunch, dinner or just a drink. If you're a fan of the movie Gettysburg, you'll see some great movie memorabilia and the locals are friendly and full of stories! The David Wills House is also very worthy of a visit.

 

[connecticut yankee]

1st timers:
Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center is the first stop and you'll be returning more than once during your visit (even if it's only two days) for reasons other members stated already (bookstore, museum, Cyclorama, etc). The GNMP lists daily at the Center the Ranger programs and other special events being presented. All are free. If you do nothing else during your visit, trust me you can't do wrong following what's going on with the people who run the park. How else would you know that there is a simply delightful evening campfire every day on one of the most historic parts of the battlefield (Pickett's Charge step-off point) at which a Park Ranger gives a presentation on something most of us never knew about the battlefield?

 

[LoyaltyOfDogs]

...there is a simply delightful evening campfire every day on one of the most historic parts of the battlefield (Pickett's Charge step-off point) at which a Park Ranger gives a presentation on something most of us never knew about the battlefield?

Glad you mentioned the campfire programs, @connecticut yankee. They are outstanding! Sitting in the woods at the amphitheater, beside the campfire, with the farm fields off in the distance while listening to an historian speak about a Civil War subject of interest is a perfect ending to a day spent exploring Gettysburg.

 

[livia]

Then I respectfully agree with the suggestions of both the battlefield guide and the 2 aforementioned books! I would also recommend reading "Stand to it and Give Them Hell" by John Michael Priest, it is disjointed/jumps around, but it puts you on the battlefield July 2nd in vivid detail.

Would add that he achieves the same feeling with "Into the Fight - Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg" -the multiple eye witness accounts of the charge really stuck with me.

 

[FZ11]

Plan to get early starts each day. The size of the battlefield will amaze you! Hire a guide or guides for at least half the first day starting early in the morning. You can then hire another guide for the afternoon if you wish. Day 2 go back to see points of interest. You could absolutely spend a week and not see it all. Hire the guides in advance of your trip and meet them early.

 

[Andy Cardinal]

Both guidebooks mentioned previously are excellent. The other resources I use on all of my trips is Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg. It has really helped me to figure out what was going on during different parts of the battle. There are other, probably better map sources out there, but Gottfried's book is easy to carry around and refer to while on the battlefield.

 

[Wallyfish]

Both guidebooks mentioned previously are excellent. The other resources I use on all of my trips is Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg. It has really helped me to figure out what was going on during different parts of the battle. There are other, probably better map sources out there, but Gottfried's book is easy to carry around and refer to while on the battlefield.

Agree totally. I actually use this book the most when I am on the battlefield. The maps helps me visualize the action versus trying to read a summary of the action. I always write down my planned stops and I reference the page number of the map book corresponding with each stop. You don't want to waste time by fumbling through the book trying to find the appropriate map for each stop.

Your tough call is going to be the museum's. They are very well done and should be seen. But they do take time to see. For many, they go there when the weather doesn't cooperate. The battlefield is large and there is a lifetime worth of things to see there.

I use recipe cards for my field notes. I use these notes as "cheat sheets" writing down action notes with casualty statistics as well as page numbers to guide books in the upper right corner. I use a paper punch to create a hole. Then I thread the cards on a carabiner in order of my planned stops. It is a simple method for keeping track of the trip. I have a box full of these cards that I can use for just about any itinerary.

On the subject of books, Jack Kunkel's A Gettysburg Photo Tour book is a great tool for finding historic photo locations. He uses GPS coordinates to help you find the photo spot. It also has the historic photos so you can see the historic photo.
With Greg's posts on then/now photography, I now add one of these photo stops on each of my Gettysburg trips.