Headed to Gettysburg!!!!

[GwilymT]

Forum Members,

My lovely wife has given me an early Christmas gift and booked a trip for us to Gettysburg this coming spring. I haven't been there since I was a child when my grandfather took me in the 1980s. As I know several of you have spent time there I am looking for suggestions. What are some "don't miss" places? Is there anything better off avoiding? Any input or insight would be much appreciated.

Your Obedient Servant,

GwilymT

 

[major bill]

Bring money and bring more money. There are too many gift shops in Gettysburg so you should avoid going to any of them.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Forum Members,

My lovely wife has given me an early Christmas gift and booked a trip for us to Gettysburg this coming spring. I haven't been there since I was a child when my grandfather took me in the 1980s. As I know several of you have spent time there I am looking for suggestions. What are some "don't miss" places? Is there anything better off avoiding? Any input or insight would be much appreciated.

Your Obedient Servant,

GwilymT

Your post made me smile. What a wonderful gift!

Been there too many times to count but am not the one to ask- we have a plethora of members who are familiar with every blade of grass, rock and grave. @pamc153PA , @rpkennedy , @Tom Elmore , @reading48, @EJ Zander, @LoyaltyOfDogs , members whose threads I tend to stalk for this stuff.

 

[EJ Zander]

What a great gift!
Plenty of time to plan it out. Big question is how days are you going to be in town? Will leave the battlefield tour plans to the pros on the board. But I would suggest setting aside time for things your wife likes to do. We got outlets, wineries,art galleries, good restaurants, shops and family bakeries that mine likes. Depending on the month you are coming we also have local fresh fruit starting to come in (wife works for the growers coop). Any questions just fire away.
Merry Christmas

 

[Seduzal]

Where ever you go at Gettysburg enjoy yourself and take thousands of photos and post some of the photos here. For some of our members here have been to Gettysburg a number of times and some have not, we never get tried to see photos!

 

[Jimklag]

Forum Members,

My lovely wife has given me an early Christmas gift and booked a trip for us to Gettysburg this coming spring. I haven't been there since I was a child when my grandfather took me in the 1980s. As I know several of you have spent time there I am looking for suggestions. What are some "don't miss" places? Is there anything better off avoiding? Any input or insight would be much appreciated.

Your Obedient Servant,

GwilymT

It really depends on how many days you have to spend there. Have you thought about a Licensed Battlefield Guide? They have short tours that basically just follow the driving tour and can get as detailed as you want. I've had a guide who spent four hours with us in the Wheatfield and another who spent hours with us on the East Cemetery Hill-Culp's Hill axis. Depends on how much money you want to spend. I believe it is $30 per hour for two people, plus tip for an LBG. Have fun.

 

[captaindrew]

What a great gift! Enjoy your trip.

 

[Pollaco]

How I envy you. That's a trip I never got around to taking. Who knows it may happen yet. But if so it better hurry up while I can still walk a little. Like they said take plenty of cash and be ready to take alot of pictures.

 

[ARW]

Great gift. I have been there many times and still have places to explore. Take the Auto tour from the Visitors Center for a good overview of the area. You can then decide what interests you and go back for a closer look. The only thing I stay away from is the shops downtown. Just not into shopping. That said a walk downtown to look at the buildings is fun. I have a tread here with pictures of Gettysburg architecture. We have gone to Cashtown Inn to eat a couple times. Hope you have a great time.

 

[rpkennedy]

My advice is to take the auto tour in order to familiarize yourself with the ground and the various places (as well as giving yourself a good overview of the battle itself) and then, if a particular part of the field catches your interest, hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide to tell you all you'd like to know about that part.

And not to toot my own horn but I do have 2 tours ready to go as well if either interests you at all.

Ryan

 

[Ole Miss]

I have always felt a sense of awe standing by the Virginia monument and looking toward Cemetery Ridge and visualizing the absolute terror of advancing across a mile or so of ground under cannon fire and musketry. What incredible courage.
Regards
David

 

[kel1985]

Great gift!
Obviously check out Devil's Den and The Wheatfield.
Up at the top of Big Round Top you can find some cool rock engravings and a secondary marker to the 20th Maine.
Explore the trails on Culp's Hill.
Go to the Daniel Lady Farm where the barn was used as a field hospital (and has identified CSA soldier graffiti).
Go to the Seminary Museum and go to the top of the cupola.
Lee's HQ has been redone (worth a look).

 

[rpkennedy]

I have always felt a sense of awe standing by the Virginia monument and looking toward Cemetery Ridge and visualizing the absolute terror of advancing across a mile or so of ground under cannon fire and musketry. What incredible courage.
Regards
David

One of my tours begins at the Virginia Monument but features no Virginians.

Ryan

 

[mofederal]

Other than the park itself, most everyplace I used to go is probably closed by now. Of course I was mostly after WWII items. They carried military from all wars. There are some really great things to see at Gettysburg, like the new Visitor's center, the cyclorama and the field itself. A lot to see there, so enjoy everything you see. I would like to see it again.

 

[cash]

I have always felt a sense of awe standing by the Virginia monument and looking toward Cemetery Ridge and visualizing the absolute terror of advancing across a mile or so of ground under cannon fire and musketry. What incredible courage.
Regards
David

Of course, what you were seeing there was the reverse of the retreat from Cemetery Ridge, not the advance on Cemetery Ridge.

 

[ErnieMac]

Enjoy your trip. There have been quite a few improvements since you were there in the 80s

 

[cash]

Forum Members,

My lovely wife has given me an early Christmas gift and booked a trip for us to Gettysburg this coming spring. I haven't been there since I was a child when my grandfather took me in the 1980s. As I know several of you have spent time there I am looking for suggestions. What are some "don't miss" places? Is there anything better off avoiding? Any input or insight would be much appreciated.

Your Obedient Servant,

GwilymT

Kudos to your wife for an excellent gift. Don't skip East Cemetery Hill, Culp's Hill, especially take a look at Cemetery Hill when you're coming off Culp's Hill to see how it dominates the terrain, and the First Day's field. You especially want to get out of the car and walk around, because you can't really see the battlefield from your car. You can see it best on your feet.

Depending on when you go, there may be some ranger programs available. If so, I recommend them. They're free and the rangers do a great job.

 

[JOHN42768]

Have a wonderful time

 

[jackt62]

Enjoy your trip! It's impossible to visit and investigate all aspects of the Gettysburg battle in one visit. If there is a particular aspect of special interest to you (for example, Day 1 of the battle, or Pickett's Charge), you might want to concentrate your time on those particular locations.

 

[LoyaltyOfDogs]

Lots of good advice already in this thread! I'd like to put in a plug for two of my favorite, lesser-known programs at Gettysburg. If you enjoy Civil War art and happen to be visiting when the Gettysburg Foundation offers its "Evening With the Painting," this special "tour" of the Cyclorama is not to be missed! The other is "Songs and Stories of a Civil War Hospital," a free program presented by living-historians and musicians at Christ Lutheran Church on Chambersburg Street. Christ Lutheran, like Gettysburg's other churches and public buildings, served as a hospital during and after the battle.