Headed to Gettysburg!!!!

[pamc153PA]

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

@GwilymT, I've been on @rpkennedy's tours, and he really knows his stuff!

 

[Ole Miss]

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

Ridge? What Ridge?
As my granddaughter told me yesterday that "Girls go to college for knowledge and Boys go to Jupiter to get stupider!"
Regards
David

 

[infomanpa]

Lots of good advice already in this thread!

You might want to do a search to find the other threads which also have answers to the same question. I remember that there are a lot of excellent recommendations to be read.

 

[1stMN]

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

I love sunrise and sunset on the battlefield. I go as early as I can and head to W. Confederate Ave for a lot of nice pictures My husband and I had a picnic dinner on Little Round Top to watch the sunset...I highly recommend that.

I'd also say to make sure you get to the Dobbin House for dinner, spend time in the National Cemetery, and absolutely walk out into the middle of the Wheatfield and just listen. It is one of my favorite places in the park.

 

[hoosier]

If you have time to make a side trip to Harrisburg, I'll put in a plug for the National Civil War Museum.

There is another thread in this forum related to the museum. CivilWarTalkers who have been there have generally come away with a favorable opinion.

To find out more about directions and visiting hours, go to www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org.

 

[Deleted User CS]

I would first suggest reading Harry Pfanz's three books on the Battle of Gettysburg and absorbing as much of the material as possible. Once you have arrived in Gettysburg, I would contact a licensed battlefield guide to give you an overall tour of the battlefield unless as a result of reading Pfanz's works you have developed an interest in a certain portion of the battle and the field. Each licensed battlefield guide has a specialty. For example, any interest you may have in the Culp's Hill area should result in the hiring of Dr. Charles Fennell or any interest in the Eleventh Corps should result in the hiring of Stuart Dempsey, etc. By the way, Major Bill is correct in stating that one should always bring lots of money to Gettysburg since there are loads of books and materials to buy if you catch the bug. David.