Recently we went on a getaway to Gettysburg. This is a trip that we have wanted to go on for a long time. We have had some of our friends and family go and they all had nothing but great things to say about it. Our plan was to spend the day stamping off another National Park site, learn a little about history, and head home. We did that and a whole lot more. We were incredibly impressed with all that this area has to offer. This town if full of history, food, shopping, and so much more. It definitely exceeded our expectations.

Gettysburg National Military Park

The main reason why people go to Gettysburg is to visit the National Military Park. This is the spot of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. This place is one of the most hallowed places we have ever been to. There is a feeling that we had the whole time as if we were walking on sacred ground.

We went in November which was good and bad. Because we went in late fall, it was cold! In the morning it was in the low-30s and got up to the mid-40s. That wasn’t ideal. However, because we went when we did the crowds were lower than normal. This actually blew us away because everywhere we went after 10 am we were in crowds. This is definitely one of the most visited parks we have been to so far. It will be crowded if you go in the warmer months.

The park itself is just fantastic. The park service and other entities have done a superb job preserving the history of the area. They do a wonderful job of telling the story of the battle and the people who fought and died in it. You can do this in so many different ways, we tried to experience all the park had to offer.

Driving Tour

The battlefield is massive and goes in and through the existing town. In order to see it all you will have to take the tour. There are numerous ways to do the driving tour. You can take a tour bus, hire someone to ride in your vehicle, do a bike tour, or take the self-guided tour. The bus and car tours take between two and three hours and get you to every major area.

We spent some time talking to a really great member of the Gettysburg Foundation. The foundation works alongside the National Parks System to run the park. he thought that it would be best to just purchase the self-guided map for $1.50. When we got up to the register he gave us a free download of the audio tour as well. We weren’t expecting that at all, he just wanted to do something nice for us. This usually retails for $30 at the gift shop (you can find some online for way cheaper).

The tour takes you to 16 stops. There are plenty of signs and monuments that explain each stop even if you don’t have the audio tour. We have never seen so many monuments. Seriously, there are hundreds (almost 900 monuments and markers). They are awesome to look at.

We started the driving tour before the visitors center opened. Our plan was to do about half of it, check out the visitors center, then go back and finish. We would recommend going to the visitors center first and then doing the driving tour all at once. All together the tour took us about three hours. We felt like we got a pretty good overview of what happened with the driving tour.

There are plenty of great spots along the tour. You can’t miss McPherson Ridge, the observation tower at Oak Ridge, Longstreet observation tower, Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Our absolute favorites were Little Round Top and Devil’s Den. Take your time and read everything you can. Climb to the top of the towers. Soak it all in.

Visitor’s Center and Museum

Ok, so there is no entrance fee for the park and you can enter the visitor’s center and bookstore for free. After that, everything is going to cost you. The Gettysburg Foundation runs the museum, theater, and cyclorama. All of these cost a fee which is not covered by the America The Beautiful annual pass. You can purchase separately or bundle all three for a discounted price of $15. We only went to the museum because of time and we did not regret it. The museum is well worth the money. They tell the story of the reasons behind the war, the background of the battle, the key players, and so much more. We learned a ton. It kept all three of us engaged the whole time. There is so much to look at!

The visitor’s center is pretty large. If you want to talk to an actual Park Ranger, make sure you go to their area which is on the left-hand side when you are coming in. This is where you pick up your junior ranger book, stamp your passport book, and get any questions answered by them. The members of the foundation run the bookstore and other areas (and they are very knowledgable as well). The visitor’s center also has a really nice little coffee shop. It was really great on a cold day!

Soldiers’ National Cemetery

Before we went to Gettysburg we heard that the Ranger tour of the National Cemetery was a can’t miss. This is a free tour run by the parks system. They do them everyday at different times. Check the visitor’s center or the website for the times of your visit. This is advertised as a 45-minute tour. Ours took a little over an hour. It did drag on a tinch (Silas made that word up when he was four, mixture of tiny and pinch), but it was worth the time.

On this tour the Ranger takes you to a couple of different gravestones and shares the story of the men that are buried there. It is extremely interesting and really gives you a deeper appreciation for the individuals that fought there. We won’t give away who they take you to, but the stories are great.

A really cool thing about the National Cemetery is it is also the spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. There is a cool little monument there. It was so special to stand in that spot.

You can’t park in the cemetery but there is a pretty large parking lot across the street. Make sure you get there early for the tour because it takes a couple of minutes to walk through the entrance to the meeting spot.

Town of Gettysburg

The town of Gettysburg is such an awesome place to visit. There is so much to offer here – historic hotels, and tons of options for food, plenty of shopping, and so much great architecture to look at. We had a great time walking around and checking out what the town had to offer.

For lunch we headed to Gettysburg Eddie’s. We chose this place because it had some pretty good reviews, was moderately priced, and was close to the park. We loved this place because we are a baseball family and there is a ton of baseball stuff around. The place was packed and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Our food was really good, the ranch dressing at that place was out of this world good. Plenty of friendly people and just a great experience all around.

Before we headed out of town we stopped by the Gettysburg Baking Co. This place is right in Lincoln Square at the center of town. The coffee and tea was great here and they have a ton of yummy pastries. This is a great place to grab a quick snack and walk around town. We got here later in the day and most of their goodies were already gone, they said you better get there early if you want to have more options.

Sachs Covered Bridge

On our way out of town we stopped by Sachs Covered Bridge. This is a covered bridge built before the Civil War that was crossed by men who fought in the battle. This was voted Pennsylvania’s most historic bridge and is so beautiful. Whenever you have a chance to stop at a covered bridge you take it. We were super excited to learn there was one in Gettysburg. We got there right before the sunset so it made for a great place to take some pictures. You can’t drive your car on it, but you can walk on it. There is a trail that you can take by the water. It is about 5 -10 minutes from the battlefield so if you have a chance to go, take it!

Takeaways From Our Getaway

We learned a lot on our trip to Gettysburg – both historically and what to do next time we come. Here are our takeaways.

• It would be ideal to take a weekend to visit Gettysburg. A day in the park and a day in the town.
• Check out a Ranger tour if you have time.
• Eisenhower National Historic Site is in Gettysburg. You need a ticket to get there (no annual pass accepted) and you have to take a shuttle. If you are trying to get to all of the parks, plan accordingly. We didn’t make it.
• Try and go in the off-season.
• Don’t miss out on the history of the town and surrounding areas.
• Get out, read, and walk around the park.
• Get to the park early to avoid parking in a distant lot.

Have you ever been to Gettysburg? What are some things we need to check out next time we go there? What were your favorite spots along the tour? To see our other stops during our quest to visit all of the National Park Sites check out the Outer Banks Parks, Mammoth Cave, Booker T. Washington, Canaveral National Seashore, or Yosemite.

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