A Visit to Gettysburg

Union soldiers advance during the Battle of Gettysburg’s decisive third day in this scene from Paul Philippoteaux’s majestic Gettysburg Cyclorama painting.

If there is a Civil War mecca, it’s Gettysburg. Every year, more than 3 million tourists flock to the small Pennsylvania town where Union and Confederate forces clashed in what is still regarded by many to be the fight that marked the war’s turning point. And with the battle’s 150th anniversary less than two years away, odds are those numbers will only keep rising.

Interested in visiting Gettysburg? To help plan your trip, we’ve enlisted a trio of locals—individuals who live in, work in, or are otherwise intimately familiar with the historic town—to offer their personal suggestions for what to see and do.

Our Experts

John Peterson (above, left) is a 22-year-resident of Gettysburg, where he previously managed the Farnsworth House Inn’s bookstore and currently works as a sales associate at the military antique shop called The Horse Soldier.

Sue Boardman (above, center), a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide, is owner-manager of The Antique Center of Gettysburg.

Peter Carmichael (above, right) is director of the Civil War Institute and the Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College.

Destination: Gettysburg

Use the reference numbers next to the locations listed below to find them on the map.

Best Sleep

The Doubleday Inn (1), for its magniﬁcent window on the ﬁrst day battle scenes. Provides easy access to both McPherson’s and Oak ridges. JP

I like the Doubleday Inn. It’s right on the battlefield, and the couple that runs it is devoted to their guests. SB

The Gettysburg Hotel (16). It is right on the square, across from the David Wills house, and overlooks the center of town. PC

Best Family Activity

Medium and older-aged kids will enjoy the new Gettysburg Museum & Visitor Center (2), with its stupendous, recently restored Paul Philippoteaux cyclorama painting. Littler kids will ﬁnd Gettysburg’s Land of Little Horses Farm Park (3) as “awesome” as ever. JP

The Gettysburg Diorama (10) is very popular with school kids. It has a light and sound show and thousands of scale model figures. SB

The Junior Ranger Program at the National Park. It’s the best way to turn your kid into his or her own historian. PC

Best Time to Be Here

For me, the November “Remembrance” Weekend is always best. In particular, the parade that retraces President Lincoln’s 1863 “Gettysburg Address” route to the national cemetery. If you can, watch it while standing between the two huge sycamores (“witness trees”) that were present when Lincoln rode by. On Baltimore street, just opposite the Farnsworth House. JP

While the battlefield is beautiful during all four seasons of the year, my favorite is fall—the foliage is brilliant, the crowds are smaller, and the cooler weather makes spending hours on the field comfortable. Perfect for a photography buff! SB

I love winter. One can take in the battlefield landscape without obstruction since the leaves and tourists are gone. PC

Can’t Miss

The Hauser Estate Winery (4), located eight miles west of Gettysburg, not far from where Lieutenant General A.P. Hill’s Confederates camped en route to town. Good food, great wine, and magnificent 360-degree mountain vistas. JP

The Gettysburg Cyclorama (11). Some folks don’t know what a cyclorama is, and tend to overlook it as an important interpretive tool. Known as the IMAX of its day, there’s nothing else quite like it. SB

Penn Hall (17) on the Gettysburg College campus is a beautiful wartime building that served as a hospital during and after the battle. Confederate prisoners were also quartered nearby. Most visitors wrongly believe that the armies skirted Gettysburg College during the fight (called Pennsylvania College at the time), but Penn Hall and the entire campus witnessed much of the first day’s battle and is likely the most overlooked area on the battlefield. PC

Best of the Battlefield

Little Round Top (5), southern slope. Visitors are advised to take advantage of the parking pull-off in the hollow just opposite the 83rd Pennsylvania monument—which places them smack dab in the Little Round Top “killing zone.” JP

Culp’s Hill (12) is one of the most under-interpreted areas of the battlefield and one of the most interesting. Not only is it an important part of the battle story, it is where a company of Union troops (the 147th Pennsylvania Infantry) from my home area fought. SB

Willoughby Run (18), just below the 26th North Carolina monument where the Tar Heels and Iron Brigade fought to the death on July 1. Along the banks of the creek, away from the park road and hidden from the monuments, the horror of the place seems almost palatable. PC

Best-Kept Secret

Gettysburg hosts fine bluegrass festivals in mid-May and early September. Visitors who share my taste for string band music are advised to schedule their battleﬁeld pilgrimage to coincide with either one. JP

The Majestic Theater (13) is great for live performances, movies, film premieres, art exhibits and musical shows. It’s been called the grandest small-town theater in America, and for good reason. SB

The beautifully restored Majestic Theater offers a wide range of classic and foreign movies and is connected to a wonderful eatery. If you want a place to relax near the center of town after a day on the battlefield and you are in no mood for a ghost tour, this is the place to go during the evening. PC

Best Battlefield Companion

William Frassanito’s Gettysburg: A Journey in Time (Scribner, 1975) and Early Photography at Gettysburg (Thomas Publications, 1996)—two masterful photo studies that will help visitors visualize the field and town as they were in 1863. JP

Gettysburg: A Journey in Time by William Frassanito contains images taken on the battlefield within days of the fight. Frassanito tells you about the images and helps you find the sites. There is no better way to connect to Gettysburg than through these powerful images. SB

Mark Grimsley and Brooks Simpson’s Gettysburg: A Battlefield Guide (University of Nebraska Press, 1999). Nothing gives a ﬁrst-time visitor a better orientation of the ﬁeld and how the ground shaped and influenced the tactical developments of the battle. The writing is crisp, the analysis compelling, and the authors never lose sight of the battle’s high drama. PC

Best Eats

The Lincoln Diner (6) is Gettysburg’s only all-night eatery, and a tolerably good one for quick bites. Try breakfast at Ernie’s Texas Lunch (7) for the best scrambled eggs in town. Arrange to lunch on chicken breast at the Dobbin House Tavern (8). For excellent Shepherd’s Pie, try the superb Garryowen Irish Pub (9). JP

The Lincoln Diner has the most incredible desserts! They are open 24 hours every day so there’s no reason to go hungry in Gettysburg. The Avenue Restaurant (14) or The Plaza Restaurant & Lounge (15) both have consistently great food and fast, friendly service. Love the deep-fried pickles at the Avenue and the homemade soups at the Plaza. The Dobbin House Tavern also has wonderful food and a great atmosphere. The seafood entrees are incredible and the roast duck is heavenly! SB

The Ragged Edge Coffee House (19) has the best smoothies, superb coffee, and well-crafted sandwiches that are not made of the toxic materials found in the chain restaurants. And you can’t beat the free Wi-Fi and the wonderful courtyard in the back. For dinner, Thai Classic IV (20). Try the Shrimp Drunken Noodles—they’ll satisfy the most famished battlefield visitor.

Gettysburg Navigator

LODGING

The Doubleday Inn
104 Doubleday Avenue, 717-334-9119

The Gettysburg Hotel
One Lincoln Square, 717-337-2000

DINING

Lincoln Diner
32 Carlisle Street, 717-334-3900

The Avenue Restaurant
21 Steinwehr Avenue, 717-334-3235

The Plaza Restaurant & Lounge
2 Baltimore Street, 717-334-1999

Dobbin House Tavern
89 Steinwehr Avenue, 717-334-2100

The Ragged Edge Coffee House
110 Chambersburg Street, 717-334-4464

Thai Classic IV
51 Chambersburg Street, 717-334-6736

Ernie’s Texas lunch
58 Chambersburg Street, 717-334-1970

Garryowen Irish Pub
126 Chambersburg Street, 717-337-2719

Hauser Estate Winery
410 Cashtown Road, Biglerville, PA, 717-334-4888

PLACES OF INTEREST

Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike, 717-334-1124

The Gettysburg Diorama
241 Steinwehr Avenue, 717-334-6408

Majestic Theater
25 Carlisle Street, 717-337-8200

Land of Little Horses Farm Park
125 Glenwood Drive, 717-334-7259

Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

SHOPPING

Farnsworth House Inn Bookstore
401 Baltimore Street, 717-334-8838

The Horse Soldier
219 Steinwehr Avenue, 717-334-0347

The Antique Center of Gettysburg
30 Baltimore Street, 717-337-3669

A Visit to Gettysburg

Our Experts