Visiting Gettysburg, PA – A Few Tips

Ever since our first trip to Gettysburg shortly after moving to Maryland we have loved visiting.

The drive from Maryland to Pennsylvania is beautiful and an added bonus is that there isn’t as much traffic heading north as there is going south!

Tips for Visiting Gettysburg National Military Park #travel #gettysburg #Pennsylvania

Visiting Gettysburg is one of our favorite day trips for a couple of reasons.

First, we love that each time we visit I learn something new! Second, it’s nice that exploring the battlefields is free. (There is a charge to do the museum/visitor center)

In the years we have lived in Maryland we have visited Gettysburg countless times and taken pretty much everyone that’s come to visit us to the battlefield.

After numerous trips to Gettysburg we are sharing a few tips we have learned from our trips.

Must Haves When Visiting Gettysburg

Here are a few things that I would say are must haves when visiting Gettysburg. They will help you get the most out of your trip and have a good time doing it.

The Gettysburg Story: Battlefield Auto Tour

When we are actually going to tour the battlefield instead of just head to a specific spot, we like to do a self-guided tour. This way we can go at our own pace, instead of going on the bus with a group from the visitor center.

If your planning to take a self-guided tour through Gettysburg, the auto tour helps you get more out of your trip.

Water and Snacks

While driving around the battlefields, it is nice to have drinks and snacks in the car.

If your planning to get out and do some hiking/walking around during the summer months you will really want a cooler of cold drinks.

Camera

Gettysburg is beautiful, each time we visit I’m amazed. There are a large number of monuments that you can take pictures of as well as some amazing landscapes.

Comfortable Shoes

You will probably spend a lot of time driving the battlefield, but there are some amazing views you won’t want to miss. So don’t be afraid to get out walk around the monuments, climb some stairs and enjoy the experience.

Some of the best views require getting out of the car and even climbing (a lot) of stairs.

Must Visit Places at Gettysburg National Battlefield 

Here are a few of our favorite places to visit in Gettysburg and we think you will enjoy them too. Some of them are unique things with secret stories we have learned about from various ranger programs.

Soldiers’ National Cemetery Gettysburg

I recommend taking a free ranger’s tour of the cemetery if you have the time.

We have had really good tour guides and others that aren’t so great, so taking a tour can be really good or not that great. If you get a really good guide it can be really interesting and you can learn a lot of fun facts.

A Witness Tree

One of our really great guides told us about this tree. It is called a witness tree. This means the tree was alive during the war and President Lincolns Gettysburg Address.

The witness tree is straight ahead as you enter the cemetery from Taneytown road. Since visiting Gettysburg for the first time I have found out that there are several witness trees around Gettysburg.

The Fence Dividing the Cemetery

The guide also told us about the fence dividing the cemetery. It used to be in Washington DC and was moved to Gettysburg.

He told us that the story of the fence involved an affair and a murder. It is definitely an interesting story to learn about.

Pennsylvania Monument

Climbing the circular staircase to the top of the Pennsylvania Monument gives you a great view of the battlefields.

On top, there are arrows that can help you get a better idea of what happened around the area.

This is one of our favorite places to take the kids, the stairs are steep but there aren’t too many and the kids love climbing up high and getting to see everything.

Little Round Top

To see the monuments on little round top it’s best to get out of the car. There are some fun little trails around the area and the view of the valley is beautiful.

This is a great place to do a little hiking and explore the beauty of Gettysburg.

Culp’s Hill Observation Tower

There are a lot of stairs to make it to the top but the view is worth it.

When we take people to visit Gettysburg Culp’s Hill Tower is something we always make sure to do. Even though we now have to carry the kids to the top.

What is your favorite thing to do at Gettysburg National Battle? Let me know in the comments!

Save this post!

8 thoughts on “Visiting Gettysburg, PA – A Few Tips”

  1. Pingback: Fun Holidays to Celebrate in November - The Keele Deal

  2. Devil’s Den is fun to do some jumping from rock to rock. Just be sure the kids are going to listen. Listening to screaming parents or cringing while kids do what kids do around big rocks takes much joy away.

    1. We haven’t ever been down to the Devil’s Den area. We will have to explore it next time we visit. Great advice about the kids. Since my kids are still little I don’t know how much jumping they would be doing.

  3. I am trying to get my husband to go there for a vacation. Thanks for the tips and mini tour!Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on Twitter! Have a great week!
    Kim

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *