Located 50 miles northwest of Baltimore, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the site of the largest battle ever waged during the American Civil War. Fought in the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg National Military Park resulted in a hallmark victory for the Union “Army of the Potomac” and successfully ended the second invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee’s “Army of Northern Virginia”.Historians have referred to the battle as a major turning point in the war, the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy”. It was also the bloodiest single battle of the war, resulting in over 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing.To properly bury the Union soldiers who died at Gettysburg, a “Soldiers Cemetery” was established on the battleground near the center of the Union line. It was here during the dedication ceremony on November 19, 1863, that President Abraham Lincoln spoke of “these honored dead…” and renewed the Union cause to reunite the war-torn nation with his most famous speech, the “Gettysburg Address”. The cemetery contains more than 7,000 interments including over 3,500 from the Civil War.Gettysburg National Military Park is a Awesome Place For Vacations.
History & Culture of Gettysburg National Military Park
Fought during the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg National Military Park was one of the most crucial battles of the Civil War having occurred at a time when the fate of the nation literally hung in the balance. Often referred to as the “High Water Mark of the Rebellion”, it was the culmination of the second and most ambitious invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee and his “Army of Northern Virginia”. The Union “Army of the Potomac”, long the nemesis of Lee’s army in Virginia, met the Confederate invasion at the Pennsylvania crossroads town of Gettysburg. Under the command of Major General George Gordon Meade, the Union army fought with a desperation not always seen before on other battlefields. Despite initial Confederate success, the battle turned against Lee on July 3rd, and with few options remaining to him, the general ordered his army back to Virginia. The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg resulted not only in Lee’s retreat to Virginia but an end to the hopes of the Confederacy for independence.
In 1864, a group of concerned citizens established the Gettysburg National Military Park Battlefield Memorial Association whose purpose was to preserve portions of the battlefield as a memorial to the Union Army that fought here. The GBMA transferred their land holdings to the Federal government in 1895, which designated Gettysburg as a National Military Park. A Federally-appointed commission of Civil War veterans oversaw the park’s development as a memorial to both armies by identifying and marking the lines of battle. Administration of the park was transferred to the Department of the Interior, National Park Service in 1933, which continues in its mission to protect, preserve and interpret the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address to park visitors.
Attractions of Gettysburg National Military Park
The National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center: This is the place to begin your visit to Gettysburg National Military Park. You can find maps, brochures, computers, and all the information you need on how to visit the park and what to see around Gettysburg.
The Soldiers’ National Cemetery: This is the final resting place for many of the Union soldiers who were killed at the Battle of Gettysburg, as well as those who died in all of America’s wars since 1865. The cemetery was dedicated on November 19, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
Gettysburg Museum of the Civil War: Over 22,000 square feet of exhibit space hold artifacts of the Battle of Gettysburg, inter-active exhibits, and multi-media presentations. The center also hosts the film, “A New Birth of Freedom”, narrated by award-winning actor Morgan Freeman, and the restored Gettysburg Cyclorama, which depicts the final fury of Gettysburg- “Pickett’s Charge”.
When to Visit:
The summer months can be extremely hot and humid, with occasional severe thunderstorms, so the spring and fall are your best bet. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., April 1 to October 31, and 6 a.m. to 7 pm., November 1 to March 31.
The Museum and Visitor Center is open daily throughout the year. The center does close on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
Getting There:
Gettysburg National Military Park is located in Adams County, PA and is easy to get to by car or air. If you are driving from North or South, follow US 15 to Gettysburg National Military Park and watch for signs (near the exit at Rt. 97) that will direct you to the Visitor Center Historical Tour in USA. If you’re coming from East or West, drive into Gettysburg on US Rt. 30, turn South on Baltimore Street (Rt. 97), and follow signs to the Visitor Center, which will be on your right at the stoplight.
For those of you flying in, Harrisburg International Airport at Middletown, PA is the closest air terminal – approximately 35 miles north of Gettysburg. Another option is Baltimore-Washington International near Baltimore, MD. Gettysburg National Military Park also has a small airfield on Rt. 30 that will accommodate private aircraft.