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Gettysburg National Military Park

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory in the summer of 1863 that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy," it was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address.

The Basics

Hours:

PARK GROUNDS AND ROADS

The park is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. April 1 to October 31, and 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. November 1 to March 31.

VISITOR CENTER

The park visitor center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with summer hours from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.

CYCLORAMA CENTER

The Cyclorama Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., April through November 20, 2006. The center will be closed from November 21,2006 through May 1, 2007.

SOLDIERS' NATIONAL CEMETERY

The Soldiers' National Cemetery is open at dawn and closes at sunset daily.

Address:

97 Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325

Phone:

717-334-1124

Phone:

717-334-0909

Fax:

717-334-1891

Directions

Gettysburg National Military Park is located in Adams County, Pennsylvania. From North or South, follow US 15 to Gettysburg and watch for signs to direct you to the National Park Service Visitor Center. The visitor center is located between Taneytown Road (State Rt. 134) and Steinwehr Avenue (Bus. Rt. 15). From East or West, drive into Gettysburg on US Rt. 30, turn South on Baltimore Street (Rt. 97), and follow signs to Steinwehr Avenue (Bus. 15).

Climate

Summers can be hot and humid, with occasional severe thunderstorms. Fall and spring are pleasant with average temperatures in the upper 40's and brisk winds. Winters can be wet with occasional snow that forces the closure of some park roads and buildings depending on severity.

Link to our Gettysburg Weather coverage for more information.

Fees

Entry to the park is free.
Electric Map is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for children and senions $3.00 for senior citizens.

Reservations

Reservations required for groups and for tour-guides.

Things To Do

The park offers free ranger guided programs, evening campfire programs, activities for kids, and specialized battle walks during the summer months. Check our schedule of Summer Ranger Programs for titles, descriptions and program times. Ranger guided programs will also run in the fall and spring, mostly limited to weekends.

Volunteer living history organizations offer programs in the park on weekends from spring to fall. A full schedule of living history weekends as well as other special events is posted on our Park Events page.

Special observances are held on Memorial Day and to commemorate the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery on November 19.

Places To Go

The National Park Service Visitor Center is the place to begin your visit. The center offers information on park tours, local information, the park museum that houses the Rosensteel Collection of Gettysburg related relics, and the Electric Map program. Next door is the Cyclorama Center where an orientation film is offered with museum exhibits.

Across from the Visitor Center is the Soldiers' National Cemetery where Union dead from the Battle of Gettysburg were buried and today the resting place for veterans and their families from all wars. It is also the place where President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

The park is open daily and park visitors may drive their vehicles to many of the places known in battlefield lore- Culp's Hill, McPherson's Ridge, Cemetery Hill, Spangler's Spring, Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and the "High Water Mark" to name but a few. The park also has hiking trails, a horse trail, and welcomes on-road bicyclists.

The McMillan Woods Youth Campground is open to scout troops and youth organizations on a seasonal basis by reservation only. Reservations for camping at the site are accepted by a lottery system, beginning the first of every year. There is no commercial campground in the battlefield park.

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