The boys climbed on one of hundreds of cannons at the Gettysburg National Military Park.
Gettysburg, PA
by Ande Flagg
Each fall I experienced a euphoric peace at 0600 on my daily run along the ridge at the “Peace Light” (Eternal Light Peace Memorial) in Gettysburg, PA. The tourists were gone and the students at the college where I worked were not up yet. The smell of early season hay and sightings of red-winged black birds combined with the heavenly early-morning chill that made my runs so invigorating.
Those runs became one of my favorite memories from our pre-Army days nearly 20 years ago. While I’m probably not up for 0600 runs anymore, I was delighted to share some of the majesty of our Nation’s great history with our boys in 2016 when Tim and I returned to Gettysburg.
Little had changed in town, but our family had changed a lot. There were twice as many of us as before. Plus we had entered into a whole new way of life: Army life.
My perspective had definitely shifted. Originally the big battlefield monuments only served as distance landmarks on my runs. I used to tell myself, “Just make it to the guy on the horse!”
Eight years later those statues of heroes came alive through my children’s eyes. The boys wanted to know why one guy was on a horse while the next monument was a guy walking. Why are some walking and some standing? They had SO many questions!
Then, as an Army spouse, I started to see these heroes as fathers with wives and sons with mothers. Those thoughts hadn’t crossed my mind as I passed the monuments on my runs so many years before.
Bringing the Battle to Life
For six years we experienced the history of Gettysburg up close and personally. We lived near the “Peace Light”, but most visitors don’t start there. A good place to start in understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg is learning a little history and geography. Gettysburg was a crossroads-figuratively and literally.
Confederate General Lee wanted to take the Civil War to the North and Gettysburg provided several advantages. Eight roads entered the town from each cardinal direction and the land included ridges and bluffs for fighting as well as many farms for supplies. Lee hoped these strategic advantages would help him not only win the battle but end the war decisively.
The battlefield wrapped around farms, orchards and homes as well as downtown Gettysburg.
What he didn’t know was that the Union Army already occupied Gettysburg. This resulted in three days of fighting and one of the most important battles of the Civil War.
Because the battlefield covered downtown Gettysburg and surrounding land, about 17 square miles, a map is essential for understanding the battle. Even better than a map, I suggest getting a personalized tour.
There are MANY organizations and businesses that will give bus tours or personal tours – most for a pretty penny. However, I only recommend the official Gettysburg Foundation guided battlefield tours given by licensed battlefield guides. (See the “If You Go” section for a link to their website.)
We regularly hired the Foundation’s guides, as they gave personalized tour experiences to our friends and family. Our guide drove our vehicle and could speak to each group’s interests.
From Indiana? Our guide pointed out where the troops from Indiana were and what happened to them during the battle. Related to someone who fought in the battle? He asked a few questions and helped us imagine the events of that soldier’s life while serving in the Battle of Gettysburg. The battlefield and events of 1863 truly came alive with our guide’s ability to put us in the midst of the fight.
Starting Point
Whether or not you want a tour guide, start your visit at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. The film and cyclorama provide historical context of the battle and set a framework for visiting the vast battlefield. Both engage adults as well as children, even for 6- and 8-year-old boys.
The boys found a friend at the visitor’s center: Uncle Abe.
The cyclorama is a refurbished 1882 painting-in-the-round of the battle. The “show” retells the battle and brings it to life using the painting. The painting measures 377 feet in circumference and stands 42 feet high. To provide perspective, that’s longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story building. The cyclorama gives visitors a uniquely Gettysburg experience.
Monuments Galore
After checking out the visitors center, hit the road. Drive the self-guided battlefield route or meet your licensed guide for the tour. The monuments are something to behold and the landscape intoxicates the senses. The fields have been revitalized to resemble the orchards and fields of 1863. The wildflowers in bloom or hay at harvest fill the senses. When you visit on a sunny day, the fields seem to extend for miles. The rolling hills make the grass in springtime look lush, worthy of rolling down with one’s six year old.
Even if you are just passing through the Military Park, I take time to marvel at the memorials. An astonishing 1.328 monuments, markers and plaques dot the battlefield. Some states built elaborate castle-like monuments and some provided simple, modest markers of where their state’s troops fought.
General Lee on his horse, Traveler with a professional man, a mechanic, an artist, a boy, a business man, a farmer, & a youth who left home to join the battle.
In my opinion, the most notable is the monument of General Lee on his horse, Traveler. Below Lee men from all kinds of backgrounds demonstrate their love and admiration for the General by going into battle. The sorrow of war is drawn across Lee’s brow. He gazes across the stretch of field where he would have seen his men charge into the mile-wide expanse.
A Bird’s Eye View
In order to best see the expansive battlefield, visit the observation towers at two key locations around the battlefield to gain a bird’s-eye view. Peering over the tree-tops helped our boys better understand the troop movements and tactics when Tim pointed them out.
Tim and the boys view the battlefield from an observation tower near the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.
The Gettysburg Battlefield spurred great discussions with our kiddos. We talked about great men and what it meant to be a hero. We discussed military tactics and why geography matters. (Did I mention my husband teaches geography at West Point?) And we wondered together about misguided loyalty and why people disappoint us.
Aside from the life lessons, Gettysburg is simply the best-preserved civil war battlefield, the most beautiful battlefield and one of the best places to see living history that our country has to offer.
Outside the Battlefield
Visiting Gettysburg doesn’t need to be too emotionally deep or even focused solely on the events of July 1863. Be a kid again! What do kids of all ages love? Ice cream!
We loved Mr. G’s in downtown Gettysburg. It was a win, win. We supported local businesses and ate some of the best homemade ice cream we’ve ever tasted. Downtown Gettysburg offers plenty of great galleries, restaurants, and specialty shops like Mr. G’s. So get out and explore the town as well as the battlefield.
We all indulged in ice cream at Mr.G’s.
One thing did change in town since our last visit. We can’t wait to take the kids to a new children’s museum. According to the website, “Children of Gettysburg 1863 is Gettysburg's new, family-friendly interactive adventure for young historians.”
While we may not have had the benefit of a children’s hands-on exhibit during our visit, my guys were hands-on (and literally climbing on) as many cannons as we’d allow them to explore. Even Honest Abe captured their attention. So, no fear, opportunities abound for children to make the experience their own.
You may not be looking for the most awe-inspiring place for an early-morning run, but you will certainly enjoy any part of Gettysburg you decide to visit. Your children will enjoy it too. Whether you visit for the day or the week, your senses will be filled and your kiddos will be ready for a nap!
Both boys were tuckered out after a full day of exploration and learning.
Closest Military Installations
MWR Locations Nearby
Navy Getaways Annapolis, Annapolis, MD (2 hours) | Camp Mead RV Park and Camp Ground (2 hours) | Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (2 hours) Marylander RV Park, Shore Park Travel Camp, Skippers Point Campground | Joint Base Andrews, MD Fam Camp (2 hr 15 min) | Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (2 hrs 15 min) | Dover Air Force Base Fam Camp (3 hours) | Camp Dix Fam Camp, Joint Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ (3 hours) | Goose Creek Campground, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD (3 hr 15 min) | Champ’s Camp RV Park, Ft. A.P. Hill, VA (3 hr 15 min)
If You Go:
There are so many places to visit in Gettysburg that it is definitely best to go with a plan. There is something for everyone. Here are some suggestions to check out as you plan.
Plan your trip to Gettysburg by first going here
You can click the “plan your visit” tab to select a variety of experiences. My favorite includes the Battlefield Tours
Other features you may not have known about that can be a part of your tour:
- Gettysburg National Cemetery
- Eisenhower National Site
- George Spangler Farm and Field
- David Willis House (where President Lincoln stayed prior to giving his Gettysburg Address)
- Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station
- The WW1 Eternal Light Peace Memorial
- The Gettysburg Foundation also offers the new Children of Gettysburg exhibit
- The National Park Service website also provides information, maps and photographs to enhance your trip.
Best Time to Visit
Having lived in Gettysburg we quickly figured out the times of year we enjoyed most. We loved fall in South Central Pennsylvania. The smells, colors and bounty of harvest delighted all the senses.
However, plan your visit based on what you want to experience. Fewer people visit in the winter, but many outside exhibits and activities close for the season. The most crowded time is the summer, but that is when the most “stuff” happens.
Reenactments always happen July 4th week. As residents we never stuck around thanks to the heat and crowds. However, it is the quintessential Gettysburg experience. If you want a reenactment weekend hotel reservation, plan well ahead!
During summer’s “Bike Week” motorcycles to fill the streets of town. For more information on that experience (or how you can avoid the rumble of thousands of bikes) check out Battlefield Harley Davidson’s calendar.
Just as summer ends the students move in at Gettysburg College. The town fills with more traffic and plenty of parents to compete for hotel rooms.
The Battle of Gettysburg raged around many small farms like this one.
Lodging
- There are plenty of Bed and Breakfasts to choose from. You can easily google to get a wide range of amenities, locations and prices. In my opinion to get the full Gettysburg experience, go with a local establishment over a chain if your budget can handle it.
- There are camp grounds too! The National Park Service doesn’t take lightly to people just pitching a tent at the battlefield, so try one of these
- Food and Shopping: Downtown has plenty of local restaurant choices, from quick and cheap to your Sunday best. Either go for a stroll and stop in or find a list of many of the shops and restaurants here
- Another great spot for retail therapy is the Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg. The best part? Most clothing is tax free in PA!
- Adams County, the area surrounding Gettysburg, overflows with orchards and farms. My favorite place to frequent for fresh fruits and vegetables was Hollabaugh Bros. You will pass other markets on the way there, but keep going North on state route 34 past Biglerville until you see their name on the barn.
- Other useful websites: http://www.gettysburg-chamber.org/; https://www.newoxford.org/ and http://www.taneytownchamber.org/
- College shopping? Gettysburg College is a small private liberal arts college between downtown and the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. It is an easy “drive-through” campus.