Gettysburg National Military Park, Museum and Visitor Center - 2018
Updated: 05/06/19
Visitor Center . . .
The Visitor Center was the primary reason we returned to the National Military Park, Museum and Visitor Center. During our visit, many years ago, there was just the driving tour of the battlefield. At the visitor center, you can purchase tickets for the films, museum and guided battlefield tours.
The 22 minute film, A New Birth of Freedom, traces history from slavery and secession to the opening shot at Fort Sumter and Bull Run. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the film provides orientation to the complex Battle of Gettysburg.
Next, we moved to the theater-in-the-round viewing area of a restored Cyclorama painting of Pickett's Charge. The battle comes to life in this massive circular painting through a spectacular sound and light show.
Standing at the rail, visible in this photograph, you are drawn into the reality of the battles. The sights and sounds are overwhelming.
During the three days of fighting, July 1-3, 1863, the Union Army had 3,155 killed, 14,529 wounded and 5,365 missing. The Confederate Army had 3,903 killed, 18,735 wounded and 5,425 missing. A total of 51,112 soldiers participated in the battles.
It was a very moving experience.
We looked around the many exhibits in the museum lobby, where these photographs were taken. We chose not enter the museum itself. We have visited many Civil War museums and battlefields.
Buttons, buckles and badges . . .
Musical instruments of war . . .
Weapons . . .
Uniforms . . .
This tree shows the scars of war, as many as 7,000,000 rounds of iron and lead were used by the two armies, leaving a scarred and desolate landscape.
Gettysburg National Military Park . . .
The 24-mile auto tour starts at the visitor center and includes 16 tour stops. It traces the three-day battle chronologically. You can include or skip certain points and stops based on your interests. It's suggested you allow a minimum of three hours to complete the tour. We arrived at the visitor center at 1:30pm, left the park at 7:00pm.
When
we left the museum it was raining.
Fortunately, our umbrellas were in the truck waiting for us.
We took liberties with the route suggested. We passed the cemetery first so we explored it first.
We
discovered after driving through the cemetery that we were not supposed to be in
the cemetery.
The gate us unlocked for a walking tour.
Caught in the rain during their walking tour of the cemetery.
What follows are representative photographs of the many statues around the grounds of the cemetery.
This monument commemorates Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on November 19. 1863.
The Address was delivered about 300 yards from this spot.
The Gettysburg Address . . .
In
the nearby neighborhood in town (part of the "Auto Tour") . . .
We took photographs of the monuments we found interesting. The following photographs give you an overview of what we saw. The rain came and went during the drive.
Sounds like an appropriate street name . . .
The largest of the state monuments, commemorates the Pennsylvania soldiers who fought July 1 to 3, 1863.
.
From the rear . . . .
Moving on . . .
General Longstreet
The rain stopped - the fog rolled in.
You could almost hear Taps: "Day is done - gone the sun . . ."
For more information on Gettysburg National Military Park: www.nps.gov/gett and www.gettysburgfoundation.org
