Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War

How to Get There

From Washington, DC (80 miles):Follow 16th St NW to US-29 S/K St NW. Follow US-29 S to Canal Rd NW. Get on I-495 N in Bethesda from MacArthur Blvd NW, Canal Rd NW, Clara Barton Pkwy and Cabin John Pkwy. Follow I-270 N and US-15 N to PA-97 N/Baltimore Pike in Mount Joy Township. Take the PA-97 exit from US-15 N. Continue on Baltimore Pike. Drive to Drop Off in Cumberland Township.

Overview

The Gettysburg National Military Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Located in Gettysburg, PA, the park is managed by the National Park Service. The GNMP properties include most of the Gettysburg Battlefield, many of the battle's support areas during the battle (e.g., reserve, supply, and hospital locations), and several other non-battle areas associated with the battle's "aftermath and commemoration", including the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Many of the park's 43,000 American Civil War artifacts are displayed in the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center.

The park has more wooded land than in 1863, and the National Park Service has an ongoing program to restore portions of the battlefield to their historical non-wooded conditions, as well as to replant historic orchards and woodlots that are now missing. In addition, the NPS is restoring native plants to meadows and edges of roads, to encourage habitat as well as provide for historic landscape. There are also considerably more roads and facilities for the benefit of tourists visiting the battlefield park.

Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center

The Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center is a Gettysburg National Military Park facility, with a museum about the American Civil War, the 1884 Gettysburg Cyclorama, and the tour center for licensed Battlefield Guides and for buses to see the Gettysburg Battlefield and Eisenhower National Historic Site.

The museum displays artifacts including cannon, firearms, and uniforms, and includes an exhibit gallery and theater. Additional facilities are a "computer resource room", a bookstore with gifts, and a restaurant.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gettysburg National Military Park", and "Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center"which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0