Gettysburg (1 Viewer)

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Will be visiting the area in early May for a day or two....best battlefield sites to visit while there?
 
A day or two will not be much time to hit a bunch of different battlefields. Gettysburg will be the best bet and Sharpsburg is a short drive south of there if you can drag yourself away from G-burg. -- lancer
 
Larry,
Stick to Gettysburg, you won't regret it and I'd highly consider hiring one of the outstanding guides employed by the park services, he can give you a nice three hour tour with a good overall take on the battle, then you can always go back and spend time at certain spots on your own.

A day may not be enough time, there is a lot to see as the battlefield is huge, actually six battlefields rolled into one...........
 
I loved Gettysburg. Definitely get the private guide. He'll jump in your car and even drive. I spent 1-day there and it wasn't enough. Hope to go back soon, hopefully during the reenactment of Pickett's charge.
 
... and watch the movie once more in preparation.

I also found "Hallowed Ground - A Walk at Gettysburg" by McPherson a very good preparation. In addition to the tales of the guides. :)
 
I've worked in GB for four years and still haven't seen everything. The new visitors center is a must. Guided tours are around $55. Bus tours are fun when the weather permits. Most eveyone finds their way to Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and Cemetery Hill, but don't miss Culp's Hill or the first day of fighting west of town. If you drive out of town west on Rt 30 you can also see a small marker where the first shot was (supposedly) fired. Horseback riding tours of the battlefield are popular and the kiddies like the infamous ghost tours when they get bored to death with the history (no pun intended). Don't be fooled by the Lincoln memorials in the national cemetery. The actual location of the Gettysburg address was in the Evergreen Cemetery just next to it. Dobbin House is good for lunch or dinner - try the spit roasted chicken. Oh yeah, several toy soldier shops in town. The best is the antique center on baltimore street.
 
All depends on what you are looking for in a battlefield visit. Gettysburg is the best marked and has the most information/comfort, Antietam is the most pristine/primitive to the time of the battle and Harpers Ferry is the most restored. If you only have a couple of days and are a journeyman historian on the Civil War, Gburg is your best bet. The visitor center and available multi media (movies, books, cassettes, dvd's, tour guides and so on) is the best. It will be almost impossible to see everything in Gburg in 2 days, I have been going to the field since 1961 and still have not seen everything. The recent clearing of the primary fields adds to the understanding of the actual events of the battle. Guides are good but there are varying degrees in what they present. My favorite books for Gburg walking tours that I have done are the Military College Tour Guide, becasue it uses the actual official records, Coddington's, Study in Command becasue of the approach to 19th tactics, Frassanito books because they will show the now and then images, Bundy Gettysburg Papers because of the insight and then it is just topical, like Pfanz on the second day fights, regimental histories and so on. Antietam is another story, my favorites are T Ballard Staff Ride, Military College Tour Guide, Gleam of Bayonets , Landscape Turned Red, regimental histories and so on.

This is just my opinion. Have fun with it and enjoy your time there.
 
I have always enjoyed the HISTORY CHANNEL - CD - Driving Tour Guide. It is approx. $35.00 ? And with the FREE NPS Map of the Battlefield - you get a great tour for a minor investment.

The best way of course is to read up - maybe buy the HC guide on Amazon and prepare for your trip a little - then things will pop out when you see them.

Gettysburg is wonderful - I go up all the time to visit and still haven't seen everything. The town is special too - you will want to walk around the downtown section and check out the shops.
 
I was a Gettysburg a couple of years ago and saw the reenactment and then saw the actual battlefield. For me that was the way to go because it brought things to life and when I was at the Devils Den, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and such I was able to better imagine formations of blue and gray moving across the fields.
 
Seeing a re enactment than going to the actual site is truly a unique experience. Depending on how much time you have, you could also try doing your own walking tour to get a feel for things. We have done a couple of walking tours following troop movements to get a feel for the terrain, ebb and flow of the battle and seeing what they saw. It gets you close to being there when it all happened. Even try doing it with a compass, a poor map, and a single canteen along with similar civil war light food snacks as well as sticking with their time schedules. You will get a better appreciation for what they did just short of participating in a re enactment your self. Like I mentioned before, it is even better now at Gburg since they began making the land match what it was at the time of the battle. The HC CD is good and you may also want to pick up Civil War Combat or Journal episodes on Gburg. Also good viewing. I personally prefer the Combat ones over the Journal's.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am visiting family in Mass. from May 1 to May 14th and I will be in PA area from May 7-9 maybe 10th....going to a reunion of Berlin vets. Also planning to visit the USS New Jersey on my way back to Mass. Anyone been there? Probably hit the Intrepid. Was there in 1993. Anyone know if there is anything new there?
 
I’ve been to the USS New Jersey. The self guided walking tour is lots of fun. It takes about one or two hours to complete. I would recommend getting directions ahead of time from the USS New Jersey’s website. You don’t want to get lost in Camden, NJ. Let’s just say that it’s not one of America’s prettiest towns.
Enjoy your visit
 
Thanks for the heads up on NJ. Thanks to HR218 passed in 2004 I can carry in all 50 states and I will have my Glock with me.
 
Larry,

When I was a kid, they use to call Camden "Jump City." Don't think much has changed. If you go down there, be careful.
 
Definitely stick to Gettysburg only with that much time. If you had 3 or more days, I might recommend Antietam because it is such a wonderful battlefield to visit.

One thing most visitors to Gettysburg don't do but that I would never go without doing is to spend time on the battlefield before most people arrive. It is not just a good idea for photography afficionados like me; it is simply a beautiful and uncrowded time to see things. The Angle and all of Cemetery Ridge, Little Round Top, and Devil's Den are particularly good early in the morning - I am talking about sunrise or just after. Magnificent light, amost nobody else, and sometimes a bit of fog for added atmosphere. You can also visit places around dark and after. I once stood alone on Little Round Top alone after dark and watched tens of thousands of fireflies lighting up the Vally of Death - an amazing experience. Don't miss the tower on Seminary Ridge either - super views from there.

Definitely give yourself a couple of hours for the new visitor center, as others have said. The miniature display out at the campgrounds is interesting for people who like toy soldiers, and of course the toy soldier shops are a must!!
 
To all newbies going to Gettysburg, run, do not walk to the bus tour. They are double deckers ( I am always on the upper tier ) that have headphones so that you can hear the battle played out as you spend over 2 hours doing the entire field. There is a stop and get out on Little Round Top.. Everytime I go, I do the bus tour. It is easly the best value for the buck...with someone else doing all the work..Michael
 
You might want to make a trip to Washington, DC - the new Visitor Center under the Capitol is really something to see :cool:
 
Ron,
What is your opinion of the WWII momument, I have heard is it incredible, just wondering what your .02 is......
 
I am going to try to get to DC for but mainly police week. Been there in 2002 and 2005 and had a great time. Also have never been to Iwo Jima Memorial and would like to visit Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
 
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