Gettysburg Activities

From mid-June through mid-August, Gettysburg National Military Park offers a variety of ranger guided programs for our visitors, ranging from battle history to medical practices during the Civil War, as well as programs for our younger visitors. Ranger guided programs are offered on the battlefield, near the park buildings and in the Soldiers' National Cemetery. Programs average twenty minutes to two hours in length, depending on the subject matter and location. Ask for a complete schedule at the park information desk when you visit and stay tuned to our park web site for the current summer schedule, which is usually available by May 1. All ranger guided programs are free of charge.

PROGRAMS FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS
For people on a first visit to Gettysburg National Military Park, the National Park Service suggests this series of programs:
CIVIL WAR SOLDIER (1 hour) Over 160,000 soldiers who participated in the Battle of Gettysburg. Find out why they enlisted, why they fought, and what they endured during the four years of the American Civil War. Meet on the back patio entrance of the Cyclorama Center. Daily at 2:00.
THE FIRST DAY (1 hour) Explores why the battle occurred at Gettysburg and how the fighting on July 1 shaped the rest of the battle. Meet at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, Auto Tour Stop 2. Daily at 10:00 A.M.
NATIONAL CEMETERY (35 minutes) Join a guided walk for a 35-minute program that explores the meaning and cost of the Battle of Gettysburg, and of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Meet at the red brick rostrum near the cemetery entrance opposite the Visitor Center. Daily at 9:30, 11:00, 2:00, 3:30, and 4:15.
THE THIRD DAY: "Pickett's Charge" (1 hour) Learn what happened during "Pickett's Charge" on July 3, 1863 and discover what its outcome meant for the Union and Confederacy. Meet at the back patio of the Cyclorama Center. Daily at 9:30, 11:00, 1:30 and 4:00.
A VISIT TO THE PAST (45 minutes) Step back in time with costumed interpreters who portray men and women who witnessed and participated in the events of 1863 at Gettysburg. Programs offered daily in the National Cemetery and at the Cyclorama Center. Daily- National Cemetery at 10:15, 11:45, 1:15, and 2:45. Cyclorama Center at 11:30 and 2:30.

PROGRAMS FOR RETURNING VISITORS
For the returning visitor, or those seeking to learn more about the dramatic events that occurred here, the National Park Service recommends the following programs:
CEMETERY HILL: "The Commanding Point of the Whole Position" (1 hour) Understand the crucial role this hill played in all three days of the battle, and how it contributed to the Union victory. Meet at Baltimore Street entrance to the Soldiers' National Cemetery. Friday and Sunday at 3:00 P.M.
THE SECOND DAY (1 hour) Explore the events and actions that resulted in some of the most desperate fighting of the American Civil War. Meet at the Peach Orchard. Daily at 2:00 P.M.
LITTLE ROUND TOP (1 hour) This program focuses on the July 2 fighting for this critical terrain feature. Meet at the General Warren statue on the summit of the hill, Auto Tour Stop 8. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11:00; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 3:00 P.M.
CULP'S HILL: THE MOST SUSTAINED FIGHTING DURING THE BATTLE (1 hour) Walk the wooded slopes of Culp's Hill, on the right end of the Union line where the most sustained fighting of the battle took place on July 2 and 3. Meet at the Culp's Hill Tower. Monday and Wednesday at 3:00 P.M.; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 11:00 A.M.
EAST CAVALRY FIELD (1 hour) Visit the scene of one of the largest cavalry battles of the war. Offered once weekly. Ask at the information desk for details. Wednesday at 1:30 P.M.
BATTLE WALKS (2 hours or more ) Walk the route of Pickett's Charge or visit such places as Devil's Den, the Wheatfield, East Cemetery Hill and many others. Check at the information desk or www.nps.gov/gett/events.htm for a schedule. Water, hat and proper foot gear are highly recommended. Daily at 3:30 P.M.
THE NATION AT WAR (1 hour) The American Civil War affected more than just the soldiers on the battlefield. This program reveals how the war touched the entire population, North and South. Meet on the back patio of the Cyclorama Center. Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 1:00 P.M.
CARE OF THE WOUNDED (1 hour) There were over 27,000 men wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg. Treating them and saving their lives is a story of courage, ingenuity and human resilience. Join this fascinating program on Civil War Medicine at the front entrance patio of the Cyclorama Center. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 3:00 P.M.

MONUMENTS OF GETTYSBURG WALK (45 minutes) The Gettysburg battlefield contains the world's largest collection of outdoor sculpture. Who created these monuments and decided where to place them? What do they symbolize? Learn about the extraordinary stories behind these memorials during this ranger-conducted walk. Meet behind the Cyclorama Center. Daily at 10:30 A.M.
HIKE WITH A RANGER (3 hours) Join a ranger for a three-hour hike on the battlefield. This more informal program examines Gettysburg's fascinating layers of history, extending from the battle to present day. Offered once weekly. Meet at the back patio entrance of the Cyclorama Center. Water, hat and proper foot gear are highly recommended. Wednesday at 9:00 A.M.
GETTYSBURG: THE AFTERMATH OF BATTLE (1 hour) When the opposing armies marched away, they left behind a nightmarish landscape and a community reeling from the overwhelming impacts of the battle. This program examines what the consequences of a huge battle like Gettysburg meant and how soldiers and civilians alike dealt confronted and dealt with it. Meet behind the Cyclorama Center for this hour-long program. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 1:00 P.M.
EVENING CAMPFIRE PROGRAMS. Rangers present programs on a wide variety of topics on the Battle of Gettysburg and the American Civil War. Nightly at the park amphitheater, Pitzer Woods, Auto Tour Stop 6. Nightly, beginning at 8:30 P.M.

PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG VISITORS
JOIN THE ARMY! Children enlist in the army and learn something about what it meant to be a soldier in the Civil War in this one-hour program. For ages 7-12. Sign up at the Cyclorama Center information desk (Limited to 25 participants). Daily at 11:00 A.M.
CIVIL WAR STORYTELLING: A program for our younger visitors (ages 4 to 10) and their families. Come and hear about a drummer boy, a girl who really wanted to be a soldier, the most famous citizen of Gettysburg, Captain John Bigelow and his Bugler, and how George Nixon was saved - all TRUE and adventurous stories told with tons of interaction. This program offered intermittently throughout July. Inquire at the park information desk for day and time. Meet at the front entrance of the Cyclorama Center.
JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM. This free family-oriented activity allows children (ages 5-13) to become Junior Rangers by completing an activity guide as they visit the park. Ask for details and the program guide at the park information desks.
FAMILY LEARNING HOUR. The Battle of Gettysburg for the Whole Family! Have you ever seen a Civil War cannon fired? How about hiking Pickett's Charge or listening to Lincoln deliver his Gettysburg Address? You are invited to view, with your whole family, one of the award-winning Gettysburg National Military Park's educational broadcasts. These include "Stories of Monumental Courage" and "A New Birth of Freedom". At the Cyclorama Center. Daily at 2:00 P.M.