The Best Things to Do in Gettysburg PA

If you are looking for the best things to do in Gettysburg PA, you might be surprised by just how much there is to experience beyond the battlefield. We recently spent two nights in Gettysburg as part of a Pennsylvania family road trip, and it ended up being one of the most memorable stops of our vacation.

Of course, Gettysburg is best known for the Battle of Gettysburg, fought here in July 1863. It was the deadliest engagement of the American Civil War, resulting in over 50,000 casualties. Visiting the battlefield is incredibly moving.

We also found museums, historic restaurants, ghost tours, cute shops, and plenty of places to explore in downtown Gettysburg.

With only two days in town, we packed quite a bit into our visit. Here are our favorite things to do in Gettysburg PA, along with a few tips we learned along the way.

1. Start at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center

If this is your first trip to Gettysburg, I highly recommend making the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center your first stop.

This is the best place to get some historical context before heading out onto the battlefield. Even if your kids have learned about the Civil War in school, seeing the exhibits and artifacts helps put everything into perspective.

There is a lot to see here, so give yourself plenty of time. We started our morning at the Visitor Center before meeting our battlefield guide, and the combination worked really well for our family.

2. Watch the Film, A New Birth of Freedom

Before exploring the battlefield, watch A New Birth of Freedom at the Visitor Center. The film provides an overview of the Battle of Gettysburg and its importance during the Civil War.

For families, I think this is particularly helpful because it gives kids a basic understanding of what happened before they see the actual locations.

It is much easier to appreciate places like Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and Pickett’s Charge when everyone understands how they fit into the larger story.

Plus it is narrated by Morgan Freeman who I wish could tell me a bedtime story each night.

3. See the Gettysburg Cyclorama

The Cyclorama was one of the most impressive things we saw in Gettysburg.

The enormous painting depicts Pickett’s Charge and wraps around the viewing platform, creating a 360-degree scene. Lighting and sound effects help bring the painting to life as you hear the story of the battle.

It is difficult to appreciate the scale of the Cyclorama until you are standing in front of it. The hand-painted canvas is longer than a football field and higher than a four-story building.

If you are narrowing down the best things to do in Gettysburg PA for a first visit, I would absolutely include the film and Cyclorama.

4. Tour the Battlefield with a Licensed Battlefield Guide

There are three main ways to tour the Gettysburg battlefield: take a bus tour, follow a self-guided tour, or hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide. We decided to hire a guide, and I can’t recommend the experience enough.

We booked a tour with Licensed Battlefield Guide Edward Guy, and this was easily one of the highlights of our trip. What makes this tour unique is that Ed actually drove our car around the battlefield while explaining what happened at each location.

Instead of simply driving past monuments and reading plaques, my kids could ask Ed their one billion questions and really begin to understand how the different parts of the battlefield connected.

Ed also found ways to get the kids involved. At one point, he had us get out of the car and line up in the same battle formation used by Union soldiers. Experiences like this made the history much easier for the kids to visualize and remember.

There is an overwhelming amount of history in Gettysburg, and having a knowledgeable guide made an enormous difference. What could have felt like a long drive past monuments became a story that the kids could actually follow.

If your budget allows, I think hiring a Licensed Battlefield Guide is one of the best investments you can make during a family trip to Gettysburg.

5. Explore the Gettysburg Battlefield

Even if you take a guided tour, leave some extra time to explore Gettysburg National Military Park on your own. The battlefield is enormous, and there are several places worth getting out of the car to explore.

These were some of our favorite stops:

• Little Round Top: Climb to the top of the castle for incredible views over the battlefield and surrounding countryside. While you are at Little Round Top, look for the monument to Colonel Patrick O’Rorke. Be sure to rub O’Rorke’s nose for good luck, a fun little tradition the kids will enjoy.

• 20th Maine Infantry monument: Movie fans should also seek out the 20th Maine Infantry monument. It is tucked away in the woods on the southern slope of Little Round Top, so it’s easy to miss. The monument marks the area defended by Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine on July 2, 1863. Their desperate defense of the Union left flank and famous bayonet charge became one of the most memorable scenes in the movie Gettysburg.

• Devil’s Den: This rocky landscape was one of the most interesting places for the kids to explore and also helps you understand just how challenging the terrain was during the battle.

• Pennsylvania State Memorial: This massive monument is one of the most impressive on the battlefield. You can climb the spiral staircase to the observation deck for another great view of the battlefield.

• The Wheatfield: Standing in the Wheatfield, you get a distinct feeling that you are on hallowed ground. More than 20,000 soldiers fought in and around this field on July 2, 1863, with more than 6,100 casualties. The fighting here was some of the bloodiest of the entire Battle of Gettysburg.

• The Trostle Farm: As Massachusetts residents, the story of the 9th Massachusetts Battery really stuck with us. Their stand at Trostle Farm has become known as the “Massachusetts Sacrifice.”

As Union troops gave way at the Wheatfield, the 9th Massachusetts was the last battery to pull back. During their retreat, they were ordered to hold their position near Trostle Farm at all costs. They held off Confederate infantry approaching from three sides. By the time they were finally forced back, they had lost one-quarter of their men.

Their sacrifice provided valuable time for the Union Army to reinforce Cemetery Ridge. You can still see the Trostle Farm today, including a cannonball hole in the brick barn.

For fellow Massachusetts families looking for things to do in Gettysburg PA, I think this is an especially meaningful stop. It gave our kids a personal connection to the battle and helped them understand the tremendous sacrifice made by soldiers from our own home state.

One thing that really struck me was the sheer size of the battlefield. Until you visit, it is difficult to understand how much land the fighting covered. Give yourself time to get out of the car, walk around, climb the observation points, and really take in the landscape.

If you are choosing things to do in Gettysburg PA with kids, these stops also help break up the driving and give everyone a chance to get out of the car and explore.

6. Visit Gettysburg National Cemetery

Gettysburg National Cemetery is another important stop, especially if you are visiting Gettysburg with older children who are beginning to understand the significance of the Civil War.

This is where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, just a few months after the battle ended.

This is understandably a more somber experience. We meandered through the Civil War section, where row after row of headstones mark the graves of soldiers who died during the Battle of Gettysburg. Perhaps the most moving were the markers simply inscribed “Unknown,” a powerful reminder of just how many soldiers lost their lives here without ever being identified.

After spending the day learning about the battle, walking through the cemetery gave all of us a moment to slow down and reflect on the enormous human cost of the Civil War.

7. Explore Downtown Gettysburg

One of our favorite things to do in Gettysburg PA when we weren’t exploring the battlefield was simply walking around downtown. Gettysburg has a charming, walkable downtown filled with historic buildings, restaurants, souvenir shops, antique stores, and some wonderfully quirky little stores.

One of our favorite stops was Union Drummer Boy, an antique shop specializing in Civil War artifacts. This was so much more interesting than buying a typical Gettysburg souvenir.

We ended up purchasing an original button that had been worn by a Union soldier during the Civil War. After spending the day learning about the Battle of Gettysburg, it was pretty incredible for the kids to hold a small piece of that history in their hands and bring it home with us.

The kids also loved Nerd Herd Gifts & Games, which was basically the perfect counterbalance to all of the history. The store is packed with games, collectibles, toys, and plenty of fun things for kids to browse.

I definitely recommend leaving some unstructured time in your Gettysburg itinerary to wander downtown. After a day filled with museums, battlefield stops, and history lessons, it gave everyone a chance to explore at their own pace.

8. Eat at Dobbin House Tavern

If there is one restaurant I would recommend adding to your Gettysburg itinerary for the atmosphere alone, it is Dobbin House Tavern.

The Dobbin House dates back to 1776, making it the oldest standing structure in Gettysburg. Eating here feels like another part of the history lesson, except this one comes with dinner.

There are two options for dining at the Dobbin House. The Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms offer a more formal dining experience upstairs, while the Springhouse Tavern is the more casual option downstairs.

We opted for the Springhouse Tavern, and the boys immediately felt like we had stepped into a scene from Dungeons & Dragons. The stone walls, candlelit tables, and waitstaff dressed in period attire made the whole experience incredibly atmospheric.

Be sure to spend some time exploring the Dobbin House while you are there. You can find the natural spring that runs through the building and visit the free museum upstairs. The Dobbin House was a “station” on the Underground Railroad, and you can see a hidden space where freedom seekers were concealed behind a false wall. It was incredible to stand there with the kids and see this part of American history firsthand.

Reservations are recommended for the Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms. The Springhouse Tavern does not accept reservations and is first come, first served, so I recommend arriving as early as possible, especially during busy weekends.

9. Take a Gettysburg Ghost Tour

Gettysburg has plenty of ghost stories, which is not particularly surprising considering the events that took place here. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, a walking ghost tour is a fun way to hear some of the stories and legends associated with the town.

It also gives you an excuse to walk around Gettysburg after dark, when the historic buildings and streets take on a completely different atmosphere.

For families with older kids, this can be a really fun addition to your itinerary and a nice change of pace after a full day of Civil War history.

10. Visit the Historic Farnsworth House

The Farnsworth House is another historic property worth seeing while you are in Gettysburg.

The building still bears more than 100 bullet holes from the Battle of Gettysburg, which gives kids a very tangible reminder that the fighting did not just take place across distant fields. The town itself was caught right in the middle of the battle.

At Sweney’s Tavern inside the Farnsworth House, you can find memorabilia from the filming of the movie Gettysburg. I highly recommend watching the movie with your kids before your trip. It made it even more fun to recognize props and other pieces from the film while we were there.

11. Get Ice Cream at Mr. G’s

Every family vacation needs an ice cream stop.

Mr. G’s Ice Cream is located in a historic building in downtown Gettysburg and makes an easy treat after walking around town.

After a full day of battlefield tours and museums, nobody in our family was going to complain about ending the day with ice cream and this was the best in town.

12. Visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site

Just outside the battlefield, you can visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the former home and farm of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower.

The Eisenhowers purchased the farm in 1950, and it eventually became their permanent home. Touring the house gives you a completely different history lesson from the rest of Gettysburg. Instead of battlefields and monuments, you get a glimpse into the personal life of a U.S. president.

One of the coolest things for the kids was seeing the Secret Service communications center set up in what had originally been the farm’s milking barn. The space was used to support communications and security while Eisenhower was at the farm.

Inside the house, many of the rooms still look much as they did when the Eisenhowers lived there, making it especially interesting for kids to see history presented as an actual home rather than in a museum display.

If you are looking for things to do in Gettysburg PA beyond the Civil War sites, the Eisenhower National Historic Site is an easy addition to your itinerary.

How Many Days Do You Need in Gettysburg?

I recommend spending at least two nights in Gettysburg.

You can technically see the major highlights in one day, but it would feel rushed. Two days gives you enough time to visit the museum, see the film and Cyclorama, tour the battlefield, explore downtown, enjoy a historic meal, and take a ghost tour without racing from one attraction to another.

If your family is especially interested in Civil War history, you could easily stay for three days.

A Two-Day Gettysburg Itinerary with Kids

If you are trying to fit the best things to do in Gettysburg PA into two days, I would organize your visit so you tackle the major historical attractions together.

On your first day, spend some time exploring downtown Gettysburg and the shops before having dinner at Dobbin House Tavern. After dinner, head out on a ghost tour.

Start the next morning at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. Watch the film, see the Cyclorama, and explore the museum before meeting a Licensed Battlefield Guide for a tour.

Afterward, spend additional time exploring the battlefield and Gettysburg National Cemetery at your own pace. Finish your visit with more time downtown and, of course, ice cream.

Become a Junior Ranger

If you are visiting Gettysburg with kids, don’t forget to ask about the Junior Ranger programs. Kids can complete Junior Ranger activities at both Gettysburg National Military Park and the Eisenhower National Historic Site.

The Junior Ranger program is one of our favorite ways to keep kids engaged at National Park Service sites. Instead of simply following the adults around, they have their own activities to complete as they explore and learn about the history of each site.

Once they finish the required activities, they can earn a Junior Ranger badge to take home. It is a fun, free souvenir and a great way to add something interactive to your list of things to do in Gettysburg PA with kids.

Where to Stay in Gettysburg

We stayed at the Wyndham Gettysburg, which worked especially well for our family of five. The hotel is located just outside downtown Gettysburg, so we had plenty of space, easy free parking, and quick access to the battlefield and attractions without staying right in the center of town.

We booked a king suite, which gave us a king bed, a pull-out sofa, and enough room to bring in a rollaway for our third child. There is also an indoor pool, which is always a bonus when traveling with kids.

You can read my full Wyndham Gettysburg review here for photos, room details, and more information about what it was like staying there with a family of five.

Is Gettysburg Worth Visiting with Kids?

Absolutely. I wasn’t sure how the kids would feel about spending so much of our trip focused on history, but Gettysburg turned out to be one of those destinations where learning happens naturally.

Standing on the battlefield is completely different from reading about the Battle of Gettysburg in a textbook. The museum, Cyclorama, battlefield tour, monuments, historic buildings, and even the restaurants helped bring the history to life.

At the same time, Gettysburg isn’t just museums and monuments. We were able to break up the history with a ghost tour, shopping, quirky stores, great meals, and ice cream.

If you are planning a family trip and researching things to do in Gettysburg PA, give yourself at least two days. Start with the Visitor Center, hire a battlefield guide if you can, and leave some unscheduled time to wander downtown. Gettysburg is one of those places where having time to slow down and really take in the history makes the experience that much more meaningful.

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