Gettysburg Museum Exhibits

Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War

The Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War offers visitors a 21st-century museum experience that tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg and its significance to our nation’s history, within the context of the American Civil War. The Gettysburg Museum galleries showcase a collection of artifacts and archival items that provide visitors perspectives from President Abraham Lincoln, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Generals George Gordon Meade and Robert E. Lee, soldiers, war correspondents and civilians. Admission to the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War is included with the Cyclorama, Film and Museum Experience.

Tips for Exploring the Gettysburg Museum Exhibits

It is recommended that you allow at least 90 minutes to 2 hours to see the exhibits inside the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War. Maps of the museum exhibit galleries are available at the ticket counter and the Information Desk in the lobby of the Museum and Visitor Center.

Highlights of the Gettysburg Museum Exhibits

Of the 12 galleries inside the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, 11 are based on phrases from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and organized around the museum’s major themes, including the Gettysburg Campaign, the Civil War and its causes and consequences. Some objects you’ll find on display in the Gettysburg Museum include:

Battle Flag of the 149th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 149th Pennsylvania was made famous for its involvement in heavy fighting on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The flag of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry is on long-term loan to Gettysburg National Military Park from the Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee in Harrisburg.

Frock Coat and Sash of Capt. Isaac Nicoll of the 124th New York Infantry

Nicoll was killed with his frock coat and sash when his infantry unit, known as the Orange Blossoms, defended against a Confederate assault on the Union left flank near Devil’s Den on the second day of battle.

Portable Wooden Desk

One of the field desks used by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is on exhibit. This desk was believed to have been used during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Physician’s Journal

Adams County physician Dr. John O’Neal used the journal to list and identify the location of several thousand Confederate dead. Following the war, this journal helped families from the South locate their loved ones’ bodies and return them home.

Interactive Gettysburg Museum Exhibits

Throughout the museum, visitors will find interactive stations. Five of the museum galleries include short video presentations on the causes of the Civil War, the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg and the results of war. Two “Voices” theaters feature readings from battle participants.

Special Museum Exhibits

Through Nov. 24, a special exhibit “Abraham Lincoln: One Man, Two Views” presents the creative process used by artist Ivan Schwartz and his creative team at StudioEIS to arrive at two new bronze sculptures, “Lincoln at President Lincoln’s Cottage” in Washington, D.C., and “Lincoln at Gettysburg” at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.

Inside The Gilder Lehrman Institute Special Exhibits Gallery, a special exhibit “I Take Up My Pen” features a collection of soldiers’ letters from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and is illustrated with items from the Gettysburg National Military Park artifacts collection.

Purchase Tickets to the Cyclorama, Film and Museum Experience

The Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War provides an excellent introduction to understanding the Battle of Gettysburg and complements a Gettysburg battlefield tour. Admission to the museum exhibits is included with the Cyclorama painting and film A New Birth of Freedom. Tickets for the Cyclorama, Film and Museum Experience can be purchased online at our Gettysburg Tickets Page, by calling 877-874-2478 and at the ticket counter in the lobby of the Museum and Visitor Center.