Tips for Your Visit

Tips for a Successful Campaign

Start with the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.

Before you head out onto the battlefield, get the background and set the stage for your visit with the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience. You will become better acquainted with the personalities, locations and tactics, and your trip to the battlefield will become much more meaningful and memorable when you start your visit at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.

When to Visit Gettysburg

There is never a bad time to visit Gettysburg. A visit to Gettysburg is excellent during all seasons, with visitors experiencing a different perspective during each season of the year.

The Museum & Visitor Center–as well as the battlefield–is the busiest in the summer months, particularly July 1, 2 & 3 during the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Fall colors, cooler temperatures and thinner crowds make the autumn months ideal for a visit, while the spring months (April and May) are peak times for student group visits.

Winter months offer the opportunity to be indoors with the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience, ride a climate controlled bus for a tour of the battlefield and gain a very different perspective of the view sheds on the battlefield while the leaves and vegetation are dormant. 

Whenever you decide to visit, reserving your tickets online will help save you time and get you on your historic journey sooner.
  

Park at the Park

Parking is free at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.

Access parking lot locations and information for Gettysburg National Military Park at nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/directions.htm.

Ride the Rabbit Transit shuttle for free and access additional, in-town National Park Service and Gettysburg Foundation destinations. Those with a proof of purchase from a National Park Service exhibit ride free. Present your Museum & Visitor Center ticket/proof of purchase.

• Handicapped-accessible Parking: Handicapped-accessible parking spaces are available at the front of Parking Lot 1. 
• Curbside Drop Offs: Located at the entrance to the Museum & Visitor Center, the curbside drop-off area provides another accessible option for visitors requiring some extra assistance. This area is for drop offs only (no parking).
• Additional Assistance: If handicapped-accessible parking is full or curbside drop off is not an option, visitors requiring additional assistance may call 717-339-2124 or 877-874-2478 upon arrival, and assistance will be provided.
• Bus, Trailer and RV Parking: Buses, trailers and RVs park in the Bus Parking Lot (MAP).
• Parking for Reserved Guided Car Tours Only: Maximum 15-minute parking is provided for visitors arriving for their reserved Licensed Battlefield Guide car tour. Space is limited in this area. If parking in this area is full, visitors with a reserved guided car tour can park in Lot 1 or Lot 3 as needed.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVC)
  Paid Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are available in the southern end of the Bus Parking Lot (MAP). 
  • Level-II Chargercharging fee is $5 per hour or any part of the first hour.
    • Additional hour(s) or any part of an additional hour is $3 per hour.

What to Bring

Civil War soldiers often carried more than 50 pounds of gear with them.
You probably shouldn't bring that much.

• Bags and Baggage: Help us keep the collections safe. Avoid bringing larger items into the Museum & Visitor Center. Cooler bags, bags with wheels and luggage are prohibited. All bags are subject to inspection. Please refer to the list of prohibited items.
• Food & Beverages: Stay hydrated. Bottled water is allowed inside the Museum & Visitor Center. All other outside food or drink is not permitted inside the Museum & Visitor Center. Convenient on-site dining options are available for purchasing meals, snacks and beverages while visiting the Museum & Visitor Center.

Accessibility

• Handicapped-accessible Parking: Handicapped-accessible parking spaces are available at the front of Parking Lot 1. 
• Curbside Drop Offs: Located at the entrance to the Museum & Visitor Center, the curbside drop-off area provides another accessible option for visitors requiring some extra assistance. This area is for drop offs only (no parking).
• Additional Assistance: If handicapped-accessible parking is full or curbside drop off is not an option, visitors requiring additional assistance may call 717-339-2124 or 877-874-2478 upon arrival, and assistance will be provided.
• Shuttles: Seasonal shuttle transportation is available from Parking Lot 3 during the summer months.
• Wheelchair Use & Availability: Wheelchairs are available at the National Park Service Information Desk.
• Scooters Use & Availability: A limited number of scooters are available to rent for the day while in the Museum & Visitor Center building. Visit the Friends Desk to learn more and inquire about availability.
• Service Animals: Service animals are welcome in the Museum & Visitor Center and Gettysburg National Military Park.
• Closed Captioning: Closed captioning enhances accessibility in A New Birth of Freedom film and in Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys virtual reality experience.

Photography

• Photography for non-commercial use is encouraged throughout the Museum & Visitor Center grounds and Gettysburg National Military Park. However, flash photography is not permitted in the Museum galleries, theaters or Cyclorama platform area.
• For the safety of visitors and our Museum collections, tripods, monopods and selfie sticks are not permitted inside the Museum & Visitor Center.
• Share your photos with us. Tag us in your Twitter and Instagram posts: #GettysburgFoundation

Dining Options

• Battlegrounds Café & Grille: Enjoy hot and cold food selections along with your favorite made-to-order coffees (lattes, espressos, iced coffee) and bottled beverages. Choose from a variety of cold sandwiches, snacks, hot dogs, pizzas and panninis.

  If you’re looking to soothe your sweet tooth, we feature local favorites, ice cream, and warm Adams County apple dumplings.

  For your convenience, order a boxed lunch for your family, small group, or couple, and dine outdoors on our patio or picnic area. Order boxed meals in advance.

• Refreshment Saloon: Modeled after an actual Civil War-era saloon, the Refreshment Saloon provides leisurely a-la-carte dining.

For Groups: Request group dining and accommodations online or call 717-338-1243, option 5.

Group Dinner Reservations: To make your group reservations for dinner, call in advance, 717-338-1243, option 5.

View hours of operation for dining on-site in the Museum & Visitor Center.

Family Information

• Lost Children or Adults: Please report lost children/adults to the Park Information Desk for assistance in locating your misplaced loved one.
• Family Restrooms: Family restrooms are conveniently located in the Main and Group Lobbies of the Museum & Visitor Center.
• Child strollers: Child strollers are not provided on-site. Visitors traveling with child strollers may bring them into the Museum & Visitor Center building and should be aware of the indoor stroller parking. Child or baby strollers are prohibited in the theaters (for the film) and in the Cyclorama area and on the platform. Convenient stroller parking is available in the museum lobby near the entrances to the theaters. Ticket holders for the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience shall park strollers in the designated area in the museum lobby before entering the Film & Cyclorama show, and can pick up their stroller before going into the museum.
• Lactation/Personal Care Room: A private Lactation Room is available. Please contact a ranger at the National Park Service Information Desk or personnel at the Ticket Counter for access.

Lost & Found

Lost & Found items may be brought to or identified and claimed at the National Park Service Information Desk. To check on lost items, call the Museum & Visitor Center at 717-334-1124.