ALERT: The Taneytown Road Entrance to the Museum & Visitor Center is closed for rehabilitation. Detour is in place to enter at the Baltimore Pike Entrance. Learn more. Temporary parking is now in effect. View new parking information and map. Allow additional time to navigate from parking lots to the building.

ALERT: Little Round Top is now closed to all visitation for rehabilitation. Learn more.

Children of Gettysburg 1863®

"A must see for families with children! Wonderful house museum with lots of "hands on" activities for kids. It has several first hand accounts of children who lived in Gettysburg during the battle. It’s very well done.

Hoosiernana7 - Tripadvisor

Family Friendly

Exterior of the Rupp House, home of the Children of Gettysburg 1863

Located at 451 Baltimore Street, Children of Gettysburg 1863® is Gettysburg's new, family-friendly interactive adventure for young historians.

Meet the children of Gettysburg, 1863.

More than a typical children's museum, Children of Gettysburg 1863® tells the stories of the children, teens and young adults who lived here during and after the battle.

Home to Children of Gettysburg 1863®, the historic Rupp House was the property of John and Caroline Rupp and their six children in 1863. It was truly a family home.

It still is today.

 

 

Fun & Educational 

Why visit the Children of Gettysburg 1863®

A boy and a girl interact with an exhibit at the Children of Gettysburg 1863

Feel the beat of the drum. Listen closely to the rumors of battle. Picture yourself as a character at Gettysburg.

Your family will touch, listen and learn its way through a fun and engaging journey back to 1863.

  • Introducing the children of Gettysburg, 1863: Now there is more for families to do in Gettysburg. Experience engaging first-hand accounts from the children who lived here during the battle including William Bayly, Albertus McCreary, Sadie Bushman and Tillie Pierce.
  • Finding Meaning: Find the objects in our story scavenger hunt. Gain an understanding of what children experienced during and after the battle. Find and take home meaning in the activities from the Gettysburg Address and the Gettysburg National Cemetery to historic preservation and documenting memories.
  • Living History: Interact with living historians on the grounds on summer weekends.


Free Adventure for Children

A boy views cards from an exhibit at the Children of Gettysburg 1863

The Children of Gettysburg 1863® experience is currently free for young historians 12 and under when accompanied by a ticketed adult. During your visit, you will introduce your child to Gettysburg and its significance while supporting a new generation of young learners on an interactive start to a lifetime of learning, inspiration and creativity.

  • Informed Imagination: Your journey through galleries like "Growing Up in Gettysburg 1863," "The Soldiers are Coming," "Surviving the Battle" and "Remembering Gettysburg" provides a history-based setting for creativity, discovery and learning.
  • Hands-on History: Children of Gettysburg 1863® invites families and groups with children in grades K-5—and those young at heart—to touch and learn, seek and explore, create and inspire.
  • Interactive Activities: Lift the soldier's equipment pack and feel the weight of what they carried. Find a place to safely hide during the battle. Stand at the podium to deliver the Gettysburg Address.
     

Buy Tickets
(12 & Younger Free)

 

At A Glance

Children-Friendly Attraction (Grades K-5)
Allow 45 minutes
Children (0-5)/Youth (6-12) Free with ticketed adult.
Friends of Gettysburg: Free
Adults: $9.95
Senior 65+: $8.95
AAA Member: $8.95
U.S. Military Veterans & Active Duty: $8.95
Outdoor living historians on select weekends
Wheelchair accessible
451 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325 (MAP)

Hours:

Spring | Summer | Fall
April 1 - Oct. 14:
Daily | 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Winter
Oct. 15 - March 31:
Thursday - Sunday | Noon - 5 p.m.

Annual Holiday Closures
Thanksgiving Day | Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | New Year's Day

 

Important Information:

Timed tickets are issued for all show times for the children's interactive history museum.

Current schedule: Museum adventures begin every 30 minutes from Noon. The final museum adventure of the day begins at 4:30 p.m.

 

Connect with the Children of Gettysburg 1863

Facebook   instagram

 


Safety & Prohibited
Items Policy

For the safety of all guests, staff and volunteers, as well as the preservation of this historic property, please observe all safety and prohibited items policies at the Children of Gettysburg 1863 and all Gettysburg Foundation facilities and grounds.

"Mommy & Me" Summer Program Series

Children/youth ages 8-12 with their parent/guardian/caregiver are invited to experience an in-depth introduction and create historical fiber arts during the summer season.

 

Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 20 through Aug. 10, 2023 | 10 a.m.-Noon | 1-3 p.m.

 

Presented by living historians with Danza Antiqua

 

Free with your ticket to the children's history museum.

First Friday in Gettysburg

Join us at Children of Gettysburg 1863® during First Friday in downtown Gettysburg, sponsored by Gettysburg Area Retail Merchants Association (GARMA)

 

Enjoy specials and events in Gettysburg. Look for the First Friday flags signifying participating businesses.

Exhibits & Tours

Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience

The Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience

introduces you to the Civil War before, during and after the Battle of Gettysburg and prepares you for a more meaningful tour of the battlefield.

Battlefield Value Package

Film Cyclorama & Museum + Battlefield Bus Tour

Make the most of your Gettysburg visit. Package the Film, Cyclorama and Museum with a battlefield bus tour for one memorable Gettysburg experience.

Tour the Battlefield

Bus. Car. Bike.

Step onto the hallowed ground and experience Little Round Top (when available, after the rehabilitation project is completed), Devil's Den and the Angle beyond the history books and movies. You'll tour the battlefield with a Licensed Battlefield Guide either in your car, by motor coach or bicycle.

Battlefield Car Tour

Personalized Experience

Don’t miss a thing on your guided Battlefield Car Tour. Either onboard or point to point, your License Battlefield Guide will provide you with plenty of stops to answer your questions and enjoy your own private tour of the battlefield.

 

Call to reserve your guided battlefield car tour: 877-874-2478 or 717-334-2436

Gettysburg Cyclorama

Experience Pickett's Charge

Originally displayed in 1884, the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama is a massive fully-restored, 360-degree painting that places you in the middle of Pickett’s Charge on the decisive third day of the Battle. 

 

Experience the Cyclorama as part of the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Package.

Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys

The new Virtual Reality Experience at the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station™

All aboard for Gettysburg's first immersive virtual reality experience. During your visit, you will join one of three historic figures on a virtual journey to the railroad station following the Battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath in July 1863.

Plan Your Visit to Gettysburg.

Whether you are visiting for the first time, or you return year-after-year, we can help you plan your visit.

AbsoluteURL: https://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/exhibits-tours-events/exhibits-tours-events/children-of-gettysburg-1863