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Site
Located at 35 Carlisle Street, the NEW Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys is Gettysburg's first virtual reality experience.
All aboard!
Step inside the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station™ where U.S. history was made. Journey back to 1863 in this new immersive virtual reality experience.
On July 1, 1863, the purpose for Gettysburg's railroad station changed, becoming the first army field hospital even before the Battle of Gettysburg began.
On Nov. 18, 1863, enthusiastic crowds gathered outside the railroad depot in hopes of catching a glimpse of President Abraham Lincoln as he arrived in Gettysburg for the dedication of the national cemetery.
The story of this station goes beyond the famous arrival. Citizens, medical personnel and soldiers made this stop a focal point of history.
Now, with the help of virtual reality technology, you can travel back to 1863. Find yourself at the center of the bustling station when it served as a hospital, supply lifeline and presidential arrival platform.
You might even catch a glimpse of our 16th President.
Significance
Why visit Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys the Virtual Reality Experience at the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station™?
The NEW virtual reality experience at the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station™ immerses you in history and introduces you to historic figures, bringing to life their important journeys associated with the Battle of Gettysburg and this historic treasure.
You and your family and friends will experience Gettysburg's first immersive virtual reality experience.
- Travel back to 1863. Virtually meet some of the railroad station’s unlikely occupants, hear their stories and discover the extraordinary impact the station made on their lives.
- Historic Figures. Virtual Encounters. Witness the journeys of real-life people in history, Cornelia Hancock, Eli Blanchard or Basil Biggs.
- Arrival for the Address: Feel the impact of President Lincoln’s iconic Gettysburg Address. Consider how it influences us today.
Select
During your virtual reality experience, you can choose to follow one of the three historic figures featured on a virtual journey to the station following the Battle of Gettysburg.
- Cornelia Hancock, Soldier Caregiver and Hospital Heroine. You might volunteer with 23-year-old Cornelia, who defied the odds and society norms to travel alone to Gettysburg to serve as a nurse.
- Eli Blanchard, Iron Brigade Soldier, Musician and Amputation Assistant. You could sign up with 18-year-old volunteer soldier and musician Eli, who quickly went from drummer for the Iron Brigade to assisting surgeons in make-shift hospitals like this station.
- Basil Biggs, Gettysburg Resident and Facilitator for the Fallen. You could follow Gettysburg resident Basil, a free black man, who collected supplies at the station for the unenviable task of exhuming bodies of the fallen Union soldiers for proper burial in the new national cemetery.
Get a glimpse of our 16th President's arrival to the station the evening before the dedication of the national cemetery where he delivered the Gettysburg Address that continues to influence all of us today.
All aboard! Your virtual reality journey through history awaits.