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.

Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys

“This is a WOW experience. You choose one of three historic figures who speaks to you about their personal experience in July 1863. While wearing the VR headset, the figure I chose came to life right in front of me. (I chose Basil Biggs.) I could almost touch him and anything else in my field of vision. Very well done, as are all the attractions by the Gettysburg Foundation. A must-see list for your next Gettysburg adventure.”

Paris K.

Spring | Summer | Fall Hours: Now Open Thursday-Tuesday

Site

Exterior of the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station, home of Ticket to the Past-Unforgettable Journeys

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

Nurse Cornelia Hancock cares for wounded soldiers on the Gettysburg battlefield, musician Eli Blanchard writes home about his experiences during the Battle of Gettysburg and Gettysburg citizen of 1863 Basil Biggs collects supplies for the task of proper burial of the fallen solders at the Battle of Gettysburg          

 

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.

 

 

At A Glance

Youth and family-friendly experience for ages 6+ (not available for children ages 0-5)
Allow 45 minutes
(arrive only 5 min. before your showtime)
Adults (13-64): $9.95
Seniors (65+)/AAA/U.S. Military Veterans & Active Duty: $8.95
Youth (6-12): $7.95
Friends of Gettysburg: $7.95
With Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience: $7.95
Wheelchair accessible
35 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325 (MAP)
Metered street parking and a self-parking garage located on Racehorse Alley (MAP)

Hours:

December-February
Saturday & Sunday
10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Martin Luther King Day & Presidents Day holidays
Monday | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

March-November
Thursday-Tuesday
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
(Closed Wednesday)

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

 

Important Information:

Timed tickets are issued for all show times of the virtual reality experience.

Current schedule: Show times begin every 20 minutes from 9:20 a.m. The final experience of the day begins at 4:20 p.m.

 


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 Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys and all Gettysburg Foundation facilities and grounds.

In Grateful Recognition

Ticket to the Past - Unforgettable Journeys Sponsors:

The creation of this experience was made possible in part by a grant
from the National Park Foundation.

Captain Joan R. Hankey, USN (Ret.) | David and Sherri Malgee

Angela and Wayne Valis | Ford Motor Company Fund | John F.W. Rogers | John and Gertrude Echement | Mark B. and Jean G. Higgins Foundation | W. Craig and Michele Bashein | Beverly and Eileen DuBose | Leidos, Inc. | Paul and Patricia Malgee

Richard B. Sneed Foundation | David and Mary Hartman | Charles and Jane Diller | James and Laura Austin | Michael Conrad and Barbara Baumann | Linda H. Garrett | Robert M. Geneczko | Robert Kinsley | Tod and Sally MacKenzie | Mike and Patti Sipple | John and Karen Sirlin | George and Patricia Thorsen
Ann and Frank Cahouet Foundation | Sandra Ehnen and Daniel Dreyfuss | Marino Family Foundation | Evelyn L. Booth | Helen E. Bowlus | Bozzone Family Foundation | Brobyn Foundation | Debra Duncan and Stephen Hankison | Lawrence and Vicky Eicher | Albert and Anne Groh | Richard L. Hauschild, Jr. | Jerry Johnson and Sandra Moyer | Dorothy M. Nye | Susan and Eric Robbins | Peter and Alison Small | Jay and Kimberlee Steckman | David E. Wilkins and Shelly A. Malecha | John W. Bassett | David and Nancy Burket | Robert J. Cleary, Jr. | Glen L. Davis, III | Joseph and Sarah Dieter | Susan and Stanley Dobrinsky | Carylmead Eggleston | Bonnie L. Eyestone | Patrick Flatley | Kent and Rebecca Flint | James Hanni and Vicky Durand | David and Margery Keller | James and Betty Kepler | Mark and Danielle Kopsack | Brian Markuzic | Paul and Brenda Martin | Justin and Bethany Messer | Donna R. Moyer | Richard F. Muth | Steven Pacholyk | Robert M. Patrick | Michael N. Patterson | Ronald and Kathy Perisho | Marinne R. Renton | Maurice and Nancy Rhine | Paul and Janice Semanek | William and Gayle Simpson | David L. Stromberger | William R. Synyard | Nicholas and Carol Volk | Wesley and Kelly von Schack

A special thanks to Mr. Stephen Lang for his recitation of the Gettysburg Address

 

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.

Children of Gettysburg 1863®

Family-Friendly Adventure

Gettysburg's most family-friendly, interactive children's history museum. More than a typical children's museum, Children of Gettysburg 1863® tells the engaging stories of the children, teens and young adults who lived in and near Gettysburg during and after the 1863 battle.

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/ticket-to-the-past—unforgettable-journeys