2023 News

Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation are pleased to bring sensory friendly hours to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center again in 2024. Special opportunities and programming will be available for visitors with visual and auditory sensitivities to enjoy with their family and friends. Visitors can experience activities in a relaxed environment for a calmer and quieter visit during the sensory friendly hours Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, from 9 until 11 a.m.

Between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. on Jan. 13, guests in the Museum & Visitor Center can enjoy complimentary admission to the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting and the galleries in the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War. The Cyclorama painting will be displayed fully lit, with no narration, sound effects or flashing lights, and visitors can spend an extended time viewing the historic, restored painting. Where possible, loud sounds from audio-visual displays, interactive exhibits and films will be reduced or turned off in the museum. “Hands On History” carts will be available throughout the museum, allowing visitors to touch and feel reproduction objects from Gettysburg National Military Park's collection. Additional friendly staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and support your visit. Upon arrival, guests will receive a sensory bag with park maps, a trail guide and more (while supplies last). A Reading and Relaxation Station will be available in the Ford Motor Company Fund Education Center for visitors who would like a quiet space to take a break during their visit.

“This opportunity is excellent for visitors with auditory or sensory sensitivities and their friends and family members to enjoy all that the Museum & Visitor Center has to offer,” said Gettysburg Foundation president and CEO Wayne E. Motts. “We are glad to offer, along with our National Park Service partner, the sensory friendly hours for visitors who enjoy a more relaxed experience,” added Motts.

Complimentary tickets for the Cyclorama and Museum for the sensory friendly hours at the Museum & Visitor Center can be picked up the day of the event at the Ticket Counter in the Main Lobby until 10:30 a.m.

Programming with sound, light and audio-visual elements will return to operation beginning at 11 a.m., with the first regular Film and Cyclorama show time at 11:30 a.m. Visitors with sensory friendly tickets are encouraged to explore the museum galleries and remain in the Museum & Visitor Center at their leisure. During the sensory friendly hours, A New Birth of Freedom film will be unavailable.

Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation are pleased to also offer the sensory friendly hours Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, from 9 until 11 a.m. For more information on this and other programming at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, visit GettysburgFoundation.org.