gettysburg national park driving tour

A Gettysburg Self-Guided Driving Tour How To: Easy + Free!

• Post author: Rachel Means
• Post last modified: 2023-12-12

The Battle of Gettysburg was a pivotal turning point in the American Civil War. Known as the High Water Mark of the Rebellion, the bloody battle lasted for three intense days and forever put the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on history’s map.

Take a self-guided, free Gettysburg driving tour today and see the battlefield where brother fought brother for the future of America.

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Table of Contents

Experience Gettysburg in One Day with a Self-guided Driving Tour

The town of Gettysburg has not ignored its place in American history; the town’s civil war battlefield history industry is thriving .

Honestly, it can be a bit overwhelming when planning your first visit to Gettysburg.

Not only is the battlefield a National Military Park encompassing 6000 acres, but the town itself also has museums and historical homes and tour companies around every corner.

If you only have one day in Gettysburg, opt for a self-guided auto tour of the battlefield. It’s FREE and can be tailored to your individual time needs!

How to Day Trip to Gettysburg Battlefield

Gettysburg, PA is an easy day trip from several states as well as from the US’s capital city of Washington, DC. Any of the following are good starting points for a day trip to Gettysburg, or it makes a great one day stop on an eastern US road trip .

• 45min south of Harrisburg, PA
• 1hr northeast of Harpers Ferry, WV
• 1.25hrs northwest of Baltimore, MD
• 1.5hrs north of Washington, DC
• 2hrs west of Wilmington, DE
• 2.5hrs west of Philadelphia, PA
• 3 hrs east of Morgantown, WV
• 3hrs north of Richmond, VA or Charlottesville, VA
• 3.5hrs east of Pittsburgh, PA

Personally, I’m willing to drive 2-3 hours each way for a day trip or even up to 4 hours if it’s a place I really want to go and/or I’m not likely to be in the area again for a while.

Some of you shudder at the thought of being in the car for 3 hours total, let alone one way. That’s fine.

Turn a day trip into an overnight trip. Drive up the night before or stay the night after to give yourself enough time to appreciate all the Gettysburg National Military Park has to offer.

Or, perhaps you need a weekend trip to make the most of your time at Gettysburg! Everyone gets 24 hours in a day. It’s up to you how you divide that time between sleeping, driving, and exploring. 😉

How Long Does It Take to Drive the Gettysburg Battlefield?

The most important thing to know about visiting Gettysburg is that it’s HUGE . The second most important thing to know is it’s POPULAR , especially in the summer.

During non-peak season, a Gettysburg auto tour takes about 2 hours with only a couple quick stops to get out of the car.

If you prefer to get out and take a lot of pictures and read all the exhibit plaques, it’ll take 3-4 hours, or longer, with stops at all 16 waypoints and at Barlow Knoll, Culp’s Hill, and the National Cemetery.

Our first trip to Gettysburg was November 2020, so crowds were low, as we had hoped.

I’m a huge history buff, so we read the map and exhibit plaques, watched the virtual tour video for each auto tour stop, and got out to take ALL the pictures.

All told, it took us about 5 hours to complete the entire battlefield auto tour loop.

It was a very thorough first visit to Gettysburg, and did I mention it was completely FREE! 😎

All bets are off during peak season , generally May to October but especially in early July around the anniversary of the battle.

Gettysburg National Military Park hosts over a million visitors to the battlefield each year, and the majority visit during the summer months.

Best advice : leave buffer in your time table for your day trip to Gettysburg.

Pro Tip: The anniversary of the battle is July 1-3 so the Independence Day holiday is always a particularly busy time.

Where to Start the Gettysburg Auto Tour

A self-guided auto tour covers all areas of the battlefield in more or less chronological order, from beginning to end of the battle.

Start at the national park visitor center and pick up a free map with the driving tour directions clearly marked.

The visitor center also has a museum, cyclorama painting, and historic film offered by The Gettysburg Foundation for a fee, if you’re interested in learning all the history ahead of your driving tour.

The map is invaluable throughout the day as it also has the restrooms marked! 😆

Car tour CDs and books abound, or you could purchase a guided bus tour or personalized guided driving tour at the visitor center, but the national park service website for Gettysburg National Military Park has a free virtual tour that corresponds to each stop of the battlefield car tour.

These national park ranger-narrated videos are typically 2-3 minutes , with a few longer ones, and walk through the Battle of Gettysburg as you progress from stop to stop. These videos are like having your own personal park ranger in the car with you, and it doesn’t cost a dime!

This is also a great way to visit Gettysburg virtually when you can’t travel!

Is the Gettysburg Self-Guided Driving Tour Easy to Follow?

Yes. The free maps have directional arrows and the roads are marked with signs throughout. Each driving tour stop has its own numbered marker.

Roads for the Gettysburg driving tour route are mostly one-way.

Once you start down West Confederate Avenue and into McMillan Woods on Seminary Ridge to Stop #4, there are very few options to get out of the one-way traffic loop until you get to Stop #12 in the middle of Cemetery Ridge.

Remember, there are restrooms available along the route but how fast you can get there is at the mercy of the cars in front of you. Don’t wait until it’s an emergency! 😅

Map of Gettysburg Driving Tour Waypoints

Use the official map from the Gettysburg Visitor Center when you’re driving around the battlefield. The map below is only for reference while you’re reading this article.

Driving Tour Waypoints at Gettysburg: A Journey in Pictures!

The Gettysburg car tour includes 16 stops that walk you through the geography and timeline of the battle.

1. McPherson Ridge

The battle begins on July 1 st , 1863.

2. Eternal Light & Peace Memorial on Oak Hill

Dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 3, 1938, the 75 th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, this memorial symbolizes the unity of a once divided nation.

The base is Maine granite and the column is Alabama limestone, topped by an eternal flame. A quarter million people attended the dedication, including many of the last Civil War veterans, both Union and Confederate.

3. Oak Ridge

Climb the observation tower for a panoramic view of this portion of the battlefield.

Barlow Knoll

This area doesn’t have a numbered waypoint marker, but it is part of the official driving tour.

4. North Carolina Memorial

One in four of every Confederate soldier killed at the Battle of Gettysburg was a North Carolinian.

5. Virginia Memorial

Confederate General Robert E. Lee sits atop his favorite horse on the top of this memorial, but this memorial is also meant to remember the everyday Virginian sons that fought and died here at Gettysburg. The picture below is the portion of the monument dedicated to them.

6. Pitzer Woods

Confederate Lt. Gen. Longstreet was General Lee’s “Old War Horse ” and reliably followed Lee’s command.

However, at Gettysburg, Longstreet disagreed with Lee’s strategy and reluctantly carried out orders, asking for a reassignment after the battle.

7. Warfield Ridge

The Confederates spent most of the second day of the battle trying to outflank the Union troops dug in on the high ground at Cemetery Ridge. Warfield Ridge was the launching point for the fight over Little Round Top.

8. Little Round Top

Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac Warren came to Little Round Top to find it unoccupied and a gaping hole in the Union’s flank .

His quick action in diverting troops to this location just in time to repel a Confederate flanking movement likely saved the outcome of the battle for the Union.

9. The Wheatfield

Remember, this area was largely farm fields at the time of this battle. Soldiers were fighting in and around fields and orchards and peoples’ homes and barns.

10. The Peach Orchard

11. Plum Run

12. Pennsylvania Memorial

Confederate memorials are typically one per state. Union memorials are typically per regiment, so there are more of them throughout the park.

All together there are over 1300 monuments and memorials preserved at Gettysburg, making it one of the largest collections of outdoor sculpture in the world .

The Pennsylvania Memorial lists every Pennsylvania solider, from private to general, who fought at Gettysburg. It is the largest monument in the park.

13. Spangler’s Spring

Confederates repeatedly tried to flank the Union forces on Cemetery Ridge. This spring was controlled by both armies at different points throughout the battle.

Culps Hill & Observation Tower

Another observation tower for amazing view s of this side of the battlefield. Unfortunately, during our visit all observation towers were closed. 😕

14. East Cemetery Hill

15. high water mark.

Pickett’s Charge on July 3 rd , 1863 saw 12,000 Confederate soldiers charge across an open field and uphill to try to dislodge the Union forces on Cemetery Ridge.

Decimated by Union artillery, the Confederates managed to briefly breach the low stone wall at The Angle but were unable to hold the position and eventually fell back to cover at Seminary Ridge before withdrawing completely.

This area is known as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy because it’s the furthest north the Confederate army ever reached.

After the Battle at Gettysburg, General Lee withdrew his forces and his northern campaign for the Army of Northern Virginia ended.

16. National Cemetery

The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War , over 51,000 casualties in three days. ( Common confusion: the Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle with almost 23,000 casualties.)

The aftermath of the battle was horrendous. Where do you bury that many people at one time? The summer heat and fears of disease meant most were hastily buried in shallow graves across the farm fields where they fell.

The governor of Pennsylvania quickly heeded the call from Gettysburg residents to establish a central cemetery.

Land was purchased by the state of Pennsylvania and thousands of Union soldiers were exhumed from their hasty graves and reburied with proper grave markers at the newly created National Cemetery on the ridge they had died to protect.

The Confederate graves were mostly relocated to southern states’ cemeteries in the decade after the end of the war. However, a few still remain in Gettysburg.

The national cemetery also has a monument to President Abraham Lincoln and features a bust in the center and the words of his Gettysburg Address inscribed in the stone behind him.

Lincoln did not give the speech at this site, but the brick stage across from his monument has been used by many Presidents since to give speeches.

Other Things to Do at Gettysburg National Military Park

There is so much to do at Gettysburg, but with one day to spare a self-guided driving tour is a great option!

Have more time to spend in Gettysburg? You could:

• View the Museum, film, and Cyclorama painting at the Visitor Center
• See the David Wills’ House and the Gettysburg Train Station in town
• Take a guided bus tour or personalized licensed battlefield guide around the battlefield
• Visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site , right next to the Gettysburg Battlefield

Looking for other things to do near Gettysburg?

• Explore Antietam National Battlefield
• 15 Fun Things to Do in Harpers Ferry, WV
• First-Timer’s Guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Take a Self-Guided Tour of Washington, DC’s Monuments at Night

Happy Travels!

About the Author : Rachel Means

With six-figure student loan debt and only 10 PTO days per year, Rachel started traveling the world. A decade later, she’s paid off her loans, changed careers, and been to 38 US states and 17 countries. She’s an expert at planning and budgeting for travel and loves to help others do it, too! Read her full story here.

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This post has 2 comments.

I love history and would definitely like to do this tour.

That was a very descriptive blog on Gettysburg and it’s historical significance! Loved reading it.

Comments are closed.

ALERT:   Free tickets are now available for the July 1, evening Sacred Trust Talk & Book Signings, "The Aftermath of War: Civil War Veterans in the Egyptian Army, 1868-78" with Thavolia Glymph, Ph.D.

ALERT: Little Round Top is currently closed to all visitation for rehabilitation. The National Park Service estimates Little Round Top to reopen to the public in late Spring or early Summer 2024.  Learn more .

• Buy Tickets

Battlefield Car Tour

For three days in 1863, Union and Confederate forces met here on the fields, hills and ridges of Gettysburg in the turning-point battle of the American Civil War. 

Today, the 6,000-acre battlefield includes more than 1,300 monuments, markers and memorials to tell the story of the battle and the men who fought here.

Through preservation efforts, the historic battlefield landscape looks very much like it did in 1863. It continues to serve as an everlasting symbol of courage, remembrance and reconciliation.

Significance

Why take a car tour.

• So much to see. Monuments. Landmarks. Battlescape. You'll see them all and hear the stories as you tour the battlefield with your Licensed Battlefield Guide. Plan on allowing 2 hours minimum for your experience.
• So informative . You'll take an in-depth, personalized tour with your Licensed Battlefield Guide covering your specific areas of interest.
• So many questions.  Where's my state's monument? Are these the original cannon from the battle? Did Abner Doubleday invent baseball? Your guide can answer all of your questions and bring new understanding of the battle and personalities.

At A Glance

The National Park Service and the Gettysburg Foundation partner to enhance the preservation and understanding of the heritage and lasting significance of Gettysburg through the Foundation's public outreach and private financial support.

National Park Service website

Gettysburg Battlefield Tour by Car

Guided Car Tour

Meet your Licensed Battlefield Guide at the Museum & Visitor Center for your personal tour of the battlefield.

• See the monuments and hear the stories as you tour with your Licensed Battlefield Guide across the battlefield. 
• Your Licensed Battlefield Guide will drive your car on the tour of the battlefield (on board). 
• Personalize your tour with a focus on specific actions, units or events of the battle.
• Reserve your tour at least 24 hours in advance of your visit.
• Call to reserve your guided car tour.

Reservations:  877-874-2478 | 717-334-2436

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

By bus. by car..

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 or by motor coach.

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.

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. 

ALERT:   Free tickets are now available for the July 1, evening Sacred Trust Talk & Book Signings, "The Aftermath of War: Civil War Veterans in the Egyptian Army, 1868-78" with Thavolia Glymph, Ph.D.

ALERT: Little Round Top is currently closed to all visitation for rehabilitation. The National Park Service estimates Little Round Top to reopen to the public in late Spring or early Summer 2024.  Learn more .

• Buy Tickets

Arrive in Gettysburg:

Depart gettysburg:.

You have requested a change to the dates for your trip. Doing this will result in some or all of your items being removed. Do you want to continue?

Not Sure Where to Begin?

We'll help plan your trip.

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Visit our 34th president's gettysburg property.

Tour the Eisenhower home throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons. The seasonal schedule of home tours and driving directions are available at nps.gov/eise. In winter, take a self-guided tour of the grounds of this historic property.

Step into President Dwight D. and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's weekend retreat and property in retirement. Explore the grounds during your self-guided tour of the property. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the grounds on the property during the wintertime.

Visitors may drive directly to the historic site where on-site parking is available. Shuttles departing the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center are required for groups of 20 or more visitors.

David Wills House

George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital

Living historians make history come alive as you explore the meticulously restored historic site..

Currently closed for the season | Family Day at Spangler: Saturday, May 25, 2024 Summer Season Opening Weekend: June 7-9, 2024 | Open Friday - Sunday, June 7 - Aug. 11, 2024

Access is via timed shuttles departing the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center

Walk the grounds, hear the stories and feel the emotions of life–and death–at this family farm suddenly transformed into a field hospital in July 1863. Interact with living historians and docents as they provide insight and authentic accounts of experiences during the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War era medicine and encampments. The George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital is the best preserved field hospital from the American Civil War.

Gettysburg National Cemetery

Established just months following the Battle of Gettysburg, Gettysburg National Cemetery marks the “final resting place for those who here gave their lives.” At the cemetery’s dedication, President Lincoln delivered his immortal Gettysburg Address, Nov. 19, 1863. The Lincoln Address Memorial inside the cemetery commemorates the speech. At the cemetery center, the towering Soldiers' National Monument features the figure of Liberty on the pedestal surrounded on the base by War, Clio, (the Muse of History), Plenty and Peace. In addition to the more than 3,500 Union soldiers buried here, the cemetery contains the remains of American soldiers and dependents from the Civil War to Vietnam. Take the path from the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center or the short drive to the cemetery park lot to visit and pay respect to the fallen solders in their final resting place.

An Evening With The Painting

Go behind-the-scenes of the iconic cyclorama.

Join the Gettysburg Foundation’s Chris Brenneman, Licensed Battlefield Guide and author/historian, on the platform for an exclusive "after-hours," behind-the-scenes program of the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting.

Learn more about the Gettysburg Cyclorama .

Children of Gettysburg 1863®

Interactive Children's History Museum Adventure

Explore Gettysburg's most family-friendly adventure. Experience Gettysburg through the stories of children, teens and young adults who lived here during and after the 1863 battle.

Admission tickets are issued for children and youth ages 12 and younger with a ticketed adult.

Ticket to the Past—Unforgettable Journeys

All aboard!

Step inside the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station™ where U.S. history was made, for a journey back to 1863 in an immersive virtual reality experience.

Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience

Film, cyclorama & museum experience + bus tour.

Value Package

Battlefield Bus Tour

[battlefield car tour with licensed battlefield guide], museum experience.

Get the full experience by choosing the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience

Closed for the season | Summer Season Opening Weekend: June 7-9, 2024

[George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital]

Gettysburg Driving Tour App

America’s greatest battle as you’ve never seen it before. Download today for self-guided GPS tours that put you right in the center of history.

(4.6/5.0 Rating)

The Gettysburg Story

Gettysburg for kids, the best gettysburg auto tour app.

GPS guided in the comfort & control of your own car.

Flexible audio tours to work around your schedule.

The Best Way to Tour the Gettysburg National Military Park

The Gettysburg National Military Park encompasses nearly 6,000 acres with over 26 miles of roads connecting major battlefield landmarks including Cemetery Hill and the “High Water Mark”. There are over 1,300 monuments, markers and memorials, 400 cannons and numerous historic houses.

Over 1,300 Monuments, Markers and Memorials

Gettysburg Battlefield Self-Guided Driving Tour

Start your gettysburg experience with us.

Tour Details

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Civil War Tours Bundle: Self-Guided Drive(6 Tours) SAVE WITH BUNDLES $74.95 $39.99

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Gettysburg Tours: Self-Guided Driving & Walking Bundle(5 Tours) SAVE WITH BUNDLES $50.95 $24.99

Welcome to the gettysburg battlefield self-guided driving tour.

Welcome to the narrated driving tour of the Battle of Gettysburg, the most crucial battle of the Civil War! Here, Union forces staged a nearly impossible defense against Confederate attackers–and won! Walk in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers, re-live the battle strategies of the key generals, and embark on an adventure that brings this historic three-day battle to life on your Gettysburg auto tour.

This self-guided Gettysburg Auto tour lets you explore Gettysburg’s historical wonders with maximum flexibility, safety, and value. Hop in your car, set up the tour guide app on your phone, and get started. All audio plays automatically based on location.

We are proud to be an official member of the Gettysburg Heritage Center.

Follow the Battle

The tour follows the intense 3-day battle at Gettysburg chronologically. It begins at the Gettysburg Heritage Center, where you learn about the lead-up to the battle. Before you start driving, download the Action Tour Guide app and enter your unique password to access the audio tour. Then, you’ll explore McPherson’s Ridge, the site of the first skirmish of the first day. From there, you continue past the Railway Cut, Iverson’s Pits, and Seminary Ridge until you reach the end of Day 1.

As you continue to follow the route on the Gettysburg Auto Tour, begin Day 2 with an exploration of Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard, and Culp’s Hill. Day 3 then starts with the infamous Pickett’s Charge. This comprehensive tour ends at the Gettysburg Cemetery, where you hear Lincoln’s poignant Gettysburg Address. And if you ever have questions, feel free to reach out to us over chat, call, or email – we’re always available and looking forward to helping you!

The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Project Closure Notice

Little Round Top is CLOSED for 18 months. For more, click here . However, you don’t have to miss out on this historic site’s fascinating stories and sights. With our tour, you can still listen to the narrations and view the pictures of the battle that took place at Little Round Top. You will learn about the brave soldiers who fought and died there, the strategic importance of the hill, and the heroic actions that changed the war’s course. Our tour will give you a vivid sense of what it was like to be at Little Round Top, even though you can’t see it in person.

Upgrade and Save:

Upgrade to one of the below bundles and get the best value for your money!

• Gettysburg Tours: Embark on the ultimate self-guided drive for $24.99 per person and save 40%.
• Civil War Tours Bundle: Drive through 6 self-guided battlefield tours for $39.99 per person and save 43%.

Looking to expand your tour? 

• Valley Forge Tour: By visiting both sites,  you can visualize thecontinuity and evolutionof the fight for freedom, spanning the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

Want all of our tours? Upgrade to Action+ :

• An annual $99.99/year subscription offers access to over 160+ tours.
• Unlimited use throughout the year.
• Includes free access to new tours as they are released.

Where To Start?

Starting Point Address: Gettysburg Heritage Center Parking Lot at 1 Culp Street. Culp St Gettysburg, PA 17325

How Does It Work?

• Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions.
• Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. If there are multiple versions or entrances for your tour, be sure to download all audio guides.
• To begin touring, go to the starting point and launch the app.
• The audio starts automatically once you reach the starting point. Stick to the tour route and speed limit for the best experience.
• Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.

What You'll See

Gettysburg visitor center.

Embark on this journey into the past at the Gettysburg Visitor Center! Get ready to be transported right into the middle of the battlefield... both in time and space. As we begin driving along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road, we step back in time to the eve of battle. Who are the combatants? The generals? What are they fighting for? Why? We'll dive into the history of the United States of America up to the point of the Civil War. That'll help us understand what made Gettysburg such a poignant battle, and why a victory here was so important.

McPherson Ridge (Auto Tour 1)

As we continue driving, dawn breaks on the first day of battle. At McPherson's Ridge, Union and Confederate armies clash and generals on both sides order their regiments into place. We'll be able to imagine the movements of the battle as we look out over the ridge.

The Railway Cut

Our drive takes us over the Railway Cut, where we'll explore the different battle strategies of the generals on both sides of the fight. This was the unlikely site of a major skirmish during the first day. We'll continue forward, diving into the backstories of some of the key battlefield players.

Eternal Light Peace Memorial (Auto Tour 2)

As we drive, we'll pass the first of many memoirals at Gettysburg - the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. This memorial commemorates the reunification of the United States. Maine granite forms the base, while Alabama limestone forms the pillar -- a symbolic unification of north and south.

Oak Ridge Observation Tower (Auto Tour 3)

We'll continue driving along the Gettysburg Auto Road. Our next stop is at the Oak Ridge Observation Tower. Here we'll be able to jump back to that first day of battle -- but by now, it's the afternoon. We'll "join" the fight as Union soldiers try to keep the Confederacy at bay. The top of this tower is a great place to get panoramic views of the historic fields that once saw so much violence and bloodshed.

Battlefield Sallie Memorial

We'll continue driving, following the progress of the first day of battle as we follow the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road. Though we'll pass several more memorials, one in particular stands out: the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument. There’s a dog sculpted on the other side of the statue’s base. That’s Battlefield Sallie! She served as a mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, and accompanied these Union soldiers for most of the Civil War. We'll drive past Sallie and learn a little about the importance of drummers and military music during the war.

Seminary Ridge Museum

Our journey continues along the Gettysburg Auto Road as evening descends on the first day of battle. Union soldiers have paid heavily and lost ground. Is there any hope of success? We'll explore the various plans and strategies the generals come up with as they bunker down after the first day.

North Carolina Memorial (Auto Tour 4)

Our drive takes us past the North Carolina Memorial and Virginia Monument.

Virginia Monument (Auto Tour 5)

We'll continue driving along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road. The infamous Pickett's Charge on Day 3 began at this stop, but we'll save that story for a little later on the tour. Instead, we'll now enter the second day of battle. Troops on both sides have begun to organize and mobilize. Whose strategy will finally succeed?

Pitzer Woods (Auto Tour 6) & Longstreet Observation Tower

Our drive takes us past the Longstreet Observation Tower, which offers a great vantage point over the second day's battlefield.

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Here we can take an optional detour off of the Gettysburg Auto Road to visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site, which overlooks the battlefield. President Eisenhower often stayed here.

Warfield Ridge (Auto Tour 7)

We're back on the Gettysburg Road, following the activities of Day 2 of the battle. Confederate troops assemble here, ready to attack one of the strategic Union outposts. Specially trained Union marksmen are in position to defend. The stage is set....

Little Round Top (Auto Tour 8)

Our drive passes Little Round Top, a critical skirmish site on the second day. Here Union soldiers just barely hold off Confederate troops, maintaining their control of this strategic hill. As we drive around the hill, we'll cross the Valley of Death -- an appropriate name for the site of such a bloody skirmish.

Devil's Den

Here, Confederate sharpshooters set up positions among the volcanic rocks. From the safety of the rocky cover at Devil's Den, they’re able to pick off soldier after soldier on the Union side.

The Wheat Field (Auto Tour 9)

We continue driving along the Gettysburg Auto Road, passing the Wheat Fields. This area represented the second major skirmish site on Day 2. We'll find ourselves in the heat of battle, fighting alongside Union soldiers to defend against the Confederates. We'll also learn about the strange tale of Union soldier JJ Purman.

The Peach Orchard (Auto Tour 10)

Our drives take us past the Peach Orchard, where the battles of the second day continued. We'll start seeing which strategies were successful and which were not as we drive past.

The Abraham Trostle Farm

We'll continue past the Trostle farm. When fighting broke out in Gettysburg, the Trostle family fled their home. They left so abruptly that dinner was still on the table!

Plum Run (Auto Tour 11)

Our journey along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road now takes us to Plum Run, where we catch up with the soldiers who just escaped the skirmish at the Peach Orchard.

The George Weikert Farm

We'll continue towards the George Weikert Farm. Like the Trostles, the Weikert's hastily evacuated when the battle erupted. But they returned to a grislier scene -- their farm had been converted into a battlefield hospital. As we drive, we'll learn a little about military doctors and the effects of war.

Pennsylvania Memorial (Auto Tour 12)

Our path brings us to the Pennsylvania Memorial. This monument commemorates the nearly 35,000 Pennsylvanian soldiers who fought in this battle. While the stakes were high for everyone, they were particularly intense for these men of Pennsylvania: they weren’t fighting for an abstract idea, they were fighting for their very state.

Spangler's Spring (Auto Tour 13)

The Gettysburg Auto Road brings us deeper into the Gettysburg woods, where we'll come across Spangler's Spring. We'll dive into the significance of this small but mighty site and then continue forward to Culp's Hill Tower. Here, Union and Confederate soldiers clashed again, fighting for control of this strategic outpost. Luckily for the Union, they are able to defend the hill until evening finally descended.

East Cemetery Hill (Auto Tour 14)

We continue the driving tour to East Cemetery Hill. Night has fallen across the battlefield, and ordinarily, this would mean an end to the fighting. But the Confederate failure to fully capture Culp’s Hill bothers them, so they try a nighttime raid. This was the moment the Union came closest to losing. Through a mixture of perseverance, skill, and luck, the Union prevailed. Once we explore this historic site and understand what was at stake, we'll continue driving. Day 2 has come to a close; the third and final day of battle is ahead.

The High Water Mark (Auto Tour 15)

The third-day dawns, and the Union and Confederate troops prepare for a final, epic battle. This is the infamous Pickett's Charge by the Confederates. We'll stand at the top of the hill, looking down at the empty expanse of the final battlefield. As we follow the progress of this last charge, we'll take a look at the "high water mark" -- the spot that marks the farthest the Confederacy advanced up the hill, towards the Union defenses.

National Cemetery (Auto Tour 16)

We'll follow the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road to the final stop: the National Cemetery. Here we visit and honor the graves of the fallen Union soldiers who defended their country and morals.

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

This is also the site of President Abraham Lincoln's famed Gettysburg Address. Given the monumental nature of the battle, most people expected President Lincoln to deliver quite a lengthy speech. But Lincoln didn’t want to steal attention that he believed belonged to the Union soldiers who sacrificed their lives here. Our tour officially ends at this final, poignant stop.

Preview The Tour

  can you tour gettysburg without a guide.

These days, there are much better options for touring a historic site like this than the type of Gettysburg guide you might have in mind. More specifically, you can get a rich, exciting, and complete tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield by using an app!

  Can you drive through the Gettysburg Battlefield?

While the roads through the park will take you close to the major battlefields, in many areas, you’ll have to get out of the car to actually stand on the fields where the combat took place, such as Little Round Top. A Gettysburg Driving Tour app will help you locate the specific battlefield sites so you can get up close and personal with history.

  Is Gettysburg open in the winter?

Now, folks generally associate the Gettysburg Battlefield with the hot, humid days of summer, especially since the battle itself took place on the first three days of July 1863. Ironically, that’s exactly what makes winter such a good time to visit Gettysburg.

  Can you tour Gettysburg by car?

Absolutely you can! In fact, I’d say a Gettysburg driving tour is the absolute best way to experience this historic battlefield. Sure, you could pay to hop on a tour bus, but then you’re on someone else’s schedule and won’t have the chance to really explore the key sites across the field.

  What’s the weather like in Gettysburg?

Luckily for traveling history buffs, the weather in Gettysburg is fairly predictable, even during the peak days of summer. The average temperature maxes out at around 85 degrees fahrenheit. That said, if you’re used to dry heat, the humidity on the Gettysburg Battlefield is something to keep in mind.

  What is the best time of the year to visit Gettysburg?

If you’re going for authenticity, summer is the season for you. The heat and yellowing grass will give you a great idea of the conditions under which the Union and Confederate soldiers fought all those years ago. For comfort, however, spring or fall are more temperate, have smaller crowds, and offer more pleasant scenery.

  What are 3 facts about the Gettysburg battlefield?

The battle itself stretched for three days and involved more than 160,000 soldiers. There were a staggering 120 generals present on the battlefield, of whom nine were mortally wounded or killed. But despite the size of the struggle, only one civilian was killed during the fighting.

  What was unique about the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Battle of Gettysburg served as a major turning point in the Civil War. Many historians consider it the closest the Confederacy ever got to defeating the Union and winning the war.

  How many died at Gettysburg per day?

There were nearly 50,000 casualties during the Battle of Gettysburg, including almost 8,000 dead. The first day saw 15,000 casualties, and the third saw nearly as many, but the second day remains the bloodiest day of the battle. Over 20,000 men were killed, injured, or went missing on that second day of fighting.

  Why is the Gettysburg Battlefield important?

The Battle of Gettysburg marks the point where the Confederate invasion of the North came to an abrupt end, signalling the beginning of the end for the rebellion. Had Lee emerged victorious at Gettysburg, he would have marched on other Northern cities, and perhaps even Washington, D.C., changing the course of history.

  Are there still bodies at Gettysburg?

There are still bodies buried in unmarked graves across the Gettysburg battlefield, but don’t worry about accidentally stumbling upon one of these grisly sites. It happens quite rarely, and always makes for big news when it does. For more details, read our blog post .

  Can you walk Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg?

Walking Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg is an experience like no other, and you should absolutely do it if you have the chance! Following in the footsteps of all those men who rushed to their untimely end, looking up at the same ridge they hoped to take… It makes this historic battle feel a whole lot more real.

  Why did people fight at Gettysburg?

Confederate and Union forces battled at Gettysburg during General Lee’s invasion of the North. The Union decided to engage Lee’s forces here in order to prevent him from advancing any farther toward key strategic positions like Harrisburg or Washington, D.C.

  How long did the battle of Gettysburg last?

The Battle of Gettysburg lasted for three long, bloody days. It began on July 1st, 1863 and raged until the late afternoon of July 3rd.

  How many days do you need to tour Gettysburg?

A single day is sufficient to tour the Gettysburg battlefield, even if you’d like to explore the town of Gettysburg afterward. Still, it’s a good idea to start in the morning to make sure you have enough time to see everything.

  What is a must see when I travel to Gettysburg?

When visiting Gettysburg, you’ll definitely want to see crucial battlefield landmarks like Cemetery Ridge, Little Round Top, and Devil’s Den. Luckily, the Auto Tour Route which weaves throughout the park leads directly past all these important sites.

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Tour Gettysburg Battlefield in One Day

If you have one day for this trip, spend it exploring the iconic Gettysburg National Military Park, site of one of the most important battles of the Civil War and one of the greatest speeches of all time. Gettysburg offers a great opportunity to explore the Civil War from the micro to the macro level.

Total Stops: 1

Total Time: 4-6 Hours (7-8 if you love to hike)

Total Distance: 2-mile radius

Before You Go:

• Print or Download this Tour Map
• Watch the Gettysburg Animated Map
• View the Gettysburg 360° Virtual Tour
• Download the Gettysburg Battle App

Stop #1: Gettysburg National Military Park

Time: 4-6 Hours

Details: https://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm

What To Do:

• Find out what Ranger Programs are scheduled for that day.
• View the film, A New Birth of Freedom , and see the Cyclorama. A ticket for the film includes the Cyclorama, after the film, you will go immediately into the Cyclorama.
• Tour the museum, which will give you a history of the war as a whole, not just the Battle of Gettysburg.
• Stop by the gift shop and bookstore.
• Follow the NPS Auto Tour Route and get out and explore each stop.
• Purchase a touring CD from the bookstore.
• Use the Civil War Trust’s free Gettysburg Battle App on your smartphone or iPad.
• Hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide to accompany you.

Don’t Miss:

• Little Round Top – Location of the Union left flank, famously held by the 20 th Maine and Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.
• Devil’s Den – Site of vicious fighting just below Little Round Top.
• The High Water Mark – The point of the Cemetery Ridge where the Confederacy reached the Union center after Pickett’s Charge, on the third and final day of the battle.
• Soldier’s National Cemetery – The resting place for more than 3,500 Union Troops killed in the battle.

If you have time:

• Visit the David Wills House, where Lincoln stayed the night before he gave the Gettysburg Address. The house has been recently renovated into a wonderful museum.
• Take a battlefield hike on one of Gettysburg’s trails. See your NPS touring map for locations Hike the Fish Hook (the right flank defensive position of the Union army for a rigorous walk.
• Do what strikes your fancy. Gettysburg is a battlefield on which you could spend hundreds of hours and never do the same thing twice. Explore what interests you!

Make Some History This Weekend in Gettysburg

Tour Gettysburg Battlefield Sites in Three Days

Tour American Battlefield Trust-Preserved Battlefields in Three Days

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Gettysburg Virtual Tour

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Plan Your Gettysburg Trip

   CLOSE TRIP PLANNER   

Gettysburg Battlefield Self-Guided Tour by Action Tour Guide

508-506-1844 Gettysburg Heritage Center , 297 Steinwehr Avenue Gettysburg , PA 17325

Same as Gettysburg National Park operating times.

Follow the Battle

Welcome to the narrated self-driving tour of the Battle of Gettysburg, the most crucial battle of the Civil War! Here, Union forces staged a nearly impossible defense against Confederate attackers and won! Drive in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers, re-live the battle strategies of the key Gettysburg generals and embark on an adventure that brings this historic three-day battle to life. This self-guided audio and GPS tour allows you to explore Gettysburg’s historical wonders with maximum flexibility, safety, and value.

The Action Tour Guide Gettysburg Battlefield self-guided driving tour, priced at $9.99, has 1,000+ reviews on the app stores, Tripadvisor and Viator.

Customer Reviews

Great way to see the battlefield, it was nice to go at our own pace, or be able to stop and eat whenever we were ready. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

– Heather, Tripadvisor

The directions were easy to follow and the stories were interesting and gave a clear understanding of the history of the battle. We loved the GPS-enabled stories so we didn’t have to worry about hitting pause and play at the right time.

– Kmac1710, Apple App Store

Driving through the wooded battlefield with real-time narration was a thrilling experience! Your directions were very simple with both audio cues and markers on the street! My car was able to make turns tour busses could not!

– Peter, Viator

Why choose our app?

• It plays automatically. The app knows where you are and which direction you are heading, plays audio automatically about the things you are seeing, and offers stories, tips, and advice. Follow the GPS map and the routing line.
• Discover fascinating stories. Be immersed in an engaging, accurate, and entertaining story about each point of interest. The stories are professionally narrated and prepared by local guides. Most stops also have additional stories that you can optionally choose to hear.
• It works offline. No data, cellular, or even wireless network connection is needed while taking the tour. Download over Wi-Fi/Data Network before your tour.
• Freedom of travel. There are no scheduled tour timings, crowded groups, or rush to move past stops that interest you. You have total freedom to skip ahead, linger and take as many photos as you’d like.
• Award-winning platform. The app developers received the famous “Laurel Award” from the Newport Mansions, who use it for over a million tours/year.

Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle. Everyone can listen at the same time!

Here’s how it works: Once you book the tour, we’ll send you two things: a unique password and an app. The password arrives instantly; however, please wait at least 5 minutes if you are in a low network zone. Download the app onto your phone and enter the password. Then download the Gettysburg tour inside. When you reach there, drive to the Gettysburg Heritage Center. Once there, launch the app and follow the instructions from there! Stick to our recommended route and speed limit for the best experience.

Your Gettysburg adventure with the Action Tour Guide app awaits!

A few Ways To Tour The Gettysburg Battlefield

Get the Gettysburg, PA Inspiration Guide

Check out our Inspiration Guide online or have us send you one. Have an immediate question? Call us at 1.800.337.5015

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Gettysburg Story Tour + Film

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Best Driving Vacations 2024: Take a Battlefield Tour of Pennsylvania and Maryland

Today we continue on our journey highlighting four of the best driving destinations from central Ohio.

With a focus on the creme de la creme — vital, accessible and unforgettable voyages that every central Ohio resident should put on his or her bucket list — we offer suggestions that will appeal to most everyone.

From a circle tour of “our Great Lake” to the architectural wonders of a modernist sister city three hours away, these four extraordinary adventures are wonderful ways to widen your horizons in 2024.

More: Best Driving Vacations 2024: Explore the Northern Shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Today's installment is Part 2 of 4 destination packages from Columbus Monthly's annual travel guide. We hope you enjoy.

Traveling to Gettysburg and Antietam

Not every traveler is a history buff. But a visit to Gettysburg, site of one of the most iconic and bloody battles of the Civil War, should probably be on every American’s bucket list. 

From Columbus, the drive takes a bit more than six hours. And a two- or three-day visit to the Pennsylvania landmark can easily include several other noteworthy sites along the way, including another important Civil War battlefield, the fort where George Washington suffered his most humiliating defeat and the memorial where the first Americans to fight back during 9/11 are commemorated. 

In addition to being a major historic site, Gettysburg is also a lovely small town adept at catering to the nearly 1 million visitors who arrive each year. Even visitors who never set foot in the Gettysburg National Military Park would find plenty to do. Town streets are packed with shopping, dining, breweries and wineries, hotels and inns, galleries and museums. But the battlefield should definitely be on the to-do list. 

More than 165,000 Union and Confederate soldiers clashed from July 1-3, 1863. The largest battle ever fought on this continent resulted in more than 51,000 casualties — and turned the tide of the war in favor of the Union. The battlefield Museum and Visitors Center includes 12 separate galleries, many interactive exhibits and thousands of artifacts on display. Visitors can also experience the Gettysburg Cyclorama, a painting in-the-round created in the 1880s that tells the story of the battle and is, itself, a magnificent piece of history. 

Plenty can also be discovered on a self-guided auto tour. The 6,000-acre battlefield is crossed by several small roads with plenty of places to pull off and explore the many monuments and markers that were erected in the decades after the battle. 

Bus tours are available from the visitor center. But the best way to tour the battlefield may be with a licensed guide in your own vehicle. Guides are happy to customize tours based on visitors’ interests and knowledge. 

Although the three-day Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, Antietam, near the village of Sharpsburg, Maryland, was the site of the war’s bloodiest single day — and the bloodiest day in American history, with some 23,000 casualties. Antietam National Battlefield is just an hour’s drive from Gettysburg, making it a logical stop for history-lovers passing through, or an easy daytrip for travelers extending their stay in the Pennsylvania town. 

Like Gettysburg, Antietam is dotted with monuments honoring the military units and men who served there. One of the most curious is a Brobdingnagian marker commemorating the service of a young commissary sergeant who went on to become President William McKinley. The monument celebrates McKinley’s efforts at bringing coffee and hot food to Union troops on the front lines. 

No, really. 

But if I were on the front, tired and hungry, I would certainly have welcomed and appreciated Sgt. Billy’s offerings. (Come to think of it, this might actually be the most noble act a future president has ever performed.) 

Fort Necessity National Battlefield

Southwestern Pennsylvania also hosts two other important historic sites along the route from central Ohio. Fort Necessity National Battlefield near Farmington, Pennsylvania, is a small historic site featuring a museum and the recreated fort where George Washington, as a very young lieutenant colonel, led a unit of British colonial troops to a humiliating defeat at the hands of the French in 1754. Though discouraged, Washington, of course, persevered, having much better luck decades later in the American Revolution. 

Few Americans who remember Sept. 11, 2001, can visit the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and not get a bit emotional. The memorial tells the story of the terrorist attacks on the United States that day and of the passengers on United Flight 93 who gave their lives fighting back against their hijackers, preventing their plane from being used as a weapon against another prominent target, possibly the U.S. Capitol. 

The memorial marks the site where the plane hit the ground, killing all aboard. In addition to a museum, the site features several trails, including the Trail of Remembrance along the final flight path. Also at the memorial is the Tower of Voices, a 93-foot-tall structure containing 40 large wind chimes, each tuned to a separate and distinct tone of its own — a haunting and fitting way to remember the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93 and a bit of history many of us lived through ourselves. 

Where to Stay When Visiting Gettysburg

Gettysburg offers a wide variety of lodging options. The Gettysburg Hotel (est. 1797) is a historic property at the heart of downtown with rates from $118 per night. For a cozier stay, consider the Brafferton Inn , with rooms beginning around $110 per night, or Battlefield Bed and Breakfast in a restored 1810 farmhouse, with rooms beginning around $210 per night. hotelgettysburg.com , brafferton.com , gettysburgbattlefield.com   

This story is from the Best Driving Vacations package in the February 2024 issue of Columbus Monthly. 

This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Best Driving Vacations 2024: Take a Battlefield Tour of Pennsylvania and Maryland

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center (Jeremy Long - WITF)

Gettysburg museum, visitor center reopened after suspicious package

Update:  The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center was reopened at noon after being closed for four hours. The area was determined to be safe, but available information is limited because the investigation is ongoing.

Previously reported: 

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center is closed until further notice.

An employee discovered a “suspicious package” outside the main visitor entrance around 7 a.m on Tuesday. 

Jason Martz, a National Park Service spokesman at the park, said internal safety protocols were immediately followed. 

The area was evacuated, and the Pennsylvania State Police bomb squad was called to investigate 

The closure comes during the start of the busy tourism season at the Civil War battlefield.

“It’s possible that it may be a little lighter just because of the bulk of people maybe were traveling and visiting on Saturday, Sunday, Monday. But we’re still right in the thick of busy Spring season,” Martz said. “There’s still school groups coming for field trips.”

He said there isn’t a timeline for reopening until the bomb squad gives the all-clear. 

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Gettysburg visitor center suspicious package had "handwritten messages" on it, police say

Police are continuing to actively investigate the incident that led to a closure of the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center when a suspicious package covered in handwriting shut the facility down for several hours Tuesday morning.

The incident began at 6:55 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28, police said.

A park staff member arrived to the facility and noticed a suspicious package outside the main entrance to the visitor center that "didn't belong," according to Jason Martz, a spokesperson for the Gettysburg National Military Park.

According to a release from Cumberland Township Police Department, the box had "handwritten messages to NPS officials" on the outside of it. Police have not released what those messages entailed as of Tuesday evening.

The diligent employee immediately called in the package, and the campus of the visitors center was quickly and safely evacuated, Martz said. Due to the time of the morning, the building was still lightly staffed and no members of the public were in the building.

The area, including hiking trails, parking lots, and all roads were cleared out to their entrances on Taneytown Road and Baltimore Pike, Martz said.

The Pennsylvania State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called in to investigate, arriving shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday. The team took an x-ray of the box to identify the contents, according to police.

"The contents of the box were safely removed from the scene," according to the media release, and additional areas of the campus were searched.

The campus was reopened to employees shortly after 11 a.m., and opened to the public around noon.

Police did have yet provide an update as to what the nature of the package was determined to be.

Martz said that the investigation into the package remains "ongoing" and further information was not immediately available.

Fire police had shut down all access to the visitor's center located just outside of Gettysburg on the 1100 block of Baltimore Pike in Cumberland Township, Adams County, according to 911 records.

The Gettysburg National Military Park first posted about the incident at 8:02 a.m. Tuesday, alerting visitors that the center would be closed due to a "facility issue."

At 8:18 a.m. on Tuesday Cumberland Township Police Department put out an alert notifying the community to avoid the visitor's incident due to an "active police incident."

Agencies on the scene included Cumberland Township Police Department, National Park Service, Gettysburg Foundation, Schaad Detective Agency, Gettysburg Fire Department, Barlow Fire Department, Adams Regional EMS, Adams County Department of Emergency Services, and Pennsylvania State Police.