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History museum · Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center
The park’s visitor center and museum in Gettysburg, featuring the battle film, Civil War galleries, and the Cyclorama, an 1883 circular painting.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center
The Museum and Visitor Center is the starting point for a visit to Gettysburg. The building, managed by the Gettysburg Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service, sits alongside the battlefield, south of town.
The film A New Birth of Freedom presents the causes of the Civil War and the three days of the battle. After the film, visitors go up to the Cyclorama room to see a circular painting roughly 115 meters long, created in 1883 by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux, which depicts Pickett’s Charge. Lighting and narration complete the experience, and foreground objects create a sense of depth.
The museum’s galleries display weapons, uniforms, letters, and personal items of soldiers and townspeople, as well as a section about Lincoln’s speech and the war’s consequences.
The building is also where licensed battlefield guides are hired and buses to the Eisenhower farm depart.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Two to three hours.
Best time
In the morning, before doing the driving tour. Summer weekends and early July are the busiest times.
How to get there
It’s on Baltimore Pike, about 2 km from downtown Gettysburg, with parking. Walking tours and bus tours depart from there.
Tip
Buy timed tickets for the film and the Cyclorama on the busiest days. See the museum before the driving tour: it helps make sense of the stops.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center
What is the Gettysburg Cyclorama?
A circular painting from 1883 by Paul Philippoteaux that depicts Pickett’s Charge on the third day of the battle, displayed with lighting and narration.
Is the Gettysburg museum paid?
Yes. The film, the Cyclorama, and the museum require tickets that are sold on site or online; the battlefield itself does not charge admission.
Where should you start your visit to Gettysburg?
At the Museum and Visitor Center to see the film and the Cyclorama before driving the battlefield circuit.