The three-day Battle of Gettysburg killed 51,000 soldiers and marked the turning point of the Civil War. The 24-square-mile battlefield is preserved with monuments, cannons in position, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address delivered here.
Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania preserves the bloodiest battlefield of the American Civil War and one of the decisive turning points in United States history. The three-day Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to 3, 1863, produced approximately 51,000 casualties — killed, wounded, captured, and missing — among Union forces under General George Meade and Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had invaded Pennsylvania in a bid to threaten Northern cities, force a negotiated peace, and gain European diplomatic recognition for the Confederacy. The repulse of that invasion, culminating in the catastrophic failure of Pickett's Charge on July 3, effectively ended Confederate offensive strategy in the Eastern Theater and shifted the momentum of the war toward Union victory.
The park encompasses approximately 6,000 acres across a 24-square-mile area. Over 1,300 monuments, markers, and memorials erected between the 1880s and 1910s by states and veterans' organizations dot the landscape, forming the world's largest outdoor sculpture gallery dedicated to a single military action. Bronze generals on horseback, granite obelisks, and relief carvings mark the positions of individual regiments exactly where they fought.
Key terrain features include Cemetery Ridge, where Union forces held their defensive line; Little Round Top, the rocky hill whose desperate defense by the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment secured the Union left flank; the Wheatfield, where fighting surged back and forth six times in a single afternoon; and the Copse of Trees on Cemetery Ridge, known as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy, marking the farthest Confederate penetration during Pickett's Charge.
The Museum and Visitor Center, opened in 2008, houses an extensive Civil War collection and the restored Cyclorama — a 360-degree oil painting of Pickett's Charge measuring 377 feet in circumference. The adjacent Gettysburg National Cemetery contains the graves of 3,512 Union soldiers and is where President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, redefining the war's purpose in terms of human equality and national rebirth. Licensed battlefield guides, the only NPS-licensed guide corps in the United States, offer two-hour vehicle tours with specialist interpretive depth unavailable from audio or self-guided formats.
Why it matters
The Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 halted the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's deepest invasion of the North and ended Robert E. Lee's offensive strategy, turning the momentum of the Civil War toward Union victory. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the national cemetery four months later redefined the war's purpose as a struggle for human equality.
Highlights
- Cemetery Ridge and the Copse of Trees marking the High Water Mark of the Confederacy during Pickett's Charge
- Little Round Top, site of the 20th Maine Infantry's decisive defense of the Union left flank on July 2, 1863
- Over 1,300 monuments and memorials forming the world's largest outdoor military sculpture gallery
- Restored Cyclorama painting of Pickett's Charge, 377 feet in circumference, at the Visitor Center
- Gettysburg National Cemetery where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in November 1863
Tips for visiting
- Licensed battlefield guides available at the Visitor Center conduct two-hour vehicle tours that are the most thorough way to understand the terrain and tactics
- Download the free Gettysburg Foundation battlefield app before arriving for a GPS-keyed audio tour of the main sites
- Arrive before 9 AM in summer to avoid crowds at Little Round Top and Devil's Den, the two most visited terrain features
- The Cyclorama film and painting viewing at the Visitor Center is included with museum admission; plan 45 minutes for this experience alone
- Evening ranger programs at the Visitor Center are free and cover topics including the medical crisis, the Confederate retreat, and Lincoln's visit
- Bicycle rentals near the Visitor Center offer a quieter, slower-paced alternative to a car tour for exploring the battlefield roads
Frequently asked questions
How long does a full visit take?
A self-guided driving tour of the main battlefield circuit takes 2–3 hours. Adding the Museum and Cyclorama, a walk through the National Cemetery, and stops at Devil's Den and Little Round Top fills a full day. Licensed guide tours run two hours and cover key terrain efficiently.
Can visitors tour the battlefield with children?
The park is family-friendly. The Junior Ranger program at the Visitor Center engages children aged 5 and up with activity booklets. Open terrain and minimal physical demands make most stops accessible to families with young children.
Is the park accessible for visitors with mobility limitations?
The Visitor Center is fully ADA-compliant. Many battlefield stops have paved vehicle pullouts accessible by car; some terrain including Little Round Top has graded paths, though uneven ground exists at sites such as Devil's Den and the Wheatfield.
Are guided tours available in languages other than English?
Licensed battlefield guides conduct tours in English. The Visitor Center offers some multilingual printed materials, and the Gettysburg Foundation app provides audio content in English. International visitors may benefit from reviewing multilingual resources online before arrival.