I just had the pleasure of visiting Gettysburg's new Museum and Visitors Center on its opening day. I'm not really a battlefield-type of tourist, but this was an event at the only place my family ever went on vacation when I was a kid (and only once). Mostly I remember I fell in love with the Cyclorama, my brothers got felt Union and Confederate hats, and we stayed at the Holiday Inn. And the story of Jennie Wade scared me half to death.
But that was another time. This was a day trip with Mary the Photographer, coffee mugs in hand, speeding down the highway. I expected crowds, wondered if they'd be awful. Would we have to park far away in some field? (Oh, no, wait, there the fields are battleground . . .) Not a problem. While the parking lots were pretty full, there were still plenty of choices.
A short walk up broad white sidewalks and inside a beautiful stone building to a huge lobby some would probably call rustic for its wide wooden beams and stone floor. Information desk at the far end, restrooms right by the door, even a restaurant! People milled about or stood in line to ask questions or buy tickets to the film.
We started with an early lunch. Sandwiches came with fruit (a pleasant surprise). Serving sizes are very large; if you're not interested in eating a lot, think about splitting a meal with your travel companion. Hot dogs and chicken tenders are available for kids. Read the menu carefully. Some things appear pricey but you're getting more food than you think.
After lunch, we headed for the museum, easily located in the same building. I had been very impressed by my visit to the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg a few years ago and I wondered how this would compare. We walked into the museum section and were immediately surrounded by images of Gettysburg in 1863.
The museum is one long open space after another, no doors, just room after room about the war and this battle in particular. Everywhere we looked there were quotes on the walls, artifacts, pictures of faces, video screens to touch to hear (actors reading) leaders' words about the coming war. Mary, never too far from her past days as a middle-school librarian, said, "This is great!" She could imagine a school group coming through, a teacher and 25 antsy kids. "Let's say one kid isn't paying attention to what the teacher is saying. He's looking somewhere else, but he's still reading and he's still learning."
I've always been one for the "real." I like looking at objects that were present for the historical moment. We saw cannonballs from the attack at Fort Sumter. The stretcher they used to carry the fatally wounded Stonewall Jackson left me silent. Listening to the words of Frederick Douglass I wished they'd had audio recording then; I wonder what his voice sounded like.
Mary and I walked and read and walked and talked and listened. Every so often (as in the Harrisburg museum) visitors can sit and watch a short video about that point in history. We watched films on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. The illustrations of troop movements really helped me comprehend the battle fully, something that walking on the battlefield itself could never do.
I also really appreciated the segments featuring the townspeople. The armies took over homes and farms. I can't imagine what it must have been like to come home and find your house shot up, your chickens gone, and your family china on the front lawn.
At some point we decided to take a break. We were amazed when we realized that we had spent two hours in the museum and still hadn't seen the entire thing. Another trip, perhaps, because it was time for us to head for home (the benefits of living so close to a place like this--a short trip is always possible!).
I can easily see spending time in the museum to give the kids an idea of the battle before driving to different points in the park, like Little Round Top or Devil's Den. Or after being out on the battlefields, coming in to cool off (or warm up?) in the museum. The Cyclorama is supposed to reopen in the fall. I'll certainly be back for that.
A trip to Gettysburg is a great deal. The park is free, the museum is free. The 22-minute film costs $8.00 (sorry I can't tell you how the movie is since we never got there). Plenty of places for kids to run and learn about a very important time in American history. Well worth a visit.
