Guest post by Nick LeRoy
I love history. I drive my family crazy because I always want to read every historical marker we pass, and I read every word on placards when we tour a museum. Even better is going to a site where you can walk in the steps of history. I recently did that on a trip to Gettysburg with kids.
My very patient wife will generally humor me, but I can always sense her impatience, especially when it comes to the minutiae of military history. So, when I told her that I wanted to go to Gettysburg National Military Park, she said she’d pass. However, we thought it’d be a great opportunity to do a one-on-one trip with me and our older son, Nate, especially since Abe Lincoln is his hero. We got to spend some quality father and son time together, and I realized that all my efforts to encourage him to love history have started to pay off.
My interest in the Civil War was sparked from living in Atlanta where the ghosts of the Civil War or “The War of Northern Aggression” lie close to the surface and still cast a shadow. We’ve visited many of the Civil War destinations in Charleston, and other spots in the South.
But what was truly appealing to me about Gettysburg is the fact that the entire battlefield has been preserved as a National Monument. From the rock walls that protected Cemetery Ridge, to the fences that impeded Pickett’s Charge, the battleground looks the same way that General Lee or General Meade saw when they met in those fateful days in July 1863.
Preparing for a trip to Gettysburg with kids
Knowing the stories and the background of Gettysburg will make your trip infinitely more rewarding and awe inspiring. Taking your kids who have learned about Lincoln or have studied the Civil War in school will definitely add to their appreciation of this historic site. But if not, this is a great opportunity to help them understand a pivotal moment in American history.
Though I have a degree in history, my emphasis was on World War II. Most of my knowledge of the Civil War came from various books that I read after college. One of my favorite authors of history is Jeff Shaara. Anyone who likes history will have probably read some of his great works on the various wars and epochal events in history.
His father Michael Shaara is less well known, but his Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Killer Angels, is known as the definitive work on the Battle of Gettysburg. It was also the inspiration for the movie Gettysburg which at 4 hours + might be a bit much for kiddos or non-history buffs but is a great overview of the entire battle. I would recommend that you either read the book or watch the movie. Knowing the critical events and the significance of each individual battle will improve your trip.
Because of its historical significance, Gettysburg is a very popular field trip for schools throughout the area, and early July (when the battles took place) also draws a lot of crowds. We were very fortunate that we weren’t battling too many people when we were there in early August.
Our Itinerary for Gettysburg with kids
Our first stop was the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. We were able to tour the museum, and we signed up to watch the film “A New Birth of Freedom”. This is a very well done (almost Hollywood style) movie that gives a good overview of the battle. We also purchased tickets for the Gettysburg Cyclorama which is a 377 foot, 360-degree painting by Paul Philippoteaux that immerses you and allows you to experience the war in a way that you can’t from a movie.
It is the largest cyclorama in North America and the quality of the painting is incredible. It can be tough to truly appreciate the quality of the painting during the exhibit, because it encompasses the entire battlefield, but if you concentrate on single individuals, the expressions on their faces, and the small, individual encounters that make up the battle, you can begin to shrink the battle from a huge affair to a much more personal fight. It is truly awe inspiring.
The great thing about Gettysburg is you can go as deep into the history as you like (or at least as much as your family will allow!). Nate participated in the “Join the Army” program where he mustered into a regiment and learned how to load his musket, present his arms and march with other, younger, union soldiers. They also have a similar version for junior artillery boys and girls.
There were several other ranger-led activities like the daily life of a civil war soldier, the Gettysburg History Hike and other living history programs. I would definitely go to the website first to see all of the activities (they are at different times) and build your day based upon your interests, the weather (most of them are outside), how much you want to walk, and the length of time you want to be there. In hindsight, I wish I had gone to the evening programs, but that might be pushing my little guy a bit much.
Touring the battlefield
The battlefield is enormous, but there are several ways to tour it – by bus, bike and little mini-roadsters. We opted for the auto (self-led) tour. Unless you are as hardy as a civil war soldier, I would not attempt to walk it. The signage is good, and you can easily make your way around the numerous monuments that states commissioned to commemorate their fallen soldiers and to the various critical points on the battlefield.
In retrospect, I wish I would have hired a guide ($75) or done the bus tour ($35/adults, $21 youth). Though I knew that battle well, I know that my knowledge doesn’t even come close to what a trained guide would provide.
What was so great about Gettysburg was the fact that you can touch and feel the history come alive around you. Nate and I stood behind the rock wall fortification on Cemetery Hill and looked out on the field where Pickett made his doomed charge. We felt the rocks that might have deflected a bullet from a soldier or perhaps impeded General Armistead as he led the charge that briefly broke the Union lines.
We knelt against the stones on Little Round Top and walked down the slope where Colonel Chamberlain and his men of the 20th Maine, completely out of ammunition, made a desperate, final bayonet charge against the advancing men of Alabama and so were able to secure the Union flank on day two of the three-day battle.
You can read all you want about battles and the trials of men in war. But looking at the mile-long distance that Pickett’s men had to cover in their heroic, but doomed charge or running down the slope that perhaps Colonel Chamberlain himself strode makes Gettysburg a unique historical place to visit.
If you’re going to Gettysburg with kids, consider how much time you want to spend to get the most out of it, while keeping the kids interested. You could easily spend two or three full days. However, for most people, if you tour the battlefield and go the museum, you get a pretty good exposure of the battle.
Outside of the park
The Gettysburg Heritage Center which is located outside of the park and in town has a great museum, film, and set of exhibits on Gettysburg. However, they tell the story from the perspective of those folks living in the town during the battle. The museum is worth it, and they have a more touristy gift shop if you are looking for Civil War caps for the kids. Located on Steinwehr avenue, it is also next to some more gift shops and a great old-time photo studio where you can dress as a Union or Confederate soldier for a picture.
Gettysburg is a charming little town with lots of antique shops (mainly for Civil War buffs) as well as good food options. We passed on the Blue & Gray Café due to the 45-minute wait but enjoyed a great artisan pizza at The Upper Crust.
There are also additional museums like the Seminary Ridge Museum (where Lee set up his headquarters) that offers a display on army field hospitals, but after dragging my son to two museums in two days, he opted to pass on this.
We briefly stopped at the Wills House while we were there which is the home that Abraham Lincoln stayed in prior to giving the famous Gettysburg address. Though we didn’t have a chance to tour the house, it is supposed to be a pretty neat attraction as well.
There were two other places on our list of places to go while in Gettysburg. The Utz Potato Chip Factory is only 20 minutes away and offers tours and a display on how potato chips are made. Unfortunately, the factory is closed for tours on Friday, so we had to scrap that idea (after driving out there!). There is also an incredibly kitschy candy store called Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum that is about 15 minutes outside of town. With a lot of throwback candy that is more recognizable to a Generation X parent than a kid, this store is designed to satisfy the sweet tooth of kids of any age.
When you are a parent, it can sometimes be difficult to plan vacations that have something for every member of the family (although Lori has some ideas on how to do that). I still recall our time at the British Museum and the abject disappointment that Lori and I had when the kids wanted to leave after two hours (we ended up there for four, though). However, I felt that I had accomplished my goal when my son told me on the way home, “Gettysburg was cool, Dad.”
My next project is to get him to Normandy!
