Even those who are not history buffs should take time to be reminded of the grim tragedy that war is--especially when we are fighting among our selves. We were at Gettysburg for a day and a half which worked out to just about the right amount of time. We began at the visitor center with the film and cyclorama, then did the "Day 1" (July 1st) portion of the Park Service Car tour.(Suggestion: use the Park Service app to locate sites on a GPS app on your phone for directions. We had trouble following some of the signs.) On the second day we began with the 90 minute Park Ranger led hiking tour of the battle field. In our opinion this is the one thing not to be missed. It will allow you to visualize how all three days battles progressed. We followed this will the museum which was excellent and ended with a trip to the cemetery to see where Lincoln spoke. Final thought: don't miss the 90 minute Ranger tour! We do not regret in any way passing on the bus tour to include this in our itinerary.

Yes, this is a National park of sorts and no it does not accept the America the Beautiful pass. However, the battlefield is free to drive and there is a very good free driving app. available on the park web site. The visitor center can provide a map and there are ranger tours as well. If you only have a few hours, take the driving tour. You can also hire a tour guide or do a bus tour for a fee. I suggest the app. as you can spend as much or as little time as you want at a specific spot and can adjust timing so you aren’t in the midst of bus loads of others- feels more respectful. If at all possible…DO the movie, cyclorama and the museum. They are extremely well done and truly give so much information and a true sense of the intensity of the battle along with seeing actual relics that no verbal description can fully describe- the tree full of metal from the battle for one. This is well worth both the time and price. Wear comfortable shoes and plan on a full day.

We downloaded the FREE National Park Service app and drove all around Gettysburg following the auto tour. I also loved the cyclorama painting inside the museum and the exhibition. We went on Wednesday morning and it wasn’t crowded.

Please don't try and do the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in one trip because if You do You will miss a lot. Take Your time and enjoy the Museum & Center at an appropriately slow pace. There is so much to see and enjoy that You owe it to Yourself to plan two days or schedule another trip soon. The Cyclorama, the short films, the memorabilia, the souvenirs, the bookstore, the displays all deserve a slow respectful time allotment. We did the Musuem & Center after 3:00 pm and so we were entitled to come back the next day and that return trip was well worth our time. Even with this return trip, the next day, we felt like we had missed some important facets of the Museum & Center, but we will plan another Spring trip to Gettysburg. We didn't visit the battlefields because the weather was bad, but we made up for that time by slowly enjoying the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.

I highly recommend you get the combo package that includes the movie, the cyclorama and the museum. It is worth the cost. And talk to the rangers and the staff you find stationed at the activities- they are a wealth of information about the cyclorama and the park. If you are short on time- the rangers can help guide you in visiting something that interests you. This facility is nicely maintained by a private party. Be generous and throw a few dollars in the states display- the money goes towards maintaining this gem of a National Park.

History at your fingertips! Plan more time than you think because there is so much to see and do. The films are amazingly done and very educational. The museum takes longer than you think it might because it has so much and is so well done.

We bought a package at the visitor center. Started with the museum, a film, cyclorama, 2 hours bus tour. Very informative and moving. Really enjoyed the day from 9.30 to closing time at 17.00.

The Visitors Center at Gettysburg National Military Park features many displays and information about the battle. I would recommend going to the Visitors Center first, then the battlefield. There are samples of the weapons used, items used by support people, uniforms, maps and many other displays. We saw a movie called “A New Birth of Freedom”, narrated by Morgan Freeman, which gave background and insight of the times as well as the battle. We also were able to experience the 45 minute “Cyclorama” presentation. This was made up of an immense and detailed circular mural 42 ft. tall and 377 ft in circumference, with narration, lighting, sound, and special effects, portraying Major General Pickett’s charge on the 3rd day of the battle. The viewers are placed in the center of the theater. I was intrigued by the presence of a wounded Abraham Lincoln in the painting, as he was never there except to give his iconic speech dedicating the cemetery several months later. The docent explained that the artist had included that to symbolize a wounded nation. We had our lunch at the Refreshment Saloon in the Visitors Center. There is a nice bookstore/gift shop, where I bought a Christmas ornament and managed to resist the delicious smelling fresh fudge. 😊 All in all this was a very interesting and informative visit.

What a GREAT experience my visit to the battlefield was. All of the National Park Service (NPS) personnel and other volunteers were very knowledgeable and respectful, regardless of how much or how little you may have know about the battlefield. The museum was very clean, rest rooms well marked and clean, and there’s plenty to keep you busy on a rainy day! With the information available FREE from the NPS, you really don’t need to buy anything. We had a guide drive us through the battlefield and it was well worth the money!! Little back stories and other minutia about the battle filled our 3 hour time with the guide and it seemed to go by too fast! WONDERFUL DAY!

The museum itself is worth every penny and worth every second of your time. The artifacts are simply amazing. Security is the only constant negative to my multiple trips to the museum. They're just too aggressive for the environment. They need to relax and stop being so rude. Still, I strongly encourage everyone to visit and give yourself plenty of time to see everything. The store itself is also amazing. There is nothing like it anywhere else in Gettysburg or even at any of the other military parks I've visited.