Gettysburg, PA (1 Viewer)

[dgreen]

Is Gettysburg worth a visit for people who don't really care about Civil War history? It's only about 90 minutes from my house, so just thinking a day trip and a few hours maximum. Our son is in college in Mechanicsburg so I'm sure we'll at least give Gettysburg a try on a trip up there. Just not sure what to expect.

Wife and I like to walk around downtowns and Gettysburg looks like it has a decent one. But, if there aren't interesting non-Civil-War shops then I'm not sure how much we'd like it. As long as there are some good furniture/home/cooking/boutique/antique type of shops, then I'm sure my wife will enjoy it. And hopefully a good coffee shop and restaurant options.

We've been to Winchester a lot and Frederick a few times and enjoy walking around both of those towns. So, is it overly Civil War focused or is it mostly like any other historic downtown in the area with just an added touch of Civil War?

 

[Jaysus]

I was just at Messiah a few weeks ago for a lacrosse camp! Maybe Carlisle would be more fun if you are not into the history?

 

[Mr. Mojo]

It's worth the trip for anyone!

If you are not a civil war fan, you will likely become one after visiting.
The visitor center has excellent displays.
The detail provided at each location makes it easy to follow the 3 day battle that could have been won by either side.
You can visit the cemetery where Lincoln made his famous speech.
The area is very pretty with rolling hills.

They also have Eisenhower's last house on the grounds, which is also worth a look.

 

[dgreen]

I was just at Messiah a few weeks ago for a lacrosse camp! Maybe Carlisle would be more fun if you are not into the history?

Messiah is where my son is! Not sure I've been to Carlisle, so thanks for that rec.

 

[Joe Schmo]

Seeing Big Round Top and Little Round Top really gives you an appreciation for what was the high ground in what must have been such a claustrophobic space with 100,000 men corralled on the field. Brutal reality check.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Gettysburg is the best little town in the America. That’s my happy place.

Started 26 years ago. The plan was to spend an afternoon at the National Military Park. We didn’t make it out of there for 3 days. Incredibly powerful & emotional experience.

 

[Joe Schmo]

If you and your wife enjoy a flight now and then, Reid's has some good cider and wine offerings.
Reid's Orchard

 

[Fat Nick]

I grew up in/near Winchester, and as a kid we went to Antietam a lot when I was very young (like 7-8) to ride bikes. I'm a big Civil War buff having grown up in a key area...but I've never been to Gettysburg. Now you've got me wanting to go.

For anyone who has been - is it bike-able like Antietam? Or is it too spread out? I'd love to find a nice day and take the family for some exercise and history.

 

[Don Quixote]

I grew up in/near Winchester, and as a kid we went to Antietam a lot when I was very young (like 7-8) to ride bikes. I'm a big Civil War buff having grown up in a key area...but I've never been to Gettysburg. Now you've got me wanting to go.

For anyone who has been - is it bike-able like Antietam? Or is it too spread out? I'd love to find a nice day and take the family for some exercise and history.

I’ve biked Antietam too, but I think Gettysburg is too spread out. There are some shorter loops that you could probably do. The full auto loop is around 24 miles, which would be a lot for one day while stopping to see everything. Here’s a link that I found on biking Gettysburg:

Selecting Your Gettysburg Bicycle Route—Let's Bike Gettysburg! - Civil War Cycling

Discover the best Gettysburg bicycle routes with Civil War Cycling’s self-guided maps and summaries. Ride through history with confidence.

civilwarcycling.com

 

[bro1ncos]

Beautiful place in the fall

 

[Jaysus]

For anyone who has been - is it bike-able like Antietam? Or is it too spread out? I'd love to find a nice day and take the family for some exercise and history.

There is a driving tour that is also bikeable. It may be a two day trip though as there is a lot to see, which works out well because the "middle" of the driving tour is also pretty much where it starts

 

[Don Quixote]

I love Gettysburg, but also love history. So, I can’t really speak to it from a non-history loving perspective. It’s a special place. I’ve been probably a dozen times in my life. I need to get my son out there now that he’s getting old enough to understand some of it.

I do think there’s a lot in central PA that could look at (not to dissuade from visiting Gettysburg, but just some other ideas)… central Lancaster reminds of something like Frederick or Winchester with the old central, walkable downtown area. Central Market is one of the oldest in the US (get your long john and whoopie pie fix). Lots of bakeries outside the city in Amish Country too, like Achenbach’s.

For something active, you could also spend a day on the Strasburg Railroad if want to get a bit further out. Turkey Hill for an ice cream tour another spot.

 

[dgreen]

I love Gettysburg, but also love history. So, I can’t really speak to it from a non-history loving perspective. It’s a special place. I’ve been probably a dozen times in my life. I need to get my son out there now that he’s getting old enough to understand some of it.

I do think there’s a lot in central PA that could look at (not to dissuade from visiting Gettysburg, but just some other ideas)… central Lancaster reminds of something like Frederick or Winchester with the old central, walkable downtown area. Central Market is one of the oldest in the US (get your long john and whoopie pie fix). Lots of bakeries outside the city in Amish Country too, like Achenbach’s.

For something active, you could also spend a day on the Strasburg Railroad if want to get a bit further out. Turkey Hill for an ice cream tour another spot.

Yeah, we've been to Lancaster and some of the other PA towns. But haven't been to Gettysburg. Well, one quick stop for lunch on my way up further north once. And driving through the downtown is what got me wondering if it's a fun town to visit. I guess my main question is whether or not the downtown is just touristy Civil War shops or if there's other types of places, too. I could possibly see myself one day having some interest in the history, but almost no chance my wife will ever care about that.

 

[zamboni]

Definitely worth the visit even if you’re not a Civil War buff. As others have said, it’s a nice town and this time of year is magnificent.

And if your son goes to school in Mechanicsburg, clearly he must know that is the home of Poison.

 

[Don Quixote]

I love Gettysburg, but also love history. So, I can’t really speak to it from a non-history loving perspective. It’s a special place. I’ve been probably a dozen times in my life. I need to get my son out there now that he’s getting old enough to understand some of it.

I do think there’s a lot in central PA that could look at (not to dissuade from visiting Gettysburg, but just some other ideas)… central Lancaster reminds of something like Frederick or Winchester with the old central, walkable downtown area. Central Market is one of the oldest in the US (get your long john and whoopie pie fix). Lots of bakeries outside the city in Amish Country too, like Achenbach’s.

For something active, you could also spend a day on the Strasburg Railroad if want to get a bit further out. Turkey Hill for an ice cream tour another spot.

Yeah, we've been to Lancaster and some of the other PA towns. But haven't been to Gettysburg. Well, one quick stop for lunch on my way up further north once. And driving through the downtown is what got me wondering if it's a fun town to visit. I guess my main question is whether or not the downtown is just touristy Civil War shops or if there's other types of places, too. I could possibly see myself one day having some interest in the history, but almost no chance my wife will ever care about that.

I think a lot of the downtown area does lean into that part of it, as it is the driver of the economy. I’ve mostly just visited downtown for dinner/restaurants, after spending my day at the visitor center/battlefield/Eisenhower farm, etc.

If you walk around downtown, there are some old buildings that can see. Even if you don’t want to tour the house where Lincoln stayed the night before his speech, you can see that right there in the main circle. Or the train station where Lincoln arrived. So, if you just want to walk around and look at old buildings, can do that. There are shops there too, but I expect antiques/books/etc. shops will lean a bit more heavily to Civil War than you would find in other cities.

 

[dgreen]

Definitely worth the visit even if you’re not a Civil War buff. As others have said, it’s a nice time and this time of year is magnificent.

And if your son goes to school in Mechanicsburg, clearly he must know that is the home of Poison.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's never heard of Poison. I have failed as a father.

 

[zamboni]

Definitely worth the visit even if you’re not a Civil War buff. As others have said, it’s a nice time and this time of year is magnificent.

And if your son goes to school in Mechanicsburg, clearly he must know that is the home of Poison.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's never heard of Poison. I have failed as a father.

Have him rock this T-shirt on campus and the sorority girls will go nuts.

 

[fatness]

There's an underground saloon where a mine used to be, right next to a Quality Inn.

Reliance Mine Saloon

Looking forward to seeing you! Garry Adelman, Tim Smith, and William Frassanito Selection - We pride ourselves on having one of the best craft beer and whiskey selections in Gettysburg...the state...the country?! Follow us on Untappd for updates to our beer menu and Facebook for special...

reliancemine.com

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60798-d5840589-Reviews-The_Reliance_Mine_Saloon-Gettysburg_Pennsylvania.html

Local historians hang out there. I've only been there once and yes, there were actual local folks with some maps and weaponry from days gone by. You could sit down and talk with them over drinks. The walk back to the saloon (from the downhill side) is through some mining corridors and is pretty cool.

 

[General Malaise]

Hey, I'd like to visit Pearl Harbor but NOT INTERESTED in anything that happened there.

WTF?

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Is Gettysburg worth a visit for people who don't really care about Civil War history?

I thought this was me.

Then I did a guided tour at Shiloh with a big group. And then another one at Gettysburg with a visiting family member. And... both were out of this world. Especially Gettysburg. You literally stand on the rocks of Little Round Top and can see down into the woods where the Rebels charged, the bayonet gate was swung and the battle was (ultimately) won on the first night -- turning the war and protecting the United States.

For anyone persuadable... I can't recommend enough doing it with a dedicated tour guide. We had a guy that drove just the four of us around for a few hours and it was incredible.

 

[Joe Schmo]

Hey, I'd like to visit Pearl Harbor but NOT INTERESTED in anything that happened there.

WTF?

Ahh, but the antiquing is second to none. And don't get me started on the quaint bakeries that line the harbor. Magnifique!

 

[General Malaise]

Wild that somebody would visit one of the most important spots in American History and not want to examine why. Just go to the Buffalo Wildwings in the neighboring county and scroll your phone. I hope this is a bit.

 

[matttyl]

Been a few times and loved it, though I’m a bit of a civil war buff. My wife went with me the first time and enjoyed the trip, and some college buddies and I have been a few times.

Very bikable, though I’m a biker. You’ll put some miles on.

 

[jhib]

I guess I'll be one of the outliers and say it's not much if you're not into history. Granted, I've only been a couple times and once was just for a couple hour stop passing through. The other was mainly for my son who is into history, and the battlefields and stuff were pretty neat, but I imagine would have been much less of a good experience if we didn't have our son with us.
I think the main thing that turned me off in the town was the crazy amount of ghost tour crap that was seemingly everywhere.

 

[belljr]

Guess we are all MAC

 

[Sand]

For anyone who has been - is it bike-able like Antietam?

I just wanted to pop in and say LOOK AT ME - I biked Antietam last week!

It was pretty cool. Highly recommended, whichever method of transportation. One nice part about being on a bike is it was easy to walk Bloody Lane with the bike and take it in.

 

[fatness]

Spring House Tavern in the basement of the Dobbin House is a cool place to eat. Building dates back hundreds of years.

Dobbin House Tavern

Historic 1776 stone home beautifully and authenically restored, open to the public as a colonial manner restaurant, bed & breakfast, and gift shop

www.dobbinhouse.com

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Is Gettysburg worth a visit for people who don't really care about Civil War history?

I thought this was me.

Then I did a guided tour at Shiloh with a big group. And then another one at Gettysburg with a visiting family member. And... both were out of this world. Especially Gettysburg. You literally stand on the rocks of Little Round Top and can see down into the woods where the Rebels charged, the bayonet gate was swung and the battle was (ultimately) won on the first night -- turning the war and protecting the United States.

For anyone persuadable... I can't recommend enough doing it with a dedicated tour guide. We had a guy that drove just the four of us around for a few hours and it was incredible.

Dedicated tour guide is the way to go.

 

[massraider]

Wild that somebody would visit one of the most important spots in American History and not want to examine why. Just go to the Buffalo Wildwings in the neighboring county and scroll your phone. I hope this is a bit.

You tell him.

You want the rest of us to hold him down while you kick him?

 

[General Malaise]

Wild that somebody would visit one of the most important spots in American History and not want to examine why. Just go to the Buffalo Wildwings in the neighboring county and scroll your phone. I hope this is a bit.

You tell him.

You want the rest of us to hold him down while you kick him?

The Dobbin House is nice. Hidden room to protect run away slaves. Pretty neat to see.

 

[General Malaise]

Wild that somebody would visit one of the most important spots in American History and not want to examine why. Just go to the Buffalo Wildwings in the neighboring county and scroll your phone. I hope this is a bit.

You tell him.

You want the rest of us to hold him down while you kick him?

The Dobbin House is nice. Hidden room to protect run away slaves. Pretty neat to see. :shrug

Is Gettysburg worth a visit for people who don't really care about Civil War history?

I thought this was me.

Then I did a guided tour at Shiloh with a big group. And then another one at Gettysburg with a visiting family member. And... both were out of this world. Especially Gettysburg. You literally stand on the rocks of Little Round Top and can see down into the woods where the Rebels charged, the bayonet gate was swung and the battle was (ultimately) won on the first night -- turning the war and protecting the United States.

For anyone persuadable... I can't recommend enough doing it with a dedicated tour guide. We had a guy that drove just the four of us around for a few hours and it was incredible.

Dedicated tour guide is the way to go.

Yeah, I agree. The guided tours keep you on schedule and provide some rich historical facts - incredible to see up close.
Gettysburg was a watershed event in our history. If the South prevailed, our nation looks very different today.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Wild that somebody would visit one of the most important spots in American History and not want to examine why. Just go to the Buffalo Wildwings in the neighboring county and scroll your phone. I hope this is a bit.

You tell him.

You want the rest of us to hold him down while you kick him?

The Dobbin House is nice. Hidden room to protect run away slaves. Pretty neat to see.

We stayed there during our visit and ate dinner at the underground tavern. They had a chamberpot in the room, just for effect.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I stopped by while passing through and wish I had more time. Good idea. Were empty nesters now so we need **** to do.

 

[fatness]

The more I think about it, Gettysburg isn't a good town to visit if history is uninteresting. For antiquing and food I'm sure there are better options in PA, and there is always New Market, MD. The York PA Central Market is worth a trip by itself. Adams County PA has a couple of covered bridges that are cool to see. One of them (Sachs Bridge) has a park around it. My grandkids spent a lot of time there. Driving to the Susquehanna River will give you a good shot at watching bald eagles.

Bald Eagle Nesting Sites - Pennsylvania - View Only

Bald Eagle nesting sites and buffer zones for Pennsylvania with data updated through 2021 surveys, in addition to historically obtained locations. This data was last updated on 2022-01-03.

gis-fws.opendata.arcgis.com