Gettysburg is surprising in many ways. Even though it is a northern town, it has a slight "flavor" of Southern in some aspects, but it's still almost impossible to find good tea here!
I will edit this particular post over the months as we visit a various attractions and I will also create another post with restaurant listings.
Attractions visited and my comments:
- Auto tour of Gettysburg Battlefield. We took this tour within a few days of arriving here. For me, it was very emotional. I am not a history buff, at least with dates, generals, etc, but I do love the social aspects of studying history. Driving along and listening to the tape while looking out at the battlefields made the war come alive to me. I envisioned young men, brother against brother, battling for their cause. By the end of the tour I had put a dent in our tissue box.
- American Civil War Museum. This was formerly the Wax Museum, but they changed the name in the last year or so. After getting tickets, we walked through a turnstile into a very dark hallway which guided us to numerous vignettes. Wax figures of prominent citizens during the Civil War era told the history leading up to the war. The figures were a little on the spooky side, some appearing very real, others appearing very waxy! But the storyline was good and led to a theatre. There we were treated to a movie, with a lifesize diorama depicting scenes the movie described. The most moving part was when President Lincoln "arrived" to give the Gettysburg Address.
- Cyclorama. The National Park service is closing down in November 2005 for two years. During this time, they will build a new facility a half mile away where the Cyclorama will then be moved. The old building will be torn down and that portion of the battlefield will be restored to that era. The painting is magnificent. A must see!
- Gettysburg Diorama. This wonderful display is in an unlikely location, a campground store. But the owner has done a wonderful job with the miniature pieces, thousands of them, and the story offered is very good.
- Hall of Presidents. This was a fun exhibit. Lifesize wax figures of every President are on display through a program that offers a glimpse into each of their lives. Truly fascinating. It was here I learned that Eisenhower was a talented artist. For some reason, that made him seem more "real" to me, rather than a figure in the history books. This museum also has an Eisenhower display. The former president retired to Gettysburg after his presidency, so the museum focuses on his life here. Very interesting.
- Lincoln Train Museum. A train-lovers' joy! Visitors are encouraged to examine hundreds of miniature model trains, push buttons to start other trains moving around tracks and then take a simulated train ride on the train which brought Lincoln to Gettysburg in 1863. A wonderful place to visit for kids of all ages.
