Gettysburg, PA

[azdizzymom]

We have a trip planned this summer to go to Washington D.C.--thankfully found a great VRBO in Alexandria for a fraction of the cost of a hotel.

We want to go to Gettysburg. Here is where the questions are.

Where is a good place to stay...in Gettysburg or one of the outer towns. Any recommendations.

Second, is it a one or two day outing there????

Thanks

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

I don't know where to stay, but definitely take two days if you can. I so enjoyed my trip to Gettysburg and hope to go back someday.

If you can, book a walking ghost tour at night. They aren't "scary" per-say, but they are incredibly interesting and have a nice historical flair.

 

[GDUL]

We went to Gettysburg this past spring and stayed at the Gettysburg Hotel downtown on the square.

I would definitely take 2 days to tour the battlefield! I would recommend hiring a park ranger to drive your car and tell you about the battle on the first day. Absolutely worth the money! We went back and drove ourselves through the battlefield the second day stopping and spending as much time as we wanted at the different monuments, etc.

 

[SharonZ]

I second the Gettysburg Hotel. I also recommend the guided tour - it's about 3 hours and well worth the money.

 

[Abbie]

Gettysburg IS kind of an "outer town"! If you want to stay near (within a couple of miles) for what is probably cheaper than the Gettysburg Hotel, try the Country Inn and Suites next to the outlets. If you want to go even further to save a few dollars, Westminster has several chains but you are about a half hour drive from Gettysburg at that point.

 

[gracie1]

The Gettysburg hotel was the one that I want to stay at! It was listed on the travel channels most haunted!!

 

[azdizzymom]

Thanks for the info! I am looking at the Gettysburg Hotel...looks neat! We will have 2 days there (can leave D.C. early and get there...have that full day and then Saturday and start heading home and stay outside of the area part way home Saturday night to avoid higher hotel costs).

Thanks so much.....this is for June 2012 but I plan, plan, plan ahead.

 

[puffkin]

I am interested to hear all about this. We actually got my parents a Living Social deal for Christmas for Gettysburg (we live about 2 hours away but have never been there). It includes accomodations at the Gettysburg Lodges (they look like little cabins overlooking the battlefield) and tickets to a few of the museums. I am also going to try and arrange a guided tour for them. Someone I work with actually does tours there as a side job and I think he would be great. I was a little worried that there wouldn't be enough to do for the weekend, but it seems I may be wrong

 

[skater]

I'll second (or third) the guided tour - you'll find out so many unique and fascinating human interest stories. I don't remember much of it (long time ago), but I remember riding through town with our guide pointing out canon holes in houses. I never would have noticed things like that on my own.

 

[htmom]

I absolutely love Gettysburg! We go 3-4 times every summer. I have a ten yr old boy and bf has a 7 yr old girl and they love it as well. They are both history buffs in the making lol

If ya have kids Explore and More is a wonderful childrens museum run by two former preschool teachers. It is right in town.
Also grownups or kids usually enjoy Ghost Tours I personally love Ghosts of Getttysburg Tours.
My son loves the double decker bus tour. I like it for the history and narration my son likes being that high up LOL
We always go to the visitors center but only watched the movie once since it opened.
We also like to go to the ranger walks that they have on the grounds you can find out about them and times at the visitors center.

Two days will be easy to fill! Have fun!

 

[crazy4purple]

You can also do a guided horseback tour of the battlefields. Then tend to go where vehicles can't go.

Also if you get a chance, take the walk across the field of Pickett's charge. Gives you a real perspective......

I also recommend the night time ghost walks.

 

[PSUGuy]

I'd recommend either the Gettysburg Hotel or the James Getty Hotel just off the square. Next to the Getty is a funky eatery called the Blue Parrot, a must do every time we go, and don't miss the Farnsworth House and the Dobbin Tavern for drinks or food. It's worth a little extra to stay in the center of town.

Bill From PA

 

[GDUL]

I'll second (or third) the guided tour - you'll find out so many unique and fascinating human interest stories. I don't remember much of it (long time ago), but I remember riding through town with our guide pointing out canon holes in houses. I never would have noticed things like that on my own.

Here's a picture of me pointing at a bullet hole in the side of the Farnsworth House.

The Gettysburg hotel was the one that I want to stay at! It was listed on the travel channels most haunted!!

We stopped by to eat breakfast at the Farnsworth House one morning. A young couple came in a little while later to eat too. We started talking to them and found out that they had spent the previous night there and had planned on staying the next night too. They ended up checking out after the first night because they couldn't sleep - something (or someone) was throwing "marbles" at them all night. They spent that night out by the mall but came back to use their breakfast coupon.

We didn't see anything at the Gettysburg Hotel but we were in the newer part. We enjoyed our stay there.

 

[HoneyPooh]

Definitely spend at least two days. If you stay at the Gettysburg Hotel ask for a room in the old section, which is wonderful. New section is just meh, lol. If you want to be at the other end of town closer to the visitor center and in a newer hotel try the Comfort Suites. It's only a few years old and right on the cemetary, oooooo!

I can highly recommend the Segway tours of the battlefield. Husband and I did the longer one of the Little Roundtop and High Water area and we absolutely loved it! For two of us it only cost about $140 and they gave us snacks and water, lol.

If you stay at the Comfort Suites check out the "Pike" restaurant next door to it (literally, right on the edge of the parkinglot but we could not hear anything from there at night). It's a nice spot to sit on the front deck for drinks and the wings are great.

I love Gettysburg, such a great feeling there and you learn somthing even when you aren't trying, lol.

 

[Amy]

Here's another vote for the Segway tours - DH and I did it Oct. 2010 and it was a blast! A great way to see the battlefield without "drive a little, park, get out, get back in, drive a little, park, get out, get back in". The segways are really easy to get used to. We did the long tour - 2.5 hours - and would love to go back and do it again.

We had dinner at both the Dobbin House and Farnsworth Inn; both are excellent! The Dobbin House has a "fancy" restaurant and the Springhouse Tavern downstairs - that's where we ate. The Farnsworth Inn is supposed to be haunted, and they have ghost tours/tales in the basement.

We also did one of the ghost tours - ours went on the grounds of the Gettysburg Seminary. There are so many ghost tour companies - just check them out on the internet to find out that sounds like something you'll enjoy.

Edited to add: we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott - about 10 min outside of town, near the ramps for US15 and the PA turnpike. Nice place! We never had trouble finding a place to park when heading for the segway tours or battlefield tours.

And make sure you see the Cyclorama - really neat!

 

[Octoberbride03]

Thanks for the info! I am looking at the Gettysburg Hotel...looks neat! We will have 2 days there (can leave D.C. early and get there...have that full day and then Saturday and start heading home and stay outside of the area part way home Saturday night to avoid higher hotel costs).

Thanks so much.....this is for June 2012 but I plan, plan, plan ahead.

That's good because it'll be crowded in June. They more re-enactments and outdoor programs then. Dh and I went in Oct 2010 and it is an amazing place. We stayed at Kabin at the KOA and had a great time. We did the audio tour in the car and didn't even finish it after 6-7hours. It is HUGE


If you do a guided a guided definitely get the driver instead of the bus tour. Its pretty comparable in price

We will definitely be going back

 

[GDUL]

We did the audio tour in the car and didn't even finish it after 6-7hours. It is HUGE

My wife and I really noticed this. It was the first time that we went - of course we had read about Gettysburg, watched the history channel, seen movies, etc but until you go there, you just can't realize the size and scope of the battlefield.

 

[Plantlady]

We did not plan nearly enough time for Gettysburg.

One thing recommended to us, was that you can download a podcast, for free, from the National Parks, that is a walking tour, where you follow the steps of soldiers. A Park Ranger in Ohio recommended this to us... told us it was the most fun he had ever had.

I wish we would of had more time. It was very fascinating.

 

[DMRick]

Speaking of the Segway tours, I recommend them in DC, as well.