Rangers Will Lead Walks to Explore Gettysburg National Military Park This Summer

Ranger walks at Gettysburg National Military Park this summer will include stops at Cemetery Ridge. NPS photo by John Heiser.

Looking to learn more about Gettysburg National Military Park than what your guidebook says? Consider joining a ranger this summer for a walking tour of some of the park's most hallowed sites.

Beginning June 12, rangers will lead walks daily across the military park's landscape. Seven days a week throughout the summer they'll lead visitors to famous sites like Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill. They'll also offer programs that focus on the battle, key moments of the fighting, the aftermath, and the Civil War experience. In addition to rangers, costumed interpreters will present programs called, Visits to the Past, portraying men and women who witnessed and participated in the events of 1863 in Gettysburg.

Kids aren't overlooked in the programs, either.

Join the Army is a program for children ages 6 to 12 where participants "enlist" in the army and learn something about what it meant to be a soldier in a Civil War regiment. Gettysburg’s Junior Ranger program is a free family-oriented activity that allows children ages 5 to 13 to become Junior Rangers by completing an activity guide as they visit the park and museum. In the park’s Museum and Visitor Center, programs using Hands-on History Carts offer opportunities for kids to try Civil War dress-up games, parlor games, and other fun.

For those who prefer indoor programs, the park is offering free daily programs in the classroom at the park Museum and Visitor Center - The Battle Overview and Monuments of Gettysburg.

Gettysburg Battle Anniversary Programs, July 1, 2, and 3

Along with the daily programs this summer, rangers will present special anniversary battle walks on July 1, 2 and 3, to explore key events. These in-depth programs are three hours in length. In addition to these longer anniversary battle walks on July 1, 2 and 3, rangers are also offering an extensive list of "Real-Time" programs that follow and explain the battle in chronological order and as close as possible to the real time when the events described took place. The programs range in length from 30 minutes to an hour. "Real-Time" programs involve minimal walking, although visitors will need to make short drives by vehicle between program locations.

The David Wills House

No visit to Gettysburg would be complete without a visit to the town to learn more about the fighting through the streets, the aftermath of the battle, and Abraham Lincoln’s visit to give the Gettysburg Address. To begin a visit to the town, the National Park Service invites visitors to the newly restored David Wills House on the square in downtown Gettysburg. The David Wills House is operated by Main Street Gettysburg, in partnership with Gettysburg National Military Park. Call 866-486-5735 or go to www.davidwillshouse.org for more information.