Category: History and Heritage

Behind the Glass: How Artifacts are Prepared for Display in Gettysburg

There’s a small army working behind the scenes at Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.

Up to a dozen people prepare each artifact for display in the 1,000-plus piece collection that tells the story of Gettysburg’s epic Civil War battle. A stroll through the exhibits takes visitors on a journey back to 1863.

Artifacts come to the museum through archaeological efforts and donations from the public, according to museum curator Greg Goodell. Several steps are required before a historic object makes it to the exhibit before the visitor’s eyes.

Artifact conservators conduct conservation treatments. Depending on the piece, reversible varnish and ... Read This Story

Gettysburg’s Black History Featured at Local Museums

Books about Gettysburg’s history fill sections of libraries and bookstores. Just about every nuance of the fighting that took place during three days in July of 1863 has been carefully studied, mapped, curated, and presented by historians of world renown to weekend history buffs.

Still, there are other parts of local history that have been overlooked or underappreciated.

For generations of Gettysburg’s Black residents, maintaining and sharing the memories and stories of their people became the responsibility of family historians. Without their tenacious quest to keep those stories alive, most of Gettysburg’s Black history might have been lost.

Today, visitors can learn about ... Read This Story

Battlefield Vantage Points

The Gettysburg Battlefield spans nearly 6,000 acres. From monuments and wayside markers to distinctive boulders and undulating ridges, there is a lot to see and learn while exploring the battlefield.

Countless locations on the battlefield provide vantage points that not only offer valuable insight into the military positions of both the Union and Confederate armies, but also showcase incredible vistas of this historic and hallowed land.

Join us as we discover some of the best vantage points on the Gettysburg Battlefield.

The Stories of Gettysburg’s Black Citizens

The American Civil War left quite an impression on Gettysburg, even though our history touches on so ... Read This Story