David Wills House Special Reopening

The home where Abraham Lincoln completed the Gettysburg Address will soon reopen to the public on select dates in November.

The three-story brick house was the home of David and Catherine Wills before, during, and after the Battle of Gettysburg. President Abraham Lincoln was one of their house guests the night before the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Lincoln finished composing his Gettysburg Address in the second story bedroom the evening of November 18, 1863.

The David Wills house is part of Gettysburg National Military Park. National Park Service Rangers will staff the home, with support from Main Street Gettysburg.

The reopening of the Wills house will be conducted consistent with CDC recommendations. Capacity will be limited to meet federal facility covid standards. To promote our staff and visitors’ safety, masks are required in all National Park Service buildings and on all forms of enclosed public transportation, regardless of location or vaccination status. Additional details are available at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.