Start your Gettysburg journey at the heart of the first day’s fighting.
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center is located on Seminary Ridge along the National Park Service’s auto tour route. Three floors of exhibits connect individuals and groups to the dilemmas which led to the Civil War, provide a powerful and personal view of the battle’s first day and show the work of one of the battlefield’s largest field hospitals.
Gettysburg’s Premier View Experience: A visit to the Seminary Ridge Museum is not complete without a guided tour of the building’s famous Cupola. Stand where Brigadier General John Buford and his staff stood on the morning of July 1, 1863, as the Battle of Gettysburg began. Discover how the view from the Cupola shaped the pivotal first day’s fighting and set the stage for what became the largest battle in the history of North America.
- Four floors of exhibits with many original artifacts and documents.
- Films introduce visitors to the themes of the exhibits on each particular floor.
- 10 original murals by renowned artist Dale Gallon commissioned exclusively for the museum
- Hands-on interactive stations for children to follow the “Zieglers” (the children of the caretaker who lived in this building)
- One-mile interpretive outdoor walking trail with wayside markers
- Located along the National Park Service’s auto tour route
- Ample free parking
- Clean, modern restroom facilities
- Museum shop
- Fully ADA compliant (except Cupola)
- Group friendly
Special interpretive programs offered daily March 1 to October 31, included with price of admission.