I’m lucky if I get to see my sister once a year, so when her and her husband were coming home to Pennsylvania and were going to spend a day exploring Gettysburg, which is under a two-hour drive for us, it was a no-brainer to take a day-trip to see them and this adorable town.

We had the chance to explore as a family when I was younger, yet I only remember bits and pieces. I was excited to make new memories with my family, while adding our husbands and children to the mix!

Where to start?

The best place to begin your day and mapping out your route is at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.

Here you can buy tickets for the Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience (click link for direct access to tickets). Ticket prices currently are as follows:

• Adults: $20.75
• Senior citizens, AAA members: $19.75
• Veterans: $17.75
• Youth (ages 6-12): $15.75

They also offer complimentary tickets to the following:

• Children (ages 5 and younger)
• Active-duty U.S. Military

This also where you can get tickets for a guided car tour or bus tour, use the restroom and shop at the gift shop!

As we were only there for the day (and had dance classes to get home for later in the afternoon), we opted to skip the museum and film and head straight out for the audio guide!

Touring the Battlefields

There are a few different ways you can do this based on how much of an in-depth experience you would like. We chose the most flexible way, but I will list out every option so you can decide which would be best for you!

Auto Tour with the NPS App

We chose to download the National Parks Service app which has many different audio options that you can listen to as you go. If you start at the visitors center, there are clear and direct signs to follow the Auto Tour throughout the battlefields.

We opted for the 2-3 hour Auto Tour of Gettysburg within the app which was a perfect balance of information as we drove, but we could keep moving if there wasn’t as much to see at a certain stop. We packed lunches and ate as we drove, using the bathrooms when they were available. There are at least two throughout the auto tour.

They also offer a Little Round Top Tour (one of my favorite stops) and four other shorter tours around the area. It just depends how much time you have and what you’d like to get out of the day.

Guided Battlefield Tour

“Tour the battlefield with a Licensed Battlefield Guide either in your car or by motor coach.

Rigorously tested and licensed through the National Park Service, Licensed Battlefield Guides provide you with an informative, engaging and enlightening perspective of the battle, the people, the monuments and landmarks.” – The Gettysburg Foundation

This a great option for anyone who wants a more thorough explanation of the events that occurred during the battle of Gettysburg and wants an in-person experience! There are also bus options for anyone wanting more of a group-experience where you don’t have to drive!

Downtown Gettysburg

After our auto tour it was time to stretch the legs downtown! The girls were rewarded after being confined to a car for hours with candy from Sweeet! THE Candy Store! It had both candy you enjoy today and candy you enjoyed as a kid. There are many shops to explore within the downtown that includes antiques, gift shops, wineries, distilleries, coffee shops, dog boutiques and more!

We got as close to the circle downtown as we could and explored from there! We parked on the street near the Adam’s County Public Library and it ended up being a perfect spot for us to start!

Europe is exciting. Flying standby is stressful but an awesome perk. Doing day-trips to explore our home state is just as important to us when it comes to making memories with our girls. This was heavy on history but still very kid-friendly that worked for all of us!

The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, Pittsburgh and 9/11 Memorial are other stops we want to make as a family in the near future. We also love exploring trails. What else should we add to our list?!

Thanks for stopping in! Let’s stay connected and see the world together!