Just one of the historic cities in Pennsylvania, Gettysburg was the site of one of the most famous battles in Civil War history. Much of the town is filled with tourists, local folk in period dress, and students visiting the abundance of museums and shops. The big draws are the National Military Park and battlefield, the Cyclorama painting of Pickett's Charge, and the Soldiers' National Cemetery where Lincoln gave his famous address.
Standing on Little Round Top and walking the route of Pickett's Charge are the two essential experiences. Make time too for President Eisenhower's retirement farm on the western edge of the battlefield — an unexpected pastoral coda. Hiring one of the National Park Service's Licensed Battlefield Guides at the visitor centre is far and away the best way to make sense of the ground.
Gettysburg is also home to Gettysburg College, a small and rigorous institution of higher learning located a stone's throw from the battlefields.