Gettsyburg

bridetobe920

Hey ladies -

DH and I are planning a trip in June, and I wondered if anyone has any tips for seeing Gettysburg with an infant.  Is it possible with a stoller?  Would a bus tour be a better option?  Any insight would be helpful, thanks!

NorticPrincess

You can do parts of the battlefield waking around - but it isn't like some of the other ones that are small areas.   It actually covers a very large area.  Green area around town http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Gettysburg+military+park&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=military+park&hnear=Gettysburg,+Adams,+Pennsylvania&z=13  

Skip the bus tour - it ends up being cheaper ($50 for 1-6 people - the park service's website says $55)  to just get a guide through the park service  - the bus tours are 25.95 pp to do the tape tour or $27.95 pp to do the guided tour on a bus.  You wouldn't pay for any child under 6. You can even reseve a guide online http://www.gettysburgtourguides.org/   They'll drive you around and customize the tour towards your interests.  Also allows you to stop when you need to, while the bus tours only stop twice on the battlefield and once for a bathroom break.  You can get package plans if you plan on visiting several of the tourist trap things the bus company also runs, only one worth it is Jennie Wade - which is oddly in a hotel parking lot - the other ones are more geared towards entertaining school kids - as a adult look really cheesy

Another option -which I would be hesitant to recommend this summer with half of the center of town being blocked off with detours for construction - you can just buy the CD of the audiotour (same one they play on the bus) and follow the signs around at your own pace.  They sell them at the visitor's center.  http://www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm

 You can do town with a stroller no problem, other than the construction.   The new visitor's center is now outside of town a bit, they did just up the prices a bit for the film and museum out there.  The cemetery - should be okay if you stay on the path, they are suppose to be done with the paving project this weekend.

hth

WickedCoolSM

I'll second the CD in the car thing!  We did that last year and it was great!  In our own car, AC, and we could stop/go as we needed to.  I thought it'd be not so great, but it was nice. 

We did a town tour the first day which gave us the background of GB.  Day 2-we went to the Gettysburg Visitor's Center(REALLY NICE!)-and did the Diorama-which was pretty nice-as well as some of the outdoor free talks. 

I will agree that some of the other touristy things are pretty cheesy-we did go to the Jennie Wade house, but that was only 'eh'. 

We did a ghost tour (Gettysburg Paranormal Society) and a ghost 'hunt'. The tour was more like storytelling, but that would be easy to get around with a stroller.  We also did one of those Victorian pics-which was fun!

I think there's a stuffed animal place nearby, too. 

lisam1217

I've only ever did a self-guided tour.  It's nice to drive around the battlefield yourself.  It lets you got at your own pace.  I did the audio once (you can buy the cds at the store) and other times we just took the map and read the little descriptions of what each stop was.  It's really pretty there, not to mention full of history, so having the ability to take the time you want at each stop is definitely a must.