Gettysburg's battlefield and Eisenhower's farm belong to all of us.
Even while our National Park Service partners step back during the federal shutdown, the Gettysburg Foundation continues to care for these historic places, so their stories never go silent.
What’s open for your visit
The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center: open daily, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.Park Roads: Open to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.Gettysburg National Cemetery: Open.Eisenhower home grounds: Accessible from sunrise to sunset; home tours are paused.NPS Programs: Educational and Interpretive activities are paused; rangers and volunteers are unavailable.Protection Rangers: Continuing patrols for safety and resource protection.
How You Can Help
We all play a vital role in protecting our National Parks. Please help us keep Gettysburg safe and welcoming:
Practice Leave No Trace principlesStay on marked trails and respect wildlifeLeave artifacts where you find themReport safety concerns when appropriate
If you see something, say something - dial 911 when it's safe to do so.
Our Role
As National Park Service operations pause, preservation continues through every act of care by the Gettysburg Foundation and everyone who shares in this commitment.
In our role as the nonprofit partner of the National Parks at Gettysburg, we work alongside our community to safeguard Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic site - helping these places remain open, protected, and meaningful for all people, for all time.
To learn how you can support the Gettysburg Foundation, visit us online at GettysburgFoundation.org.
A Civil Conversation with Dr. Wesley Moody Online with ZOOM October 2!
Join us on Thursday, October 2, 2025, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm for this Civil Conversation via ZOOM, featuring author Dr. Wesley Moody and NCWM Education & Program Coordinator - Katie Dick. This online program will delve into the life of a fascinating American hero. We look forward to having you join us.
About the book: As the commander of the US garrison at Fort Sumter in the fateful early hours of April 12, 1861, Robert Anderson (1805–1871) played a critical role in the unfolding of the Civil War. Although his leadership and his courage under fire catapulted him into national recognition, the attack on Fort Sumter was just one chapter in Anderson’s story. That story, told here in full for the first time, offers a unique lens on the development of the US military and the country itself before and during the Civil War.
Anderson’s family, harking back to the nation’s founding, included William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) and Chief Justice John Marshall. His father crossed the Delaware with George Washington. And among his acquaintances were presidents ranging from the aged John Adams to seven-year-old Theodore Roosevelt. Historian Wesley Moody charts Robert Anderson’s path from an upbringing on the Kentucky frontier to a West Point education and a military career that saw him fighting in nearly every American conflict from the Black Hawk War to the Civil War—catching malaria fighting the Seminoles, taking several bullets while serving in Mexico, writing the textbook for field artillery used by both Union and Confederate forces, mentoring William Tecumseh Sherman.
Central to Anderson’s story was his deft and decisive handling of the Fort Sumter crisis. Had Major Anderson been the aggressor, as many of his command urged, President Abraham Lincoln would have been unable to rally the Northern states to war. Had Anderson handed his command over to the Confederate troops, a demoralized North would have offered little resistance to secession. To understand this pivotal moment in US history, one has to understand the man at its center; and to understand that man and his masterful performance under extraordinary pressure, one can do no better than to read Moody’s thoroughly absorbing, richly detailed biography.
Dr. Wesley Moody bio:
Dr. Wesley Moody is a professor of history at Florida State College at Jacksonville. He is a specialist in the American Civil War, Colonial American history, and Florida history. Dr. Moody is the author of four books, including Demon of the Lost Cause: Sherman and Civil War History, based on his Ph.D. dissertation. He studied under Dr. Wendy Venet at Georgia State University and John Ferling at the University of West Georgia.
Gettysburg NMP Museum & Visitor Center Remains Open During Federal Government Shutdown
Gettysburg, Pa. (Oct. 1, 2025)—During the Federal government’s lapse in appropriations, the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center and its complex, owned and operated by the Gettysburg Foundation, will remain open during regular hours to welcome and serve visitors. The Museum & Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
While many services typically provided by the National Park Service (NPS) are paused during the shutdown, the Gettysburg Foundation is continuing to operate the Museum & Visitor Center and provide access to a wide range of visitor experiences, including:
Film, Cyclorama & Museum Experience: View A New Birth of Freedom followed by the dramatic light and sound show of the 360-degree Gettysburg Cyclorama painting. Then, explore artifacts, interactive exhibits and short films that bring the stories of the battle to life in the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Tours: Continue by bus and car. Car tours require reservations.
Shopping & Dining: The Museum Book Store and Battlegrounds Café & Grille remain open for shopping, snacks and meals.
McKenna Foundation Resource Room: The Resource Room is open with Gettysburg Foundation volunteers available to help guests explore Civil War ancestry and begin research.
Tickets & Maps: Visitors may purchase tickets to Foundation programs and obtain maps at the Ticket Counter and Friends Desk.
National Park Service Facility Status:
Open: All roads within Gettysburg National Military Park will remain open to vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Closed: The Gettysburg National Cemetery and the Eisenhower National Historic Site’s home tours are closed. The grounds at Eisenhower National Historic Site remain accessible from sunrise to sunset.
Unavailable: Educational programs, interpretive services and information desks operated by the NPS are paused. NPS rangers and volunteers are not available.
Law Enforcement: NPS protection rangers will continue patrols to ensure the safety of park resources and visitors.
Lost and found items should be turned in to the Security Desk in the Museum & Visitor Center located at 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg.
Members of the media may contact Bruce McConnel, Vice President of Marketing Communications, at bmcconnel@gettysburgfoundation.org for more information.
Tickets, maps and visitor updates can be found at GettysburgFoundation.org.
Princeton Battlefield’s Next Chapter Starts Here!
Although not Civil War, this American Revolution site is nearby…
The American Battlefield Trust cordially invites you to a special community meeting to discuss an exciting new initiative: a reimagining of the Princeton Battlefield, including the opportunity for a Visitor and Education Center. The meeting will be held at Morven Museum & Garden on Tuesday, October 7 at 6:30pm.
Please RSVP to Oct7Princeton@gmail.com
The Visitor and Education Center will provide important improvements for Princeton, including:
Increasing appreciation of the battle and interpretive educational opportunities, as well as the importance of preserving this amazing story of American resilience as part of the 10 Crucial Days that changed the course of our nation.Creating a better understanding of not only the experience of the men who fought here, but how the battle impacted those men, women and children who lived in Princeton in 1777 as well.Preserving and making more accessible green space for community use of the park including the replanting of 18th Century trees and cropland. Enhancing Princeton’s appeal as we approach our nation’s Semiquincentennial and creating local job opportunities through increasing the time visitors spend in the area.Generating growth opportunities for local historical groups including the Princeton Battlefield Society and other local and regional partners.
Please RSVP to Oct7Princeton@gmail.com and join us in this forward-looking discussion. We look forward to your involvement and to seeing you on October 7.
Sincerely,
Jim Campi, Chief Policy and Communications Officer
American Battlefield Trust
Lee's Headquarters Open House & Living History Event Oct 4 & 5
Join the 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment at Lee's Headquarters!
American Battlefield Trust Event
October 4 - 5, 2025 @ 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM EDT
Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg
401 Buford Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Come see living history in action! The 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment – portrayed by the 26th North Carolina Regiment – will be on site Saturday and Sunday!
During the Battle of Gettysburg, this small stone house — home of 69-year-old widow Mary Thompson — served as the headquarters of Gen. Robert E. Lee. The property surrounding the house played a pivotal role in the severe fighting on July 1, 1863, and was a key position in the Confederate line for the rest of the engagement.
Today, the landscape and building have been preserved and restored to its wartime appearance by the American Battlefield Trust.
Take the opportunity to step back in time inside the historic home, during this open house, hosted by the Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center, in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. Interpreters will be onsite and available to answer questions and tell the stories of this crucial site. A self-guided interpretive trail, with five signs explaining the dramatic events at the headquarters from July 1-3, 1863, is open daily from dawn to dusk. Additional augmented reality interpretations of the site are also available in the FREE Gettysburg AR Experience app.
Stone Containing Dinosaur Fossil on “Dinosaur Bridge” Vandalized at Gettysburg NHP
GETTYSBURG, PA— Staff at Gettysburg National Military Park (NMP) report that one of the capstones of the South Confederate Avenue Bridge over Plum Run, best known as “Dinosaur Bridge,” that contains a dinosaur fossil, was vandalized on Thursday, September 25. At approximately 1:30 pm, park maintenance staff discovered a large cap stone missing from the bridge.
They soon found it below the bridge along Plum Run. Evidence suggests a heavy object was used to strike the stone and pry it free, causing it to fall—or possibly be dropped—during an attempted removal. The capstone measures approximately 30 inches long by 18 inches wide by 4 inches thick. The fossil, a Anchisauripus (Ank-ee-sore-ih-puss) track, a dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic period (201 million to 145 million years ago) was unharmed and is now safely in park custody while the investigation is ongoing.
If the public has any information that could help the park’s ongoing investigation into this act of vandalism, they are encouraged to contact the park email address at GETT_Superintendent@nps.gov.
“Fall into History” at Gettysburg National Military Park
Fall is a beautiful and serene time to visit Gettysburg National Military Park. Credit: National Park Service, Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg, PA – This fall, Gettysburg National Military Park invites visitors to “Fall into History,” over two extraordinary weekends of ranger-led programs, dramatic storytelling, and immersive battlefield walks, set against the vibrant backdrop of autumn in Pennsylvania. Plan your fall trip to Gettysburg to join us for these special events that are free and open to the public.
Program Highlights
September 26–28, 2025
Friday Evening Campfire at 7:00 PM: Step back to 1938 with “Twilight of the Blue & Gray”, for a unique campfire program that brings to life the poignant reunion of the last Civil War veterans—men who once faced each other in battle, now bound by memory and age.
Saturday Battle Walk at 10:00 AM: Follow in the footsteps of elite Union marksmen during “In the Shadows of the Trees”, a gritty battle walk tracing the perilous mission of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters near Little Round Top.
Saturday Evening Campfire at 7:00 PM: “Beyond the Sobriquet” offers a human portrait of the Iron Brigade, revealing the personalities and sacrifices behind the unit’s storied name.
Sunday Battle Walk at 10:00 AM: Conclude the weekend with a stirring walk across the fields of Pickett’s Charge, a reflective journey through one of the most iconic assaults in American military history.
October 24–26, 2025
Friday Evening Campfire at 6:30 PM: Sail into Civil War naval history with “Damn the Torpedoes!” a campfire program that brings Admiral Farragut’s thunderous assault on Mobile Bay vividly to life.
Saturday Battle Walk at 10:00 AM: Join in on “Barksdale’s Charge,” a fiery trek along the Peach Orchard where Mississippi soldiers surged through Union defenses.
Saturday Evening Campfire at 6:30 PM: For the first time ever, the park presents “Shadows of the Past” —a mesmerizing campfire program that peels back the myths surrounding Gettysburg’s ghost stories. Rangers will reveal the truth behind the tales that have allegedly haunted this hallowed ground for generations.
Sunday Battle Walk at 10:00 AM: Conclude the weekend with a hike along Hancock Avenue for “Alexander Hays and the Blue Birds,” an exploration of the resolute Union defense on Cemetery Ridge during Pickett’s Charge.
All Programs Are Free and Family-Friendly
Campfire programs will take place at Pitzer Woods Amphitheater on West Confederate Avenue. Battle Walks range across key areas of the Gettysburg battlefield and offer in-depth interpretation from experienced National Park Service rangers.
“Fall brings a powerful stillness to the battlefield—one that invites reflection, discovery, and connection,” said Kristina Heister, Park Superintendent. “We’re especially excited to introduce new programming this year, including a fresh take on Gettysburg’s ghost stories—something we’ve never offered before.”
For more information, and a full listing of all programs and events, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/gett.
Gettysburg NMP looking for man who reportedly vandalized Little Round Top
Source: FOX 43
Author: James Corrigan
Published: September 15, 2025
GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Gettysburg National Military Park officials are asking for the public’s help after a monument on Little Round Top was vandalized.
According to the park, a visitor reported hearing the sound of scratching and scraping between 5 and 6 p.m. on Sunday on the New York “castle” monument at Little Round Top, one of the most significant sites of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg.
The visitor followed the suspect and was able to take a photograph, which has since been shared by the park on social media.
“Some major vandalism had occurred,” said Jason Martz, communications specialist for Gettysburg National Military Park. “By the looks of it, it had been with a pocket knife.”
Officials say the letters "LJR" were carved on the side of a plaque on the monument, which was erected at the site 132 years ago to honor Union soldiers from New York who helped repel Confederate attacks during the battle.
“This is truly sacred ground,” Martz said. “This is an entire space dedicated to those who fought and died here. And so, this is really the last place that I would think that anyone would truly take time to desecrate in any way, shape or form.”
The incident comes after a rock at the site was defaced in August of 2024
Martz says damaging a monument itself is especially troubling because of the history and memory it represents.
More than 50,000 soldiers were killed or wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg, and Martz says protecting these monuments is a way to honor their sacrifice.
“Really, what it comes down to is defacing the memory of those who fought and died — the memory of those who lived to then memorialize those who did fight and die here,” Martz said.
Gettysburg National Military Park is urging anyone who recognizes the individual in the photograph to contact its anonymous tip line at 888-653-0009.
Battlefield BookFest Is Coming to Gettysburg!
Get ready for an unforgettable weekend of history, storytelling, and celebration at our new Battlefield BookFest! We’re thrilled to announce this year's event will take place November 14-15, 2025, at the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
This exciting event will bring together renowned historians, award-winning authors, and passionate readers for a unique experience that blends compelling talks, exclusive book signings, and conversations about the past that shaped our nation.
Learn more & Register on Thursday, September 18
Highlights include:
Presentations by Scott Hartwig, Dr. Carol Reardon, Will Greene, Patrick O'Donnell, and more.
Book signings and meet-and-greets with your favorite authors such as William A. Frassanito and yours truly.
The presentation of the American Battlefield Trust Prize for History.
Our live Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show 2.0!
What is the Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show 2.0?
You asked for it, and we are bringing it back to you live and bigger and better than ever…the Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show 2.0! Do you think that YOU are the ultimate Gettysburg buff? Do YOU constantly tell your friends and family about the battle, the personalities, and the town of Gettysburg?
Well, put your knowledge to the test by going head-to-head with other Gettysburg buffs to see if you are the ultimate GettysNerd! Join us on the evening of November 14 (as part of the Battlefield BookFest), for our second annual Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show contest.
Learn how YOU can enter the Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show
Relive the 2024 GettysNerd Game Show on YouTube
Tickets Available This Thursday, Sept. 18
Tickets for both events will be available here to purchase beginning this Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Tickets for Battlefield BookFest and the Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show events will be sold individually, and packages will also be available.
Don't Miss Your Early Bird Discount!
Use code Battlefields10 to save 10% on your ticket order. This offer expires October 10, 2025, so act fast!
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this one-of-a-kind celebration of history and literature, as well as our Ultimate GettysNerd Game Show. If you have questions about the events, please contact us at events@battlefields.org.
Best regards,
Garry Adelman
Chief Historian
American Battlefield Trust
Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse Trustees announce capital campaign
September 2, 2025 by Charles Stangor
The Board of Trustees of Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery today announced a capital campaign for preservation work in and around the cemetery’s historic Gatehouse.
The “Gatehouse Preservation Project” will involve painting of the exterior bricks (which were painted at the time of the Civil War battle in 1863) as well as an improved entrance way, ceremonial gardens and three informative wayside exhibits for visitors.
“The Gatehouse is one of the most famous architectural landmarks associated with the Battle of Gettysburg, but it is now 170 years old, and we want to make sure it is here for many more generations,” said Gettysburg native Brian Kennell, superintendent and caretaker of the cemetery. “It was painted from 1855 through 1966, when, like many brick buildings in Gettysburg it was sandblasted to remove the multiple layers of paint. Deterioration of the bricks since that time led the board to make this preservation decision.”
The Gatehouse was built to represent the gates of heaven as a symbolic entrance to the newly formed cemetery. The Italianate structure of brick and stone was originally painted rustic red with cornice-work of dark chocolate brown. It became iconic to historians and visitors after it was damaged by shot and shell during the battle.
New garden areas will be placed around the Gatehouse property, including the Marianne Moore Garden, honoring Gettysburg’s Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who is buried at Evergreen. Wayside exhibits will inform visitors of the cemetery’s beginnings, the history of the Gatehouse, as well as battlefield preservation work begun shortly after the battle by David McConaughy, Evergreen’s first president.
The goal of “The Gatehouse Preservation Project” campaign is to raise $250,000 to restore the historic Gatehouse, and install informational wayside exhibits and gardens, with additional funds to be held to address the future care of the Gatehouse for generations to come.
Painting of the Gatehouse will begin this fall, and the improved Gatehouse entrance area from Baltimore Street to the parking area is expected to be completed in 2026.
For more information, visit evergreencemetery.org.
Donations to the campaign may be made online.
Checks can be made payable to Evergreen Cemetery Preservation Fund. Mail to Evergreen Cemetery, 799 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325.