By Linda Blachly

Civil War battlefields have always been hallowed ground for visitors to learn about the history of our country. But, much of the drama of the war is usually left up to your imagination as you picture soldiers fighting and dying on the exact spot where you are standing. 

When visitors tour Gettysburg, they don’t have to picture the battle in their minds. The restoration of the Gettysburg National Military Park and the new Cyclorama bring the Civil War to life in dramatic ways and will make you appreciate this time in our American history. If you haven’t visited the park in a few years, it is a must-see for families, especially this year for the Lincoln bicentennial.

Cyclorama

The return of the Philippoteaux Cyclorama is worth the trip in itself. In September 2008, the 377-foot long, 42-foot high 3-D painting of “Pickett’s Charge,” which took place on July 3, 1863, was returned, and the newly restored Cyclorama, housed in the new Museum and Visitor Center, is larger than life. 

As visitors climb the stairs into the tower, they feel as if they are stepping back in time to July 3, 1863. As they overlook the battlefield on that day, it is frozen in time. Wait! Is it the battlefield or is it a painting? You turn around and round and won’t know where to look — it’s all so beautiful. 

However, as the audio narrated script begins, you hear the story of “Pickett’s Charge,” and the sound effects and lights that highlight portions of the 360-degree oil-on-canvas painting give the illusion of movement. Rocks, weapons and other objects in front of the painting bring a sense of depth. You will literally feel like you are part of that climactic Confederate attack on the Union center as the 47 scenes spring to life, putting you in the middle of the battle.

Completed and exhibited in 1884, it is one of the last surviving Cycloramas in the United States. 

Battlefield Tour

After viewing the Cyclorama in the new Museum and Visitor Center, you will feel as if you have already toured the battlefield. It seems easier to get your bearings as you view the 1,400 monuments and markers that dot the landscape of the 6,000-acre battlefield.

There are many ways to tour the battlefield. There are licensed battlefield guides, bus tours, Park Ranger-guided walking tours, and CDs for self-guided tours. You can pick the best way to see the battlefield. But it is all worth viewing. And be sure to bring your camera — the scenic rural Pennsylvania countryside is part of the experience.

Walking Tour of Gettysburg

In July 1863, citizens of Gettysburg watched as 163,000 soldiers waged battle for three days in their town and on their farm fields. Before the battle ended, many of their homes and churches became makeshift hospitals. Civil War-era buildings are marked by bronze plaques. As you walk the streets of Gettysburg and learn about how it recovered from the devastation of battle, you will gain a new appreciation for this town and its sturdy citizens. 

The best place to start is the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at the David Wills House, 8 Lincoln Square, in downtown Gettysburg. 

The 1863 house just reopened in February as a visitor information center, part of the Gettysburg National Military Park. The museum includes seven galleries, including the restored office where prominent attorney David Wills coordinated post-battle recovery efforts and invited a war-worn President Lincoln to deliver “a few appropriate remarks” when he dedicated the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. These remarks became known as the Gettysburg Address.

Visitors will be able to see the restored second-floor bedroom where the President finished revising the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 18, 1864.

Farnsworth House Inn

One of the most fascinating and different experiences I’ve ever had is an evening at the Farnsworth House Mourning Theater, 401 Baltimore Street. Thinking it was a dinner theatre presentation, I was in for quite a surprise when our host came for us dressed in full 1860s funeral attire and took us to a dark, eerie decorated parlor with a casket in the corner. 

As we were seated, he explained that there was so much bloodshed and death in town during the battle that the Farnsworth House, noted as one of the most haunted inns in America, is dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the brave soldiers who fought on both sides. Each dinner is dedicated to the memory of a slain soldier. 

The menu consists of foods that may have been served to mourners paying their respects to the family of a deceased loved one, whose body was laid out in the parlor. 

The host will explain the meaning behind a lot of funeral traditions we still observe today, like the reason flowers are sent — to cover up the smell of a decomposing body, which was laid out for three to four days to make sure the person was dead.

The house, originally built in 1810, was constructed by John McFarland. During the battle, the house sheltered Confederate sharpshooters, one of whom it is believed accidentally shot resident Jennie Wade, who died in the three-day struggle — the only civilian to be killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. There are more than 100 bullet holes in the south side of the building.

After the meal, there is a candlelight ghost walk to the cellar of the Farnsworth House, where you will hear tales by candlelight of phantom specters still believed to haunt the town and its battlefield. It will be a night you will never forget. For information, visit www.farnsworthhouseinn.com.

For more information on Gettysburg, visit www.gettysburg.travel.