We crossed some state lines — from Virginia, through Maryland, then back to Pennsylvania. We were on our way to Gettysburg! We drove from our campground near DC.
The Civil War is an interesting topic that we both studied in school so I think it was an important destination for us.
The landscape and rolling hills were beautiful but you can envision all the death and destruction that happened.
The price of tickets for the film, cyclorama, and museum at the Visitor Center was around $15 a person. We decided to do it all! We started with the film on Gettysburg. It was an interesting film about the Battle of Gettysburg and its importance during the Civil War. It also went over the military strategies that allowed the North to defeat Robert E. Lee’s army. It was narrated by Morgan Freeman.
We were then treated to the “Battle of Gettysburg” Cyclorama.
A Cyclorama – a circular picture of a 360° scene, viewed from inside.
The paintings were accompanied by dramatic, flashing lights and sounds while someone narrated the battles depicted on the cyclorama. 
It was an incredible experience. Although it was an oil painting, it elicited all the emotions of the battles in Gettysburg. The bravery of men and the devastation of the fighting is depicted so well. There were scenes within the painting that made you realize the battle had so many layers to it, like the wounded soldiers calling for help and the determined facial expressions on some soldiers.
We moved on to the Visitor Center’s museum. The museum was broken up by each day of the battle. There was a video that showed the movement of each side during the Battle of Gettysburg. 
We learned some interesting facts. Like, General George Pickett sold insurance after fighting in the Civil War.
By the time we finished with the exhibits in the museum, the Visitor Center was closing. We made a quick dash to the souvenir shop and then headed out. We took a tour of the battle grounds
There’s an auto tour that you can do yourselves with significant stops.
We paid our respects to those who perished during the battle.
After our tour of the surrounding area, we got a feel of how large the area really was. I couldn’t imagine moving about and fighting a battle while covering so much ground. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Gettysburg.
The Journey Begins 