Gettysburg Heritage Center

A visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield is not complete without stopping at the Gettysburg Heritage Center Museum.

The tour begins at either the Heritage Center or the National Park Visitor Center. If you’re not at either location yet, head over now. From there, we’ll follow the official Auto Tour route.

Note: This 20+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Gettysburg Battlefield in 2-4 hours.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 1

As we continue driving, dawn breaks on the first day of battle. At McPherson’s Ridge, Union and Confederate armies clash and generals on both sides order their regiments into place. We’ll be able to imagine the movements of the battle as we look out over the ridge.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Railroad Cut

Our drive takes us over the Railway Cut, where we’ll explore the different battle strategies of the generals on both sides of the fight. This was the unlikely site of a major skirmish during the first day. We’ll continue forward, diving into the backstories of some of the key battlefield players.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Eternal Light Peace Memorial

As we drive, we’ll pass the first of many memorials at Gettysburg – the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. This memorial commemorates the reunification of the United States. Maine granite forms the base, while Alabama limestone forms the pillar — a symbolic unification of north and south.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Oak Ridge Observation Tower

We’ll continue driving along the Gettysburg Auto Road. Our next stop is at the Oak Ridge Observation Tower. Here we’ll be able to jump back to that first day of battle — but by now, it’s the afternoon. We’ll “join” the fight as Union soldiers try to keep the Confederacy at bay. The top of this tower is a great place to get panoramic views of the historic fields that once saw so much violence and bloodshed.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment Monument

We’ll continue driving, following the progress of the first day of battle as we follow the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road. Though we’ll pass several more memorials, one in particular stands out: the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument. There’s a dog sculpted on the other side of the statue’s base. That’s Battlefield Sallie! She served as a mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, and accompanied these Union soldiers for most of the Civil War. We’ll drive past Sallie and learn a little about the importance of drummers and military music during the war.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Our journey continues along the Gettysburg Auto Road as evening descends on the first day of battle. Union soldiers have paid heavily and lost ground. Is there any hope of success? We’ll explore the various plans and strategies the generals come up with as they bunker down after the first day.

• Admission Ticket Free

North Carolina Memorial

Our drive takes us past the North Carolina Memorial and Virginia Monument.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 5

We’ll continue driving along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road. The infamous Pickett’s Charge on Day 3 began at this stop, but we’ll save that story for a little later on the tour. Instead, we’ll now enter the second day of battle. Troops on both sides have begun to organize and mobilize. Whose strategy will finally succeed?

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Longstreet Observation Tower

Our drive takes us past the Longstreet Observation Tower, which offers a great vantage point over the second day’s battlefield.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Here we can take an optional detour off of the Gettysburg Auto Road to visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site, which overlooks the battlefield. President Eisenhower often stayed here.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Warfield Ridge Observation Tower

We’re back on the Gettysburg Road, following the activities of Day 2 of the battle. Confederate troops assemble here, ready to attack one of the strategic Union outposts. Specially trained Union marksmen are in a position to defend. The stage is set…

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Little Round Top

Due to ongoing construction work, Little Round Top is currently inaccessible to visitors. However, you don’t have to miss out on this historic site’s fascinating stories and sights. With our tour, you can still listen to the narrations and view the pictures of the battle that took place at Little Round Top. You will learn about the brave soldiers who fought and died there, the strategic importance of the hill, and the heroic actions that changed the war’s course. Our tour will give you a vivid sense of what it was like to be at Little Round Top, even though you can’t see it in person.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Devil’s Den

Here, Confederate sharpshooters set up positions among the volcanic rocks. From the safety of the rocky cover at Devil’s Den, they’re able to pick off soldier after soldier on the Union side.

• Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 9

We continue driving along the Gettysburg Auto Road, passing the Wheat Fields. This area represented the second major skirmish site on Day 2. We’ll find ourselves in the heat of battle, fighting alongside Union soldiers to defend against the Confederates. We’ll also learn about the strange tale of Union soldier JJ Purman.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Peach Orchard

Our drives takes us past the Peach Orchard, where the battles of the second day continued. We’ll start seeing which strategies were successful and which were not as we drive past.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Abraham Trostle Farm

We’ll continue past the Trostle farm. When fighting broke out in Gettysburg, the Trostle family fled their home. They left so abruptly that dinner was still on the table!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 11

Our journey along the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road now takes us to Plum Run, where we catch up with the soldiers who just escaped the skirmish at the Peach Orchard.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The George Weikert Farm

We’ll continue towards the George Weikert Farm. Like the Trostles, the Weikert’s hastily evacuated when the battle erupted. But they returned to a grislier scene — their farm had been converted into a battlefield hospital. As we drive, we’ll learn a little about military doctors and the effects of war.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

State of Pennsylvania Monument

Our path brings us to the Pennsylvania Memorial. This monument commemorates the nearly 35,000 Pennsylvanian soldiers who fought in this battle. While the stakes were high for everyone, they were particularly intense for these men of Pennsylvania: they weren’t fighting for an abstract idea, they were fighting for their very state.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Spangler’s Spring

The Gettysburg Auto Road brings us deeper into the Gettysburg woods, where we’ll come across Spangler’s Spring. We’ll dive into the significance of this small but mighty site and then continue forward to Culp’s Hill Tower. Here, Union and Confederate soldiers clashed again, fighting for control of this strategic outpost. Luckily for the Union, they are able to defend the hill until evening finally descended.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

East Cemetery Hill

We continue the driving tour to East Cemetery Hill. Night has fallen across the battlefield, and ordinarily this would mean an end to the fighting. But the Confederate failure to fully capture Culp’s Hill bothers them, so they try a nighttime raid. This was the moment the Union came closest to losing. Through a mixture of perseverance, skill, and luck, the Union prevailed. Once we explore this historic site and understand what was at stake, we’ll continue driving. Day 2 has come to a close; the third and final day of battle is ahead.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 15

The third day dawns, and the Union and Confederate troops prepare for a final, epic battle. This is the infamous Pickett’s Charge by the Confederates. We’ll stand at the top of the hill, looking down at the empty expanse of the final battlefield. As we follow the progress of this last charge, we’ll take a look at the “high water mark” — the spot that marks the farthest the Confederacy advanced up the hill, towards the Union defenses.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Gettysburg Auto Tour Stop 16

We’ll follow the Gettysburg Battlefield Auto Road to the final stop: the National Cemetery. Here we visit and honor the graves of the fallen Union soldiers who defended their country and morals.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Memorial

This is also the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s famed Gettysburg Address. Given the monumental nature of the battle, most people expected President Lincoln to deliver quite a lengthy speech. But Lincoln didn’t want to steal attention that he believed belonged to the Union soldiers who sacrificed their lives here. Our tour officially ends at this final, poignant stop.

• Admission Ticket Free

Antietam National Battlefield

Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service-protected area along Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Washington County, northwestern Maryland. It commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 1862.

Note: The 19+ mile tour covers the essentials of Antietam Battlefield in 2-3 hours.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Mansfield Monument

Our drive then brings us to a monument dedicated to Major General Joseph Mansfield. Just as the battle is beginning, Mansfield leaves his untrained battalion to scout the cornfield and ascertain the situation. When he comes back, he’s slumped over his horse, having suffered a mortal chest wound. His soldiers, already spooked by the fighting, are aghast. How can they hope to survive without their commander?

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

West Woods Trail

Our next stop is the West Woods. By now, the Union has a clear upper hand, but the battle is far from over. 5,000 Union soldiers charge into this forest, hoping to repeat the easy victory their comrades found in the East Woods. But Confederate cannons are waiting atop a nearby ridge. The guns rain hellfire on the Union, turning a siple advance into a desperate, life or death struggle.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mumma Farm and Cemetery

Keep driving until you see the Mumma farmstead. As Confederate troops retreat past this point, they light the place on fire so the Union can’t use it for cover. The Mumma family had already fled, but they’ll come home later to find nothing but ashes.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Irish Brigade Monument

Next, we’ll arrive at the Irish Brigade monument, which honors the Irish Americans who fought at the Bloody Lane. Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice for their country right here. Then, we’ll hear about the importance of this battle, and how everything hinges on a Union victory.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Piper Farm

Continue driving until you reach Piper Farm. While the fighting rages across the battlefield, Confederate generals use this farm as their headquarters, planning each attack, each defensive line, looking for a way to emerge victorious.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Burnside’s Bridge (Lower Bridge)

Our drive takes us next to Burnside Bridge, where another wildly unbalanced struggle is taking place. 13,000 Union soldiers try to take the bridge while a mere 500 Confederates try to hold them back. But the Union men are sitting ducks trying to cross the bridge. Bodies pile up on the bridge as the Confederates mount a fierce defense.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Monument to William McKinley – Antietam

Next, we’ll arrive at the McKinley Monument, which honors the future 25th President of the United States, and recalls a story of the boy’s odd brand of heroism following the brutal struggle on the bridge.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Burnside Bridge

Fun fact! Sideburns are named after General Burnside. Once you look at his portrait, there’s really no need to guess why!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Final Attack Trail

Next, we’ll arrive near the site from which the Union forces assemble and launch their final attack against the Confederate lines, which by now have been forced to fall back repeatedly. We will watch the tumult of battle and gunfire, hear the beating of drums and the war cries, and, finally, see what is left after the dust clears.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hawkins’ Zouaves Monument

This optional detour takes us to a monument honoring the 9th New York Infantry, who almost broke through the final Confederate line in an attack which could have changed the rest of the war–but didn’t quite succeed.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Tolson’s Chapel and School

Another detour takes us to Tolson Chapel, built by Black Americans just one year after the war ended.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Good-Reilly House

Our next optional stop is Piper House, one of Sharpsburg’s oldest houses. It gives us a glimpse into what the town was like even before the Civil War put it on the map.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Mount Calvary Lutheran Cemetery

This detour brings us to the Mount Calvary Lutheran Cemetery, which dates all the way back to 1768. During the battle, Confederates used the now-demolished church next to this cemetery to send orders and information to troops across the battlefield. And afterward, the Union used the same church as a field hospital!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Antietam National Cemetery

The final optional stop is the Antietam National Cemetery, where the remains of 4,776 Union soldiers rest alongside about 200 dead from the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center

Our tour begins outside the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center at 1000 Colonial National Historical Pkwy, Yorktown. If you’re not there already, you should head there now.

Note: This 10+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Yorktown Battlefield in 2-3 hours.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Moore House

Cornwallis and Washington send representatives to the Moore House. The British are offering total surrender to the French and American coalition.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Washington’s Headquarters at Yorktown

This ground is still an important part of American history. It’s here where plans were drawn for the final battle of the American Revolution.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

French Artillery Park

Just as the French Navy made a large contribution to the success of the American Revolution, so did the French artillery.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Grand French Battery

Grand French Battery, the location of the largest concentration of French Artillery during the Battle of Yorktown.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yorktown National Cemetery

You might be surprised to find that this isn’t actually a Revolutionary War cemetery. Instead, this is a Civil War burial ground!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yorktown Victory Monument

We end our journey at a fitting place, the Yorktown Victory Monument. This monument was conceived soon after Cornwallis’s surrender.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vicksburg National Military Park

Welcome to the Vicksburg Battlefield! To President Abraham Lincoln, this site was the key to winning the entire Civil War. Confederate President Jefferson Davis felt the same! So let’s find out why it was so important, what happened here, and what it all meant.

Note: This 15-mile-long tour covers the essentials of Vicksburg Battlefield in 2-3 hours.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Memorial Arch

Drive toward the Memorial Arch, built after a veterans reunion was held here in 1917. Former soldiers from both sides of the war sat side by side at this historic 4-day event. This time they sat in peace. It was certainly a bittersweet moment and one the veterans wanted to commemorate. So they built this arch!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Minnesota Memorial

Park near that pillar memorial coming up ahead on our left. That’s the Minnesota Memorial. The statue at the base of the pillar is a statue of peace. She holds a sword and shield that have since been laid down by both armies. They’re in her hands for safe keeping, preventing any future battles on this soil.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Michigan Memorial

That soaring obelisk around the bend and to our left is the Michigan Memorial. The statue at its base is “The Spirit of Michigan.” This memorial honors the Michigan men who fought here, but its location is of particular importance. One of their leaders, Captain Samuel DeGolyer, was mortally wounded near here during the fighting on the 28th of May. I’ll talk in more detail about that soon.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Illinois Memorial

The man who designed this monument was W. L. B. Jenney, a veteran who actually fought in the battle here! Inside, we’ll find the names of every Illinois soldier who fought here. Jenney intended to create not just a memorial, but a temple to those brave souls, many of whom gave their lives for their country on this battlefield.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Logan’s Approach

The trench beyond this parking lot is known as Logan’s Approach. Here, Union engineers tried an unusual tactic to advance on a Confederate position during the fighting. Under General Grant’s orders, they dig a trench to the Confederate fort. Then they place a mine laden with 2,200 pounds of gunpowder in the trench and light the fuse!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Wisconsin Memorial

Drive around the bend ahead, then pull over across from the grand column atop a staircase. That’s the Wisconsin Memorial. Direct your eyes at the top of this monument, and there’s ‘Old Abe,’ war eagle and official mascot for the 8th Wisconsin Infantry. Believe it or not, Old Abe was a real bird! The 8th WIsconsin would carry him proudly onto the battlefield, tethered to a five-foot poll painted red, white and blue. He was a good old bird, granted honorable discharge in 1864. A true war veteran who witnessed 42 battles!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

West Virginia Monument

The bust we’re about to pass on our right is the West Virginia Monument, which honors Major Azra Goodspeed. Goodspeed was born in Ohio, but served and was killed fighting for West Virginia. Quite a few men from Ohio and Pennsylvania actually fought under the West Virginia flag. That’s because when recruitment numbers were filled, new recruits looked for other states with open positions.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

African American Monument

In a minute, we’ll see a statue of three men on our right. Pull over and park when you see it. This memorial honors the thousands of African-American soldiers who fought for the Union and for their freedom. And yet, all was not equal, even in the Union army. Units were segregated and Black soldiers were paid less and given worse equipment. But still they fought shoulder to shoulder with their white comrades in the heat of battle.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Major General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

In just a minute, we’ll see a statue of a man on horseback with a rugged face and eyes lasered in on his surroundings. Park in the lot when you see it. It’s impossible to miss! That statue depicts none other than the man himself, Major General Ulysses S. Grant.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

106th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment Monument

We’re about to pass a monument honoring the 106th Volunteer Infantry Regiment from Illinois. It’s the small granite obelisk coming up on our right. These men trained in Lincoln, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln once worked as a lawyer!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

U.S. Navy Monument

The tallest monument in the park is coming up soon. It’s the US Navy Monument, honoring the officers and sailors who fought in Vicksburg. Grant’s army gets most of the credit for the siege of Vicksburg, but he couldn’t have done it without help from the Navy. The gunboats brought Grant’s men down the Mississippi. They sneaked past rebel defense lines in the dead of night. They carried Grant’s army across the Mississippi at Bruinsburg.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vicksburg National Cemetery

This is the Vicksburg National Cemetery, the final resting place for 17,000 Union soldiers. For many, it’s their second burial ground. How come? During the war when a soldier was killed, their comrades dug a grave close to the action. There wasn’t time to do anything else! A simple wooden cross with their name carved on it sufficed as a grave marker. Hundreds of markers like that dotted the landscape. When the war ended, the US government tried their best to locate all these markers and made every effort to give these men a proper burial.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fort Hill

This is Fort Hill, and what a view it offers! It’s not hard to imagine why Confederates were stationed here. Open landscape, clear views of the river, and a bend that caused warships to slow down. A perfect lookout point. In fact, Fort Hill was so well fortified that no land battle ever took place here. It was that secure.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Missouri State Memorial

On our left stands the Missouri Memorial, representing both sides of the Civil War. Missouri was a state divided. Both the Union and the Confederacy recognized it as their own. 109,000 men joined the Union, 30,000 joined the Confederacy. Neighbors turned against one another.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mississippi Monument

The stone obelisk coming up on our right is the Mississippi monument. Like a few other memorials on this battlefield, the base of this one is adorned with the figure of a woman. But who is she, and why is she here? The women on these monuments serve as protectors to the warriors. They’re modeled after Greek or Roman goddesses representing peace and reconciliation.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Alabama Monument

The bronze monument coming up on our right commemorates troops from the state of Alabama. The men depicted here are being led forward by a woman who represents the state of Alabama itself.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fort Garrott

The hill on our left was the site of Fort Garrott. Who’s the fort named after? Colonel Isham W. Garrott that’s who! He was the commander of a volunteer regiment from Alabama. Fort Garrott is never blasted like other forts. But Union snipers hide behind trees, waiting to shoot any sign of movement. One day, Garrott himself moves. A bullet kills him instantly. He never knew he’d just been promoted to Brigadier General.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kentucky Monument

Park in the turnout just ahead. From here we can see the Kentucky Monument. This iconic memorial depicts two essential figures: Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Both men were born in Kentucky, so the bluegrass state honors them both. Feel free to walk up the path to get a closer look at the monument, and click Learn More to hear more about it.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Shiloh Battlefield Visitor Center

Welcome to Shiloh! Today, we’ll learn all about the Civil War battle that once razed these fields and about the landmarks that testify to its ferocity. Your starting point is the Shiloh Visitor Center, at 1055 Pittsburg Landing Road. If you’re not there already, you should head there now.

Note: This 12-mile-long tour covers the essentials of Shiloh National Military Park in 2-3 hours.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Iowa State Monument

The monument to our right is the Iowa State Monument. Feel free to walk up to it for a closer look! The soaring bird atop this granite tower is an eagle caught in mid-flight, representing the freedom of the soul. That bronze figure in the flowing robe depicts Fame. The 12-foot statue holds a quill pen to the monument, carving an elegy on the battlefield for posterity. Though many men who journeyed to Shiloh never returned, Fame will remember their sacrifice.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Grant’s Last Line

These cannons mark the site of Grant’s Last Line. Picture this: Dusk is about to fall on a warm April day. Men drag iron siege guns that are so heavy, they usually require oxen to move. 20,000 troops mustered from all different brigades gather right here. This is General Ulysses S. Grant’s Last Line, the desperate last-ditch attempt to hold back the relentless surge of the Confederate side.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Michigan State Memorial – Shiloh

Up ahead, there’s an awkward intersection. Ignore the intersection road and simply continue straight along Confederate Road. You’ll know it’s the correct path when the monument of the soldier passes on your left. The soldier commemorates the 353 troops from Michigan who were killed, wounded, or missing during the battle of Shiloh.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Daughters of the Confederacy Monument

Pull into the turnout just ahead, across from the big monument. This is the Daughters of the Confederacy Monument. In the center of that monument, below the central statues, you’ll see a bronze plaque depicting a man’s face. That’s General Albert Sidney Johnston, who led the Confederate forces here in Shiloh.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Shiloh Church

Coming up is the Shiloh Church and Cemetery. Turn into the parking lot on our left and park. Today, we’ll see two structures here: A modern church, and an authentic replica of the original. The new one is a large 1950s building with green shingles, brick and stone siding, and a tall white steeple. The replica is a one-room log cabin. It’s around this cabin where General Sherman and his men have made camp.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free