Gettysburg, PA?

I've been there a few times (and I went to college in nearby Carlisle); it's a lovely town, but keep in mind there isn't a LOT to do outside the battlefields.

You can get more information by stopping at the Visitors Center, but there is a great museum near the battlefields. I think they've remodelled and added more interactive elements since I was last there, but the collections are fascinating--they have a lot of weapons, letters & memorabilia, photos, etc. Some of it is rather chilling (I specifically remember a table on which an officer had had his arm amputated).

The battlefields themselves are covered with statues, memorials, even graveyards. I seem to remember there are a lot of markers about, explaining what took place where. It's a beautiful place to just walk around; if you like to do things on your own, you can get a battlefield map and visit specific sites from the battle: the peach orchard, Devil's Den, Little Roundtop. Devil's Den in particular is very cool; there are huge rock formations that you can climb up.

If you don't want a do-it-yourself tour, hire yourself a guide. There are some extremely knowledgeable tour guides that can walk you through the battle locations. If you are particularly interested in history, I recommend doing this--the Gettysburg battle is one of the most intriguing battles of the Civil War, and a good guide can really make it come alive (I had a high school history teacher who was a war reenactor. He gave us his own personal tour, and it was an experience I will never forget).

Gettysburg itself is a lovely town, though a lot of what's there is for the tourists. There are plenty of antique shops, restaurants, and B&B's. There are some historical sites in the town itself--for instance, you can visit the home of Jennie Wade, the only civilian casualty of the battle (it's said to be the most haunted house in Gettysburg). Gettysburg College is next to the battlefield, so you might want to check their website to see if there are any shows, concerts, or lectures going on there (liberal arts schools usually have something going on, and they have a strong performing arts program).

Enjoy your visit!

I live in Gettysburg, there are plenty of things to do outside of the battlefield. But if the battlefield is what you are interested, I suggest a guided tour to start. Or just wander around and talk with strangers.

You might want to put this in the Washington, DC section since Gettysburg is closer to DC than Philadelphia.

As for the battlefield site, you can tour it. What were you looking for a dance party.

Plan on spending a couple days walking the battlefield. It was spread out over a large area and there is tons of stuff to see. The museum there is awesome...

i was there once, two summers ago, for Bike Week sponsored by the local Harley dealer ( www.battlefieldharley-davidson.com ). we were just starting a self guided bike tour when mine broke down and i had to get towed to the dealership. i never made the tour but am planning on going again one of these years. that sort of history interests me.