Museum and Visitor Center

Stop on Gettysburg Battlefield Historic Tour, a free self-guided tour.

Start your Gettysburg experience at this world-class facility that opened in 2008. The Museum and Visitor Center houses over 1 million artifacts in its collection and features interactive exhibits chronicling the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. The experience includes the 22-minute film A New Birth of Freedom narrated by Morgan Freeman, which provides essential context about the war and why this battle mattered. The centerpiece is the fully restored 1884 Cyclorama painting by Paul Philippoteaux, a massive 377-foot-long, 42-foot-high circular painting depicting Pickett's Charge. Viewing this immersive artwork from a central platform with dramatic lighting and sound effects brings you into the heart of the battle's climactic moment. The museum galleries display authentic weapons, uniforms, personal items, and photographs that tell the stories of soldiers and civilians caught up in the battle. This is also where you can arrange for a Licensed Battlefield Guide to provide a personalized two-hour car tour, hire a bus tour, or pick up self-guided maps and audio tour equipment. The facility includes a bookstore, cafe, and research room for those interested in genealogy or deeper historical study.