“It’s the best kept secret it town,” said founder Tammy Myers about the Gettysburg Heritage Center’s interactive museum, located in the in the 15,000 square foot Gettysburg Heritage Center at 297 Steinwehr Avenue in Gettysburg.
The museum focuses particularly on the life and experiences of townspeople during the battle with a focus on interactive displays that are enjoyable for all ages. “We have the best orientation and overview of the battle,” said Myers.
The museum’s location is the building that was occupied by the American Civil War Wax Museum until it closed in 2013. Some current museum displays, including a full-scale horse-drawn carriage diorama and the Gettysburg Animated Map, a large lighted map of the battle, were inherited from the wax museum.
The museum also presents a 20-minute high-definition film that that takes an in-depth look at the battle, including the aftermath and the dedication of Soldiers’ National Cemetery. The film is presented in cooperation with the American Battlefield Trust.
The museum is designed for children as well as adults, and offers short 4 to 5 minute experiences including 3D photos and videos of the battle, informational films, and a series of displays of life in Gettysburg during the battle.
Among the many displays are a photography shop, a medical surgery, and a depiction of the area crowded with vultures after the battle.
A particularly immersive and engaging experience is an opportunity to sit in a dark cellar while watching the battle rage above through small cellar windows. Visitors are asked to imagine how they would feel in such a situation.
There is also a massive hollow “witness tree” that children can crawl through and a section of the tree showing the tree rings.
The museum also has a display depicting the life of Owen Robinson, one of about 200 African-American residents of Gettysburg in 1863.
Myers said the museum focused on reactions and behaviors of Gettysburg citizens as the battle descended upon them. People had to decide “What do we do?” and their decisions had consequences. “It was like a natural disaster,” said Myers.
Myers said the museum focuses on children’s different learning styles. “It’s not just memorization.”
The museum also houses a large collection of artifacts provided by the Adams County Historical Society, Evergreen Cemetery, and other donors.
The front of the Heritage Center houses a gift shop offering a wide variety of civil war and contemporary products.
The building’s reconstruction was accomplished with the help of many local organizations and businesses including historians Tim Smith and Joanne Lewis, the Adams County Historical Society, the Lincoln Leadership Institute, Pocket Gettysburg, the Center for Civil War Photography, the American Battlefield Trust, the Evergreen Cemetery Association, the Land Conservancy of Adams County, Insite Gettysburg, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg Borough, HACC, and Main Street Gettysburg.
The Heritage Center is a 501c3 nonprofit, organized under the umbrella of the Gettysburg Nature Alliance. The Gettysburg Nature Alliance, with the Gettysburg Heritage Center, is a non-profit that educates about Gettysburg and our collective natural and historic resources.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.