GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The Gettysburg National Military Park is commemorating the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg with walking tours, talks and reenactments this weekend.
The three-day battle not only marked the turning point in the course of the American Civil War but also for the future of the United States of America.
“One of the ways people can reflect and commemorate the day is to attend the numerous programs that we have out on the battlefield through the National Park Service and the Museum and Visitor Center through the Gettysburg Foundation,” said Wayne Motts, president and CEO of the Gettysburg Foundation.
The National Military Park Service and the Gettysburg Foundation will be commemorating the Battle of Gettysburg with daily ranger-guided programs and events, key moment programs, anniversary hikes and keynote speakers.
“This being the largest battle of the Civil War, the most casualties, it really does put a stamp on the entire Civil War and not just as a single battle and how critical that story is not just for the Civil War but for all American history,” said Jason Martz, communications specialist at Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site.
Some of the events that will be held this weekend at the National Military Park Service includes:
Gettysburg History Hike (90 minutes): Hike from the Visitor Center to Cemetery Ridge, where fighting raged on July 2 and 3, 1863. Get an overview of the battle, visit the site of Pickett’s Charge, explore the Bloody Angle and walk in the footsteps of the men who struggled there.
Hikes offered daily at 10 a.m. Meet at Ranger Site 1 behind the Museum and Visitor Center.
National Cemetery Tour (60 Minutes): Explore the meaning and cost of the Battle of Gettysburg and of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Find out how the National Cemetery was established, who is buried there and why Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address still has meaning for us today.
Tours offered daily at 5:30 p.m. Meet the Licensed Battlefield Guide at the Taneytown Road entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
100 Nights of Taps (30 minutes): The notes of taps will fill the air in Gettysburg every evening this summer as the famous 24-note call is sounded in honor of those who served our nation. The Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania and Gettysburg National Military Park co-sponsor this event.
Daily at 7 p.m. Meet at the Soldiers’ National Monument, Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Some of the events that will be held this weekend at the Gettysburg Foundation include:
Daytime talks: 9:30 a.m., Robert O’Neill | 11 a.m., Allison M. Johnson, Ph.D. | 1:30 p.m., Ronald S. Coddington | 3 p.m., Doug Douds
A Sacred Trust Evening: Provisions & Civil War History features dinner and cocktails (cash bar), a meet and greet with the evening presenter William C. “Jack" Davis and the free Sacred Trust Talk. Tickets are required and are now available for the July 1 evening.