Just off the main square in Gettysburg is Dirty Billy's, a small, dark, curio shop selling old style hats. The walkways are dark, the shelves pile to the ceiling with wares and cabinets display custom made specialty hats, and the whole place has a somewhat magical feel to it. Yes, you have to like hates but if you do there's a vague sense of a wonderland with different surprises found in the corners and if you're only interested in hats, which are no longer as fashionable as they once were, this is a place to further explore your interest. They not only sell hats but also make them so if you see something you like but they don't have your size, they can probably make it for you. His main market seems to be historical re-enactors, but he also makes fashionable hate like fedoras and Derbys and is more than willing to talk to you about design, look materials and the price for this customer made hat is on a par with well known brands like Mcgill and Stetson (I like hats) So why only 4 stars? Two things. 1 is convenience. the store is only open on Fridays and weekends, great for tourist trade on the weekends but otherwise difficult. I'd been visiting Gettysburg for years before I happened to be there on a day they were open. the other is a little more twitchy but it was reliability. I did have a hat made and when I got it, it was perfect. :) BUT it was weeks later than I was told at the time. I wasn't informed there would be a delay, I just let a few weeks pass over the estimate i was given and then reached. Then they told me they were a little backed up. It would have helped me had they reached out to me, rather than me having to sit and wonder. read more

The more I wear this Roughrider hat the more I love it. There is a character to it that you can't find from other hat makers. It is one of the best looking hats I ever owned and is extremely comfortable. It is the fourth hat that I've ordered from Billy. I ordered two Civil War era hats several years ago that my sister in law commandeered. She loves them!! If you want real period headwear that you don't have to mortgage the house to get go to Billy's. read more

Came to Gettysburg for my birthday. I love hats and my wife said "Let's go in"! Who am I to turn her down! We were greeted and asked what I was looking for. I told him the style I wanted, he went to a shelf, pulled out a hat from the middle and said, "Try this one.". I have a small head and finding a hat to fit me is always difficult, but this hat was the perfect size, the perfect color, and the exact style I wanted. We came back two days later and bought 2 more hats! To the lovely lady owner, get the tattoo! read more

The best of the best. I have two Berdan forage caps, a Gen. Meade slouch hat and a waterproofed Federal kepi. read more

Dirty Billy's Hats - Pvt. Hodges Company C (Pennsylvania), 2nd United States Sharpshooters (Berdan's) - Hats Near Me - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

I have several hats I bought thu this busines. Not a problem with any of them. I have not had any troubles in speaking with the staff or speaking with Billy directly. Its like every thing in this world. Knowing what you want firstly and listening to what the person you are conversing with and respect them for wht they have to say to you. read more

I always come to this hat shop every time I come to Gettysburg. Very nice couple that run the shop that make these hats and they're knowledgeable about them. All different types of hats they have in their inventory so whatever you're looking for, they'll have read more

Dirty Billy's Hats - Hats Near Me - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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I have many hats from Billy, have gotten many compliments on them, there's no place else to go for hats and service Rudy 42nd pa bucktail read more

We love this place. We stop by every time we come through as there is always something new to see. There is a nice selection of new hats as well as historical hats. The people there are friendly and knowledgeable. You can always try the hats on before you buy to make sure you look good. You just need to ask as some are keep in a case. read more

I have known Billy for many years. I can't even begin to count the hats that I have purchased. Every single one is a work of art. I have everything from the French and Indian war, Civil War, Spanish, American war, and contemporary hats that Fran provides. I say this with all sincerity this man is a creative genius. Every hat is it is just so skillfully created. I take them out and look at them constantly. I use the historical hats to teach history and to teach people about what it is to appreciate chapeaus . Billy is the ultimate hatter. No one can do it better. The beauty of it is all the research she puts into each design. Is meticulously historically accurate. No one can challenge Billy on the authenticity of each of his hats. The research bill he puts into each hat is beyond compare. It's fascinating to listen to how he has had to correct some so-called experts, such as the color of Theodore Roosevelt's hat during the Spanish American war. Billy really should write a book. He is the best Bardinon and all you Gotta do is take one look at his work and you'll know what I'm talking about. read more

This is my favorite store to visit while in Gettysburg. I bought a hat here a few years ago and I just love it. The owner took the time to measure my head and told me what shape I needed. I bought a Civil War era civilian wide brimmed hat. It looks better with age, I'll have it forever. Handmade, and wonderful quality. Highly recommend. The owner/craftsman is an artist. Gettysburg is lucky to have him! read more

I just got my second hat from them: a model 1858 dress hat, also known as the Hardee Hat. i have to say it is the best quality hat I have ever owned with the possible exception of the Seminole Wars folding hat I also got from Dirty Billy's. Fran, who helped me with the order via email, was helpful, friendly and bent over backwards to make sure I was happy, even helping with delivery instructions to avoid porch pirates that are active at my apartment complex. Once the hat arrived, I had a question about care and fit. I called the store and got to talk to Bill himself. Again, friendly, helpful. and wanted to make sure I was happy with my purchase. Well, I am very happy. I hope to be a repeat customer again sometime soon. If your looking for a great hat for your re-enacting impression or you just collect unique historical hats, look no further than Dirty Billy. You wont be disappointed! read more

Dirty Billy's Hats is a unique and singular source for amazingly accurate reproductions of military headgear and hats spanning the centuries. Bill Wickham has spent decades studying and perfecting the manufacturing techniques and skills to produce these works of art with the utmost attention to detail. The results are an exact reproduction of a specific military hat that compares favorably in every way to the original. The use of the term "Museum Quality" is no exaggeration when it comes to the hats and headgear Bill produces and is exactly what you get when you purchase one of Bill's hats. Many of Bill's hats can be seen in Hollywood and TV movies (Gettysburg ,Son of The Morning Star, Rough Riders). I've been a customer for many years and many of my most treasured hats were made by Bill. read more

Poor quality of hats and very disrespectful employees! Don't shop here steer clear!! The store is also very dirty and disgusting. No helpful employees anywhere. Was looking for a specific item and was treated very poorly. Such rude people. read more

If you want an authentic hat, this is the place to go. Period. This is museum quality stuff. My son is a Civil War reenactment her and we have gotten him several hats from here. You're going to pay top dollar but you are also going to get top-quality. When costume designers are getting costumes together for movies they go here. read more

Dirty Billy's Hats - This is a union forage Cap we got from dirty - Hats Near Me - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

I had the privilege of meeting Billy in Illinois and later at the 150th Gettysburg anniversary. While in Gettysburg, went to the store and have to say it was one of the highlights of my trip. Walking in, is like taking a trip back in time as you pass, row upon row of the most amazing hats you will ever see outside of a museum. The quality of his work is second to none and I cannot recommend him and his work too highly. read more

I get all my hats here. I love them. An awesome selection for all seasons. Prices are excellent and if you ever have a problem they have a milliner on site. Amazing read more

If I could give this company negative stars, I surely would because they so badly deserve it. It's been a few years now, but I once ordered a hat from them and it was the worst single customer service experience I have ever had anywhere. I placed the order in person at their store, paid in advance, and much later they contacted me for more money because apparently the young man who took my order had quoted the wrong amount. I choked that down and thought in the end, it'd be worth it. When the hat arrived it was an entire numbered size smaller than I'd ordered. I was pretty ticked because I'd waited a very long time for it and paid a lot of money. When I returned it, I put a note in with it that I was returning because it was so much smaller than the order was for. About a week after that, I got the most hate-filled voice mail of my life from (I assume) the owner. He declared I wasn't worthy of a hat of any size as I'd had the nerve to return it for a refund. He said my business wasn't worth it and to never order from him again. All because I returned a hat that was nowhere near the size I'd ordered. He was very lucky that I lived on the other side of the country by then. I played the voice mail for several people at the time because understandably, they thought I must have been making it sound worse than it really was. They were all equally shocked to hear the message. I'm not kidding when I say that I've been on a crusade to steer as many people from this horribly inept company and truly miserable owner, ever since. The irony there is that nobody I've ever encountered in re-enacting or cowboy shooting has ever said my experience was totally out of left field. Almost every response his been shrugging of shoulders and, "Well, that's just how he is" excuses, even among people who have claimed to know him personally. Their products are so-so at best, their customer service is inept, and the owner frankly should NOT be dealing with the public at all. Avoid dealing with this bunch at ALL costs. read more

This is a fun little store in the old part of downtown Gettysburg (just off the square). They have a great selection of men's hats and a decent selection of women's hats. The prices on the women's hats were quite reasonable, though clearly most were not made by hand in house. I did get a lovely very wide-brimmed black and white hat for only $35! Though, they did have a case of much fancier and higher quality hats that appeared to be hand made that were extremely lovely, just not my style. We enjoyed looking at the cases with a display of old antique head wear as well! The staff was very friendly. read more

Great, authentic hat shop in downtown Gettysburg. Is it cheap? No. do they look real? Yes. Much better than any other kepi you can get. Especially when you have an ogre size 8 head like I do. Dirty Billy had the North Carolina one I wanted and finished it up for me as I waited. read more

As we say in California ... Dirty Billy's is the BOMB. My wife and I went to Annapolis and walked into Hats in the Belfry the day before. The sales guy there is as aggressive as F*(@ ... mainly due to the crazy prices that they are trying to stick on people. At Dirty Billy's ... the owner was very polite, and not pushy at all. We started to buy two hats and she recommended a third for my wife. It was as cute as hell and we bought that too. I never buy hats (I have a big melon of a head) and asked to try on one. I looked silly (because of the melon). The owner didn't push when I didn't buy it. Since we were traveling she shipped the hats and not only did it arrive fast but was packed really well. If you go to as many hat shops around the country like we do, you'll KNOW the difference DB's has. The only question now is when they will get their website up so we can buy more. read more

Dirty Billy is the absolute best in the business. He is a true artist. He is also a great guy, I have known him for years now and never miss a chance to get together. I own 13 of his hats so far and plan to get more. If you are ever in Gettysburg do yourself a favor and stop by. read more

Have bought several reproduction hats from Dirty Billy. Exceptionally well made and have held the test of time. Love this shop!

Came all the way from California! It took me two days to select a hat, but the gal was super patient with me and extremely helpful! The best hats ever! read more