We have a 9 and 7 year old. We didn't want to do a bus tour because it was expensive for all 4 of us and I knew they would get restless and bored if it was too slow. We looked at the carriage rides, as well, but saw the iPad tour was the most cost effective. Hands down, this was the best decision for us. The tour was 47.99 for 5 hours. It hooks up via an audio input and they give you the lighter charger for the USB. We couldn't figure out how to get the audio to work through our stereo but the iPad was loud enough. I could have asked for help but it worked for us and wasn't a big deal. Why we loved this: -The tour does a great job giving you directions to all of the sites since it is hooked up with GPS. Everything is also clearly marked on the streets telling you where to go too. You can't get lost. -It gives you a walking tour if you want get out of the car with some augmented reality that overlays the camera with the troops and battles. We all really enjoyed that. -It also has a virtual tour which we used sometimes because the kids started getting restless. -When you are driving, the iPad will also tell you tidbits of history to help paint the picture of the war and life during the war. -The tour also told you where bathrooms were located so huge plus! Lol. We listened to everything the tour offered. We didn't read everything and it took us about 3 hours. The clincher was that the kids were engaged through most of it and that is a feat in itself! We loved that it was self paced and we could go as deep as we liked. Honestly, I think it was well worth the money and we all walked away with a great understanding of the war and life during the time. Highly recommend for those who are looking for a cost effective tour, anyone with kids or want a self paced tour. read more

very nice museum that shows not only civil war relics but one of the sycamore tree remains that stood during the civil war. They also have war simulations, 3D movies and pictures, and the admission price is cheap. The staff is also very nice read more

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We booked a private tour through the center. It was a two hour tour of the battlefield with a licensed guide in our own car. I can't recommend this enough. I wish we had booked a longer tour! Our guide, Jim, was excellent. He was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He was able to pull our individual interests in making the tour more personal. The museum was good. It wasn't overly big, but I would say give yourself an hour to tour it. Honestly, any bigger and I would have succumbed to information overload. The gift shop was nice. There was a little bit of everything for everybody. They had a really good selection of books. Oh, and while we were there, there were re-enactors on the front lawn. All in all our visit made for a great day. read more

The Wax Museum was one of the first Gettysburg museums I visited as a kid and while being informative it was time for a badly needed overhaul. The insides of the building have been gutted minus the theater. At the time of my visit admission was not charged due to the incomplete nature of the overhaul. Many of the exhibits are a work in progress and not yet complete. They have kept the old theater that includes a film "Three Days that Changed a Town." The film is rather informative and gives a good overview of the battle. It reminds me of the electric map that was contained in the old Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. The wax figures are used to represent Pickets Charge. The gift shop was been also redone and still has a nice selection of souvenirs at reasonable prices. Even with the incomplete nature of the overhaul, some parts of the Heritage Center are better than the equivalents at the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. I'll be interested to see what the admission price is when the Heritage Center is complete. read more

Gettysburg Heritage Center - Gettysburg Heritage Center entrance. - Museums Near Me - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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The Heritage Museum is typical of a tourist destination museum. It gives a decent overview of the Battle and has a few artifacts and displays. It's a great stop for families with kids or casual tourists who don't want an overly detailed account. The gift shop was huge and had more than the usual cheap touristy item though. Lots of books and clothing. The museum was clean and there is plenty of parking behind the building. One feature I'll highlight is you can book a licensed battlefield guide through their website, as opposed to other where you have to play phone tag. Our guide, Mike Rupert was top notch. We booked him for a three hour tour and learned so much about the battle and town. Highly recommended if you have a real interest in the history and location. read more

This is a nicely done center with a large gift shop. If you're older and into history, plan to spend an hour to two hours here. There's a decent sized museum display with different experiences- such as 3D pictures, immersion experiences such as a 15 minute video and a cellar experience. It's $9 for an adult ticket, $7 for children, under age 5 is free. It should definitely be a stop in your educational experience. The parking lot is in the back and is large. Start are friendly and the bathrooms are a decent size, clean. read more

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Stopped In to check out what the new owners did to the place, and they did an excellent job with the renovations! They have a Museum, Book & Gift Store and tours of the battlefield. Wanted to take pictures but was told I wasn't allowed, but they were very nice about it. read more

The Museum was just OK. It's pretty small and items range from fairly interesting to not very interesting at all. To be honest, I'd recommend skipping the museum and just checking out some of the shops in Gettysburg. You'll see many more interesting and historical pieces in the shops and you don't have to pay to see them. read more

Gettysburg Heritage Center - Museums Near Me - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Had the pleasure of having a live tour guide of Gettysburg through the Heritage Center. I cannot begin to express how amazing this tour and guide was. IF you ever get the opportunity to go, be sure to ask for Eric Lindblade. This guide lives and breathes the Battle of Gettysburg. My husband is very educated in Gettysburg. This guide taught him and I so much about the history of this battle. This tour and guide far exceeded our expectations. read more

For those who have been to Gettysburg before, this was the place that USED TO have all the creepy, outdated mannequins, BUT it has been totally redone and is AWESOME!!! You can take your time and walk thru the displays, all of them museum quality, make SURE you get the 3-D glasses to see the larger photos with, amazing! Even the kids will enjoy the museum, it's not that long to go thru. The BEST part is "The Cellar" where you go in a smaller room as if you were in the cellar under a house at the time of the battle. You get to view what the homeowners would have seen thru the windows as the battle raged. Younger kids may not enjoy it so they can bypass it, no problem, but I do recommend it for the older kids and adults, it's very good and impressive in the way it tells the tale of the battle. The Gift Shop manager was super cool, he helped me find some items in the display case in Gift Shop.The Gift Shop is EXCELLENT with really GOOD, quality items. For instance, the kids kepi caps are very well made and under $10, a bargain at Gettysburg. Don't buy anything until you stop by here. In season they have Living History reenactors out front to answer questions and show off their military and civilian items, it's a walk back in time! To sum it all up, WELL worth the money, even for a family, I highly recommend it as I study Civil War history and know the good from the bad. read more

Four of us booked a three-hour tour with a local guide. We caravanned in our cars from one site to the next, getting out at each location to hear the story of battle as it unfolded over three days. Our guide, John W., was outstanding. He exhibits a true passion for the history of this battle, and explains each event so vividly that you can actually visualize it. What I found most impressive about John is how he humanized everyone from both the Union and Confederate armies, from the generals to the soldiers. He took us through their strategies, victories and failures. He even brought a notebook containing a series of maps, showing the positions of each army throughout the three-day battle. He truly made history come alive. I cannot recommend this tour--or this guide--highly enough. read more

My husband and myself went to the Gettysburg Heritage Center with a voucher off Groupon. Not sure if they repeat this Groupon, but if so buy it because not only do you get discounted entry you also get a free gift. Our free gift consisted of a tote bag, book, and poster - kids would love it. The museum is nice, but you can easily get through the whole thing in a hour. They have two videos - one is in a really cool theatre with life size wax soldiers down in the pit in front of the screen. Also they have a few 3D paintings which they give you glasses for. After we were done exploring the museum we ventured downtown to shop and eat since the museum is in a convenient location. read more

Wax museum is gone from here, and unfortunately from town as it closed in January. Sad, we really liked it. This place has a short movie and then some films inside with relics and statues and regular photos along with some 3D ones. We enjoyed it. Make sure to sit in for the cellar part of it, and put your last name in to one of their computers to see if it comes up on the registry of soldiers who fought here. read more

Initially I was upset to hear that the wax museum was no longer there, but after my visit through the renovated museum and the gift shop I was pleasantly surprised. The museum is gorgeous. Lincoln's herse is a must see and the wax figure battle scene with the accompanying movie is wonderful too. Its worth the visit. read more

We recently visited the Gettysburg Heritage Center and were delighted with the experience. I think that the museum is a must before visiting the battlefield. The movie will allow you to better understand the strategies of the battle with its visual interpretation. The "Cellar" will let you experience what it was like for Gettysburg civilians to have lived through the battle. There are also many artifacts to see here. You can even try on Union and Confederate jackets and hats. The gift shop has a wonderful selection of Civil War related books as well as souvenirs at good prices. The building is easily accessible for the handicapped. It is conveniently located on Steinwehr Avenue, next to the Best Western. read more

A great way to tour the battlefield sites is to rent an IPad from here. You should allow 5 to 6 hours to see all of the sites without rushing. It is well worth the $35 for the rental of the unit. We would also reccomend walking through the museum and watching the 18 minute video prior to doing the driving tour. This is a very informative way to tour all of the battlefield sites read more

This was my first time back since the renovation and they did a wonderful job! I was pleasantly surprised that my military ID granted me free admission. The exhibits were very interesting and included videos. The woman working at the gift store was polite and friendly, and the gift store had a great selection of items (e.g. books, DVDs, clothing). It took us a bit over an hour to go through the whole museum. read more