Is the Gettysburg Diorama Worth Visiting?
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Visit the Battle of Gettysburg Diorama
If you are traveling to Gettysburg and want a better understanding of where the fighting occurred, I highly suggest stopping by to see the Gettysburg Diorama. Seeing the display and being able to watch an overview of the historical 3-day Battle of Gettysburg is incredibly helpful as you continue to visit the different sites and museums during the rest of your visit.
The Battle of Gettysburg was not planned and ended up being a huge turning point in the Civil War with massive amounts of casualties on both sides. This stop does a great job of breaking down the timeline in a way that makes it easier to understand what happened and where.
Is the Gettysburg Diorama Dog Friendly?
The Gettysburg Diorama is NOT dog friendly, so you will have to leave your pup behind in order to visit this museum. See our tips for leaving your dog alone in a new place so you don’t have to miss out on any non-dog-friendly stops.
What is the Gettysburg Diorama?
The Gettysburg Diorama perfectly displays the entire 6,000 acres of the battlefield in miniature. Visitors will have the chance to look over the fields full of tiny buildings, cannons, soldiers, and horses up close, as well as during a 30-minute presentation that summarizes the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg.
Where to Stay When Visiting Gettysburg Diorama
Gettysburg is a popular city full of Civil War attractions including a National Park and some Historic Sites. This means that you will have a TON of options for places to stay. Keep in mind that because this is a popular destination, you may need to book well in advance during the popular summer months.
Campsites Near Gettysburg Pennsylvania
If you are looking to camp during your stay, there are several campgrounds in the area where you can tent camp, bring your RV, or rent a cabin:
- Artillery Ridge Campground and Horse Park– starts at $80 per night (pet-friendly)
- Drummer Boy Campground– $57 per night (pet-friendly)
- Round Top Campground– starts at $63 per night (pet-friendly)
- Gettysburg Campground– starts at $79 per night (cabins and RV area is pet-friendly)
Hotels Near Gettysburg
Use our booking.com link to find the best hotel for your vacation!
Where to Eat When Visiting the Gettysburg Diorama
Gettysburg is FULL of different types of places to eat. Here are a few of the closest restaurants to the Gettysburg Diorama if you don’t want to travel far:
Gettysburg Diorama
The Gettysburg Diorama is an attraction created to help visitors get a better understanding of the battles and events that took place over the three-day Battle of Gettysburg. Over 20,000 tiny soldiers and horses, along with cannons, trees, and buildings are spread out over a miniature version of the 6,000-acre battlefield.
Gettysburg Diorama Price and Hours
Gettysburg Diorama is only $9 a person and the hours do fluctuate depending on the season and holiday. I recommend calling ahead of time just to double-check the hours that they are open. During the summer months, this attraction is typically open from 9 am -7 pm Sundays through Thursdays and 9 am – 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Travel Tip: If you are planning on visiting several of the museums in Gettysburg or are traveling with numerous people, I typically suggest the Value Plan. HOWEVER, I do not suggest using it with the Gettysburg Diorama as it is the least expensive option and is cheaper to pay for it as a standalone stop.
Gettysburg Diorama Gift Shop
The Gettysburg Diorama’s gift shop is worth a look, even if you don’t plan on seeing the presentation. They carry Gettysburg-themed items along with a variety of other knick-knacks. You can get patches, pins, t-shirts, miniatures, and more! From what I saw during our trip, a lot of the prices here are on the lower end for most items compared to other places.
How Long Can You Spend at Gettysburg Diorama?
The Gettysburg Diorama presentation is 30 minutes long and you are given about 10 minutes before the start of the show to get a closer look at the exhibits in the room. I would plan for around an hour for this stop, just in case you have to wait for the previous presentation to finish before going in.
What to Expect at the Gettysburg Diorama
The Gettysburg Diorama is a miniature version of the town and surrounding area where the Battle of Gettysburg was fought. The presentation will help you understand visually what fights happened when and where during the three-day attack.
There is a small free parking lot behind the building. The entrance is on the left side of the building. If the parking lot is full, there is also metered parking along the streets. As you approach the front door, you will see a couple of cardboard cut-out photo ops on the sidewalk.
Through the front door is a small lobby area with a few general exhibits and pamphlets for nearby attractions. Bathrooms are to the right down the stairs and the gift shop and ticket counter are through the doors on the left.
Gettysburg Diorama Presentation
The Gettysburg Diorama is located in a room behind the gift shop. You are able to walk completely around the small battlefield to get a closer look at how the miniatures are set up.
Behind this impressive diorama are several exhibits filled with more scenes from the fighting around town and some Civil War artifacts that you can look at before the show starts.
The presentation itself lasts around 30 minutes and guests are expected to remain seated on the bleachers until it is finished. We had the entire room to ourselves, and the employee kindly told us that the best seats were towards the top end of the 2nd set of bleachers.
During the show, the room does get pretty dark, so make sure you schedule this stop when you are awake, so you don’t fall asleep! As interested as I was in the presentation, I was fighting to stay awake since I hadn’t had my coffee yet.
The show involves a movie screen against the wall that plays scenes during the narration. Spotlights will shine down on the battlefield as they talk about the different events to show you where everything occurred.
Be warned that there is a short time near the end of the presentation when there will be flashing lights signifying gunshots during a more intensive battle. If you have any sensitivities, the employees will let you know ahead of time what cue to listen for so you will have time to shut your eyes before this occurs.
Travel Tip: I’d recommend doing this stop after you visit the Gettysburg National Park Museum but before you do any of the battlefield tours to get the best understanding of what you will be seeing on your tour.
Nearby Attractions:
For ideas of places to visit in and around Gettysburg, check out these stops.
Attractions Around Gettysburg:
Attractions Near Gettysburg:
- Berkeley Springs State Park
- Hershey Park and Chocolate World
- Flight 93 Memorial
- Harper’s Ferry National Park
Dog-friendly Attractions near Gettysburg:
- Gettysburg National Park
- Civil War Ghosts in Gettysburg (all but one of their tours are dog-friendly)
- Harper’s Ferry National Park
- Monongahela Forest (sites like Seneca Rocks or Cranberry Glades Botanical Area)
- Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Why You Should Visit:
If you plan on doing any Gettysburg Battlefield tours, visit the Diorama first! This stop will give you a great overview of what happened, where, and when during a 30-minute presentation with the use of their diorama. Being able to ‘see’ where everything happened will help put all of your future tour stops in perspective!
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