Is the Seminary Ridge Museum Worth a Trip?
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Take a Trip to the Seminary Ridge Museum
There are A LOT of museums in Gettysburg all covering the infamous Battle and the Civil War. When you are planning your vacation, you may be wondering if the Seminary Ridge Museum is worth the trip and I would have to say YES! This historic building used to be a Lutheran Seminary at the time of the war and was first used basically as a lookout, and then a hospital for wounded soldiers.
I loved this museum and enjoyed that its exhibits offered a wide variety of film and audio clips mixed throughout the displays giving a nice break from reading signage. During your visit you will get to understand more of the effects and thought processes of individuals as they navigated through the war, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the different viewpoints of slavery at that time.
Is the Seminary Ridge Museum Dog Friendly?
The Seminary Ridge Museum is NOT dog friendly, so you will have to make other arrangements with your pup if you are traveling with them and want to visit this attraction. If you are staying in a hotel or private vacation rental, take a look at our tips for leaving your dog alone in a new place so you can feel comfortable taking a few hours to visit stops like this!
What is the Seminary Ridge Museum?
The Seminary Ridge Museum is a historic building dedicated to using digital educational tools to help teach visitors about The Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War. This building was originally built as a Lutheran Seminary and went on to play a significant role in the Battle and as a makeshift hospital for the wounded.
Where to Stay When Visiting Seminary Ridge Museum
Gettysburg has a wide variety of options to choose from when you are visiting this historic town. Choose from campsites, hotels, and even private vacation rentals Just make sure to book ahead in the busier summer months so you don’t miss out on your ideal place.
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 Seminary Ridge Museum
The city of Gettysburg has a ton of different restaurants. Here are a few options within walking distance from the Seminary Ridge Museum:
Seminary Ridge Museum
The museum is located on Seminary Ridge, which is one of the stops on the Gettysburg Auto Tour. It is set up so you can go at your own speed and is full of sound bites, movies, and other types of displays. The Seminary Ridge Museum focuses mainly on the Battle of Gettysburg and the role that the Seminary played in it.
Seminary Ridge Museum House Price and Hours
General admission to the museum will cost $14 per adult. If you also want to see the Cupola, the tickets will cost $33 each. You can buy the tickets online or at the front desk. The Seminary Ridge Museum is open every day of the week from 9 am – 5 pm and the Cupola tours are scheduled regularly throughout the day.
Travel Tip: There are 2 ways that you can save money on the entrance fee. You can buy the Gettysburg Value Plan which will give you general museum access. Or you can buy the museum’s Value Pack which is 4 general admission tickets for $40.
Seminary Ridge Museum Gift Shop
The Seminary Ridge Museum’s Gift Shop is in a room behind the main counter. You can get to it by turning right when you get to the main hallway. The shop area is small carrying mostly t-shirts, books, and a few smaller items.
How Long Can You Spend at Seminary Ridge Museum?
If you are planning your visit to the Seminary Ridge Museum, I would set aside about 2 hours if you want to explore the exhibits. If you also want to do the Cupola Tour, set aside an additional 30 minutes.
What to Expect at the Seminary Ridge Museum
The Seminary Ridge Museum has exhibits on all 4 floors of the building and visitors can get guided access to the Cupola for an additional fee. The exhibits are divided into different categories by floor and are made up of video and audio clips, artifacts, signage, models, and even hands-on displays to make it easy for everyone to learn more about the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War.
This museum does have a small gift shop and public restrooms located on the first floor. Bathrooms are located down the hall to your left when you walk in. The gift shop will be down the hall on your right.
There is a parking lot for the museum that is located across the street from the museum. You will want to pay attention to the signs to make sure you are parking in the correct area.
Seminary Ridge Museum Exhibits
The Seminary Ridge Museum has 4 floors for visitors to explore. The first floor is where you will find the guest services desk where you can buy and use your tickets for the museum. If you have small children, this is also where you can pick up a free scavenger hunt for them.
On the left side of the entryway is a small area with a short movie that introduces you to the museum. Feel free to watch this at the beginning or end of your visit.
There are elevators just ahead of the entryway and stairs on both ends of the hallway that will take you to any of the 4 floors. The only area you cannot access by elevator is the Cupola.
It is recommended that you view the museum floor by floor, starting from the bottom and going up. Each floor has at least one short film related to that floor’s theme and full-scale mannequins on display in dioramas. These displays are set up to provide a visual display of the interactions and events that would have occurred back then.
You will also be able to hear audio clips being read of quotes from soldiers and townspeople letting you hear real thoughts and responses that people were having in reaction to the events that were happening. Some of these clips play automatically and some you will need to activate yourself.
Throughout the museum, you’ll learn about the Ziegler family that used to live here, hear quotes from them, and learn about the role the children played during and even after the battle.
The 2nd floor is titled “Faith and Freedom in America”. This floor talks about slavery in Adams County and expands on the way religions including those at the Lutheran Seminary were split between their viewpoints on slavery.
One of the unique aspects of this floor is a room with several tablet screens where you answer a series of ‘what if’ questions about what you would have done in different situations regarding slavery and the war. After you answer, you get to read how real people responded to those exact situations at the time.
The third floor of the Seminary Ridge Museum is titled “Caring for the Wounded”. This floor is full of realistic mannequins being treated for their war wounds so if you are sensitive to things like that, you may want to skip most of the rooms on this floor.
The final and fourth floor is named, “Gettysburg, July 1, 1863”. This floor is dedicated to going over in detail what happened throughout each of the three days of the battle in and around the town.
Cupola Tour
The Lutheran Seminary building has a Cupola that visitors are allowed to tour for an extra fee. A cupola is a small area that was used as a lookout during the Battle of Gettysburg. In fact, this is where Brigadier General John Buford noticed the campfires of Confederate soldiers which helped him start planning defense the night before the 3-day battle began.
If you choose to tour the Cupola, you will meet your guide at the scheduled time at the base of the stairs on the fourth floor. Your guide will take you up and share how the view influenced the way the Battle of Gettysburg played out.
*there is no elevator to the Cupola so this part of the museum is not handicap accessible*
Escape from Seminary Ridge
The Seminary Ridge Museum hosts an escape room after hours located in the attic of the building. It costs $75 for the first 1-3 players and $25 for each additional person. For this game, you will have an hour to gather important information about the Confederates and retreat on behalf of the Union.
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
- Harper’s Ferry National Park
- Monongahela Forest (areas like Seneca Rocks or Cranberry Glades Botanical Area)
- Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Why You Should Visit:
Personally, I thought the Seminary Ridge Museum did a great job presenting a unique vantage point of the Battle of Gettysburg. The building itself played an important role in the Battle of Gettysburg as the place where the Union soldiers started planning their defense when they spotted Confederates in the distance and eventually as a makeshift hospital to treat the wounded. This is the perfect stop for those wanting to dive deeper into the religious conflicts of slavery, the workings of pop-up hospitals for wounded soldiers, and examples of the decisions and sacrifices that everyday people had to make during a tumultuous and life-changing time in American history.
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