Concierge Corner
The James Gettys Hotel is located in historic downtown Gettysburg, which was established in 1787. Today, many of the original buildings have been restored and a self-guided walking tour brochure is available at the hotel lobby. The tour will take you by many historic structures that have molded the heart of our community. The home of David Wills is now open to the public and fully restored. The Will's House is the place where President Lincoln stayed when he came to Gettysburg in Novmeber, 1863 to deliver the most famous speech ever written, the Gettysburg Address. Also now available is a Licensed Town Guide Walking Tour with your personal town guide, you will hear human interest stories about our town relating to the battle and our towns history. As you walk through Gettysburg, you will also be intrigued by the many unique shops. As you stroll down Chambersburg Street past the hotel, you will see Arrow Horse, featuring Bluegrass music, fine musical instruments, and other collectibles. While walking around Lincoln Square, gaze at Codori's magical window display, featuring dolls and other fine collectibles of all shapes and sizes. Or stop by the Cannonball Olde Tyme Malt Shop for an ice cream soda or sundae. Gallery 30 offers a variety of books and fine art created by local artists. Just Jennifers a features "Cool Stuff" jewelry, pottery and a wide variety of artwork.
Nightly ghost tours are offered by Ghosts of Gettysburg, whose main office can be found on Baltimore Street. Just a few doors down from the Ghost office, you will find the Shriver House, a living history museum where you can step back in time to 1863 and learn of the Shriver family and their life during the Battle of Gettysburg. This is a must see museum!! Further down Baltimore Street and on to Steinwehr Avenue, you will find Tessa's Habitat, a wonderful gift shop focusing on Civil War gifts, collectible bears, ceramics, and candles. Gettysburg offers a number of tour possibilities. You can hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide at the National Park Visitors Center, who, for a reasonable fee, will accompany you and your companions on a guided tour of the battlefield. You can also tour the battlefield in a fully restored 1930's Yellowstone tour bus from Historic Tours. Battlefield tape tours are also available - we recommend the Gettysburg Battlefield Tape Tour produced by Greystone Communications and sold at the National Park Visitor Center. Gettysburg's newest attraction is the National Park Visitor Center located about 1 1/2 miles south of Gettysburg on the Baltimore Pike (Route 97 South). After many years of planning, the visitor center opened this past April. The vast museum will take you through the causes of the Civil War as well as other battles between 1860-1865. The main focus is on the Battle of Gettysburg and the story is told thru the life of the common soldier, the correspondants and the civilians themselves. An orientation film narrated by Morgan Freeman is a must see! The Cyclorama is a huge oil painting depicting Pickett's Charge. The painting is longer than a football field and over 26 feet high. Cyclorama which means 'painting in the round' was a popular form of entertainment in the late 1800's. They were originally shown to make a person feel as though they were in the midst of the battle. This exhibit now includes the sky and accompanying diarama and which has been fully restored. Another must see part of our nation's history. The center is also the site where you can purchase tickets to tour the Eisenhower National Historic Site. Shuttle buses leave from the visitor center on a scheduled basis and take you to the only home President and Mrs. Eisenhower ever owned. Once at the farm you will take a self guided tour of the home and the grounds. This tour takes about 2 hours and is a nice addition to your Gettysburg experience. Other Local Activities of Adams County include:
We will do our best to make your stay as memorable as possible. James Gettys Hotel 27 Chambersburg Street © 2010 James Gettys Hotel
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