The tragical procession

[Jim Garrett]

The NPS-Gettysburg Foundation Visitor Center holds the museum, theater and cyclorama, and bookstore/giftshop The facility is immense. It's difficult to compare to the old facilities which was spread out over two buildings, the original NPS visitors center and cyclorama building and the old Rosensteel Civil War museum and electric map. When the Rosensteel family retired, they offered their museum to the NPS. I think there are only two issue with the new facility. 1) it's almost too big, but in the summer months, they do just about fill it. 2) It's not a cheap trip anymore. Cheapest adult tickets are about $11.50. The Wills house is an additional cost as is the Eisenhower farm. That being said, the Gettysburg Foundation has put a lot of money back into the battlefield and the facilities. The area directly behind Devil's Den has been forested for at least 50 years. They have returned the area back to the 1863 appearance by thinning out the trees. BTW, if you remember the old electric map, it's long gone. Turns out that the map was made of asbestos and pretty toxic. However the Gettysburg Heritage Center has a very very well done movie has has great visuals of the troop movements that does justice.