Arrive in Gettysburg, PA for a three night stay.  Dinner is on your own this evening.

This morning, visit Seton Shrine which pays tribute to the life and mission of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.  This tour will focus on the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.  As the bloodiest battle of the Civil War raged just miles from the peaceful home of the Sisters, they could not ignore the call to go and care for the wounded.  After the Battle of Gettysburg was over, the Sisters traveled 12 miles north to the heart of the battlegrounds to care for the wounded from both sides.  Their charitable efforts brought healing and solace to the wounded on both the battlefields and in hospitals.

Next, visit the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center.  It has an extensive museum about Gettysburg and the Civil War and the fully restored Gettysburg Cyclorama that dramatically depicts “Pickett’s Charge”.  You will also see the film “A New Birth of Freedom”, narrated by award-winning actor Morgan Freeman, which focuses on the significance of Gettysburg.

This afternoon, tour the Gettysburg Battlefield with a local guide.  You will see all the monuments, cannons, dedicated to the Union and Confederate soldiers who fought there.  You will see where the battle started, follow its progression and listen to your narrator as he brings the battle to it’s inevitable closing.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at the Farnsworth House Inn, named in honor of Brigadier General Elon John Farnsworth, who led an ill-fated charge after the failure of Pickett’s charge, claiming the lives of Farnsworth and 65 of his men.  The original part of the house was built in 1810, followed by the brick structure in 1833.  The house sheltered Confederate sharpshooters during the three-day conflict, one of whom it is believed to have accidentally shot 20 year-old Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade, the only civilian who died during the battle.  More than 100 bullet holes pock the walls.  Following the battle, the house served as a hospital.

Also included with dinner is a visit with General & Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant. (B,D)

The morning starts with a visit to the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station.  In 1863, enthusiastic crowds gathered outside the depot in hopes of catching a glimpse of the president as he arrived in Gettysburg.  Now you can step onto the platform and into history as yet another distinguished guest to this historic station.

Then head to New Freedom, PA to ride on the Northern Central Railway.  These same tracks carried Lincoln’s funeral train two years after the Gettysburg Address.  Ride the rails and relive Civil War and railroad history in York County.

Also along for the ride is President Lincoln himself.  He will discuss why the battle came to be fought at Gettysburg and the myths surrounding the Gettysburg Address as well as highlights of Lincoln’s life.

This afternoon, visit the Gettyburg Seminary Ridge Museum.  Located on the campus of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Schmucker Hall, which houses the museum, was witness to the first day’s battle action and then was quickly transformed into a field hospital for the care of the wounded from both north and south.

Included here is the program “Mending the Wounded: Surgeons, Patients & Recovery”.  Learn how doctors treated wounded soldiers and used their experience to learn about disease.  Follow a soldier from his arrival in the field hospital, through surgery, and into recovery.  Examine the experiences of doctors and caregivers and how the patients coped with their wounds for the remainder of their lives.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern, Gettysburg PA’s Oldest, Most Historic Home. (B,D)

After breakfast, tour the Shriver House Museum.  You will be leads through the home of George and Hettie Shriver by a guide in period attire as you learn about the civilian experience during the Battle of Gettysburg.  As you move from room to room in this meticulously restored pre-Civil War home, you’ll connect with the stories of George, Hettie, Sadie (7) and Mollie (5) Shriver.  You will soon appreciate what life was like before, during and after the American Civil War.

The tour includes the sharpshooters’ nest in the attic, all the finely appointed rooms of the Shriver’s living quarters, and a visit to Shriver’s Saloon in the cellar.  The house becomes a theatrical backdrop to transport you to another time while listening to the story of the Shriver family and their harrowing experiences during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Following the tour, depart for home. (B)