9 Best Sights in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Pennsylvania

There are few landmarks as touching as the Gettysburg National Military Park, where General Robert E. Lee and his Confederate troops encountered the Union forces of General George Meade. There are more than 1,300 markers and monuments honoring the casualties of the battle in the 6,000-acre park. More than 30 miles of marked roads lead through the park, highlighting key battle sites. In the first week of July, Civil War reenactors dress in period uniforms and costumes to commemorate the three-day battle.

Self-guided tours as well as tour guides for hire are both available, as are tours on horseback.

In 2008 the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center moved to a $103 million facility, which makes for an excellent starting point to understand the events leading up to the battle, its significance to the Civil War, and its impact on the town. The center includes a dozen interactive galleries, which feature a compelling mix of artifacts such as a wooden desk believed to have been used by General Robert E. Lee, paired with the latest in interactive video and audio displays. Each section takes its name from a phrase used in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It is also home to the 377-foot "Battle of Gettysburg" cyclorama painting from 1884, which has been completely restored including a 3-D foreground. The painting, a must-see in its colorful, life-like depiction of Pickett's Charge, along with a documentary film, "A New Birth of Freedom," are packaged together as a 45-minute ticketed experience. There is a restaurant and a bookstore on site. The Park Service also provides a free map with a 25-mile driving tour through the battlefield, walking-tour guides, and schedules of free ranger-conducted programs which range from walks and talks about the battle to the aftermath and the Civil War experience. Private, licensed guides may also be hired at the center. Value package information and online purchase specials are available on the Web site.

The David Wills House is where Abraham Lincoln stayed and completed his Gettysburg Address on November 18, 1863. The restored building features seven galleries, including the bedroom where Lincoln slept and worked on the final versions of his speech, as well as the office of Wills, a prominent lawyer who helped direct the city's cleanup after the battle and was a leading force behind the creation of the national cemetery.

The country-estate residence of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who bought it in 1950, he and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower used it as a weekend retreat and a meeting place for world leaders. From 1961 until the president's death in 1969, it was the couple's full-time residence. The brick-and-stone farmhouse is preserved in 1950s style. The farm adjoins the battlefield and is administered by the National Park Service, which sells daily ticketed tours by way of shuttle bus on a first-come, first-served basis at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.

The Gettysburg Tour Center is the departure point for two-hour narrated tours of the battlefield. Dramatized audio guides are provided for open-air double-decker bus tours, while guided tours on enclosed buses depart more often. At night, costumed guides offer a ghost-themed walking tour.

Renovated in recent years, the Gettysburg Heritage Center presents the story of the Civil War era and the Battle of Gettysburg through artifacts, a 20-minute film, 3-D programs, and interactive exhibits that include an educational scavenger hunt. There are several ways to tour the battlefield, including Victorian carriage, horseback, electric bike, and 90-minute walking tours (prices vary). Complimentary living-history camps that demonstrate what life was like for the Civil War soldiers are offered most weekends from May to November.

The Lincoln Train Museum re-creates Abraham Lincoln's journey from Washington to Gettysburg in November 1863. A 12-minute ride simulates the sights and sounds and features actors portraying the reporters and officials on the train. You can also see the 1890 caboose, model train display, and military rail collection.

The Shriver House was the home of George and Henrietta Shriver and their two children, and reveals what civilian life was like during the Civil War. After George joined the Union troops and his family fled to safety, the home was taken over by Confederate sharpshooters, two of whom were killed in the attic during the battle. Costumed guides give tours and share fascinating tales. A gift shop is on site.

Also known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, this is the final resting place for more than 3,500 Union soldiers who died on the battlefield. Dedicated by President Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address, the cemetery is where some 3,000 veterans of subsequent conflicts were also laid to rest.