KentGGG

Has anybody bought or rented cassettes (or CDs) to use while driving the battlefields at Antietam or Gettysburg? The Nat'l Park Service website indicates you can find them at the visitor center at Antietam, but evidently you must go to local businesses in Gettysburg. If there's more than one option, can anybody recommend a tape for a family with kids aged 8 and 12? Thanks!

traveler24

I always rent the CDs, mainly because its like your own tourguide.i only remember one type. It was just a narration of the events related to the specific area that you passed by in the car. Also the monuments and statues were explained. Itcould be since Gettysburg is such a big park their may be more than on type CD.
I have always rented them at the specific park ie Vicksburg, Chattanooga etc I am surprised that you can't do the same at Gettysburg. In fact I am going there in Oct. so I need to check this out also..
In relation to your kids-- I guess it juist depends how interested they are in history..My grand-dau, 12, was only interested in the stuff related to Abe Lincoln and where he gave the Gettysburg address..

songbird

I woluld certainly not contradict the NPS website, but when we went to Gettysburg 3 years ago we used audiocassettes for tour. We found the cost to rent was so close to cost to buy, we bought. For us they were perfect. We bought it at the visitor's center, not from a local business, and there was only one choice.

For us, traveling with Grandma and 2 kids, just a little older than yours it was perfect. Casette had many stops, and we were able to spend as much time as we wanted at each. Some were walking around stops, others, just look from car. The best for us was when the kids needed a food break, we could just head off the tape route, get food, and then return.

screen_name

Another option...we went to Gettysburg in June and friends recommended hiring a certified personal guide. This is done at the visitors center and we booked in advance.

For $40 the tour guide drives your car and gives an indepth 2-hour tour. We really enjoyed the personal touch and were able to ask questions on topics that interested us. Another plus is that he made it a point to highlight activities by soldiers from out state which was very interesting.

Very relaxing and enjoyable.

songbird

We also considered the hire a private guide option, and probably would have enjoyed it a great deal. However, since we were sure Grandma or one of the kids would need a break or start whining, we went with the recorded tour since the tape did not care if anyone said it was boring. Actually, no one did and all had a good time, except for the heat in July.

KentGGG

Thanks for the replies! It does make sense that a large visitors' center like the one at Gettysburg would have tapes or CDs -- I think I will contact the park directly to find out. The idea of being able to act as your own tour guide, and to take breaks as needed, is appealing to me.

dan_woodlief

You can buy several versions of the tape or CD at Gettysburg. I think shorter ones may leave out some sights, for example Culps Hill. I would opt for one with Culps Hill if that is the case. Kids will probably like the wooded, hilly drive. It also has a viewing tower if they have re-opened it since last fall. It might not work for you, but I think the best approach, if possible, is to get the tapes ahead of time. I find it hard to concentrate on tapes while traveling with others. You can listen ahead, paying close attention and then play during the tour for everyone else. The only tape I have used personally is a two-tape version that takes in the entire battlefield. If you get into Gettysburg the night before you tour, you should take a look at Graystone's American History Bookstore. It is open at night and has a tremendous selection of helpful books and tapes about Gettysburg and the Civil War. Prices are also lower than the visitor center on most items.

MileKing

Can't address the Antietam or Gettysburg tapes, but must say that the Vicksburg tape/CD is extremely well done. My fiancee' is not much into history of any kind, but even she found the tape to be well worth the $20 investment.

placeu2

My kids were very close to those ages when we went to Gettysburg and we still talk about it 7 years later.

Get the tape!!

This may be one of the best things we ever did on a family vacation. Like a previous poster, we bought it because the cost was so close.