Battle News
What you'll find here: Articles of information concerning the Gettysburg Battle
and Battlefield.
New Visitors Center - Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is the National Park Service considering the partnership?
The needs of the park
are desperate. Artifacts and archives are deteriorating in abysmal storage conditions.
Intrusive, outdated buildings and parking lots mar the hallowed ground of the Union battle
lines on Cemetery Ridge. Inadequate museum interpretation and cramped conditions make it
impossible to tell the story of what happened at Gettysburg.
The proposal will provide a new museum for artifacts, archives, and the Cyclorama
painting, ensuring their preservation for future generations; improve the educational
experience for park visitors; and restore the union battle line at Cemetery ridge -- all
at no cost to the federal government or to the tax payers.
- Is there an issue with artillery batteries located on the proposed site for the new
museum at Gettysburg?
Historians from both the NPS and academia have concluded that
there were two Union artillery batteries on a small portion of the northeast corner of the
45-acre, privately owned site proposed for the new facility. The positions are marked with
two monuments along Hunt Avenue. Since the property in question is 45 acres and only 10-15
acres would be needed for the building and parking, the NPS can still build on this site
and would carefully avoid any disturbance of the artillery positions
- What are the plans for the Electric Map?
The electric map is an invaluable tool for
orienting and educating park visitors. The concept of the electric map will be included in
the new museum.
- Are there any special plans for the Rosensteel collection? Preservation of the
Rosensteel collection is one of the four preservation goals driving this project. The new
facilities will ensure that the collection is preserved for future generations and is made
available for visitors and researchers. The NPS will continue to control, own, and protect
the Rosensteel collection.
- What control does the NPS have over the negotiations and the design of the facilities?
The NPS has 100% control over the negotiations, design, and operations of the facility. We
simply will not enter into any binding agreement unless it is in the best interest of the
National Park Service and our visitors.
- Is there adequate space in the new facility for park needs such as storage for the
museum collection and park offices?
Yes. The proposal provides for all the needed
space for a new visitor center and museum, including the park offices now located in the
current Visitor Center and Cyclorama Center. What will change, as negotiations continue,
is the space allotted for related facilities. The NPS is negotiating to be sure that all
related facilities benefit the NPS and our visitors. Preliminary floor plans from the
Kinsley proposal were included in the park’s January planning newsletter but the
plans were for informational purposes only. They have not been accepted by the NPS.
- Where is the proposed site in relation to the National Tower? Will the Tower benefit
from this project?
There is no windfall in the works for the National Tower. The new
Visitor Center and Museum site is south of the Tower and further away from the Tower
access roads than the current facilities. While some groups such as the National Parks and
Conservation Association are urging the NPS to include the purchase and removal of the
Tower as part of this plan, the Tower project at present is not included in the project.
- What is the plan to prevent Baltimore Pike from becoming another Steinwehr Avenue, with
shops, fast food, etc?
We will work with the townships and the county as best we can
on appropriate zoning mechanisms. In addition, the NPS, the non-profit foundation, and (we
hope) the Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg may be able to purchase lands or
easements from willing sellers.
- Will there definitely be a parking fee?
The Kinsley proposal suggested a
"moderate parking fee." The NPS has not yet decided if there will be a parking
fee, or any specifics such as the amount of the fee, whether weekend passes will be
available, etc.
- . Is it true that there will be no private vehicles allowed on the park, and that
everyone will be required to ride a bus?
No. As part of the park’s ongoing
General Management Plan, the park has been working with the public to address battlefield
landscape preservation issues and questions of vehicle and pedestrian access. However, one
of many ideas under discussion is to provide an optional shuttle during the peak visitor
season, or to close a few smaller avenues on the busiest days to cars without a Licensed
Battlefield Guide.
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