Well, it's huge. Yea, really big. No, really really big. My son and I arrived about 9:45 am, were there about 2 hours and by the time we left, there wasn't a parking space to be found in any of the 3 (or, is it 4?) parking areas. Busses were unloading as fast as they could pull up. And, there's a whole lot more ways to be separated from you money than just a bigger and better book/trinket store.

I enjoyed the layout and the new displays. My son was very interested in the letters on display. Seeing the pen that Grant usen in Wilmer's parlor and some of the McLane furniture was pretty cool. I'd guess I would really need about 8 hours some Sunday to spend the time at each display I would have liked to. Be warned, if you're going in to see original flags from both sides and some neat personal items form individual soldiers, both sides, you're in for a treat. If your going down for a big dose of material culture well, you're going to be disapointed in a huge way. Keep in mind the center is designed for the everyday visitor to the park, not for us obcessed folks. But, there was lots there for me too.

The cannon balls fired into Fort Sumter, the cain made from the forts flagstaff were way cool.

The bathrooms are huge.

I didn't see any pie.

Nope, didn't take my camera.

But did it rain while you were there?

Rain, acutally it started when we were in the building, then quit for the trip to the vehicle come to think of it. It was a misty mess all the way home. Adams county got pounded Saturday/Sunday; something like 5 inches of rain.

Well, there is something to be said for consistency.

I stopped in last week when I was in Gettysburg for a seminar for work, and although I only had an hour, I enjoyed looking at the field hospital displays.  I remember from my visits to the old visitor's center that a lot of things I was curious about weren't signed very well, and so I had no clue what various bits of equipment were in the surgeon's kit.  I could have spent hours looking at everything, and I only got a quick glimpse at the letters because I had to rush to catch my flight home.  We have to go to PA for a family event in late July/early August and I'm going to badger the darling husband to make a stop at Gettysburg so I can spend more time looking at the displays.

I need to win the lottery to get all the books I want to buy from their bookstore...

My only complaint was the long hike up from the farthest parking lot to the center.  Funny, I wasn't tired or sore at all after marching across the wheatfield from the Lee statue to the Armistead marker, but the hard surfaced path from the parking lot just killed my feet.

I visited the Visitor's Center on Sunday morning. I was in and out in about an hour. The new museum is three times larger than the old museum with one-third the artifacts on display. What's wrong with this picture?

I'm sure the average tourist, who doesn't know squat about the Civil War in general or the battle of Gettysburg in particular, whould find the displays and informational panels to be quite interesting. I didn't. There's more space devoted to the causes of the War and the War in general; then what happened in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during July 1863.

There were a number of display cases with manikins dressed and equipped with really bad reproduction stuff. The cavalryman and his horse was the worst. I don't mind the NPS using repops to show what the equipment looked like when new, but they could at least buy decent stuff.

There was no signage on a lot of weapons on display. I was told that getting these items discribed was a work in progress.  

To be fair, the place isn't designed for us. It's there for the average tourist, with a superficial knowledge of the Civil War. I'm sure they are going to find the place to be outstanding.

"To be fair, the place isn't designed for us. It's there for the average tourist, with a superficial knowledge of the Civil War. I'm sure they are going to find the place to be outstanding."

Exactly. And, it may just get some folks interested enough to become "us."  Tourists aren't, in general, Civil War nuts like we are. They don't give a gosh darn about the material culture for the most part. And, those folks are by far and away, the folks who pay the NPS bills.  If you wanna' look at RD II's, gum blankets and cartridge boxes, contact the NPS and make an appointment. I'm amazed the amount of folks who thought the new Visitors Center was going to be built so we could go and count stitches. And, am amazed at the amount of folks who are shocked it wasn't. BTW, I "hear" the uniforms are all Ray Hock, hats Dirty Billy but, all the 'couterments are Jarnigan or Pakistan made. The NPS is on a budget you know...and, they don't care about the material culture either.

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GrumpyDave wrote :  BTW, I "hear" the uniforms are all Ray Hock, hats Dirty Billy but, all the 'couterments are Jarnigan or Pakistan made. The NPS is on a budget you know...and, they don't care about the material culture either.

Grumpy,

To paraphrase another statement in another context "I know Jarnigan leather, and you, Mr. Cartridge Box, are not Jarnigan leather." I have to admit I didn't spend much time looking at the clothing or hats. I took a look at the accouterments, and horse equipment and walked away. The displays are on pedestals and the accouterments are right at eye level.

I was a little grumpy myself when I visited the Visitor Center. I had gotten about three hours sleep, in the front seat of the van, the night before.  

Quote :

Bill wrote :   I had gotten about three hours sleep, in the front seat of the van, the night before.

Bill, that will teach you not to bring your wife flowers on Mother's Day..  

I haven't been out to the new VC, but I figured I would wait a little bit and let the newness wear off before trying to make a trek out there..

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lhsnj wrote :   Bill, that will teach you not to bring your wife flowers on Mother's Day..

Greg,

Keeping Sandy happy was the reason for sleeping in the van. We attended a wedding out in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon. The reception broke up about 11:00 PM. I jumped into the van and drove to Gettysburg to participate in one day of the Rowdy Pard's living history at Spangler's Spring. I didn't get on site until 3:00 AM and was up by 6:00 AM for breakfast at the Lincoln Diner. That alone was worth the trip.  

I enjoyed the layout and the new displays. If your going down for a big dose of material culture well, you're going to be disapointed in a huge way. Keep in mind the center is designed for the everyday visitor to the park, not for us obcessed folks. But, there was lots there for me too.

I agree with Grumpy D. An enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. The NPS does have to get on with identifying the articles, and double checking some others, eg; a canteen labelled as being found on LRT and belonging to a member of the 83d PVI, was no doubt owned by a menber of the 44th NYVI (who were positioned to the right of the 83d) as it's cork was chained.

It's possible, that canteen of which you speak, is properly labeled. Let me 'splain.

Easy: He could very well have picked it up somewhere when his wore out or was empty. All of the folks who fell out of the march to Gettysburg, he could have been handed a full canteen form a drop out as he passed by.

Legnthy: Union Army thinks it will need 500,000 canteens. Contractors make some, arsenals make some. All are boxed and shipped through Harrisburg, PA to some place of storage near Washington City. 83rdPVI Regimental QM says, hummm, we need to replace 30 canteens. Sends his paperwork to the Brigade Qm says, hummmm, we need to replace 200 canteens. Sends his paperwork to the Division QM who says, hummmmm, we need to replace 1500 canteens. Sends his paperwork to the 5th Corps QM, says hummmmmm, we need to replace 5500 canteens. Sends his paperwork to the QM of the army who says, hummmmmmm, we need to replace 25,000 canteens. So, he sends some paperwork up to some warehouse guy in Washington who pulls enough crates of canteens off of a stack to get the AOP QM his 25,000 canteens. Off goes the train. The crates get divided and divided and divided again. Then opened and divided. So, who's to say the crate the 83rd's privates canteen came out of wasn't from the NY Arsenal? Maybe, maybe....not.

Or, there's a 3rd possibility: One of his buddies from the 44th NY gave him his after the 83rd lost everything(nearly) at Gains Mill

Endless possiblilities, just endless. That's what makes the hobby so darned fun.

Why did the NPS have to put the floppiest, un edged, ugliest, hillbilly-hat blank lookin' Confederate slouch hat they could find on display?  

--Last edited by grumpydave on 2008-05-15 18:38:06 --