JavaScript must be enabled

Page will not work without JavaScript enabled

Pennsylvania

The Battle of Gettysburg: Heroism, Sacrifice and History

Program No. 9114RJ

Relive one of our nation’s most defining moments as you join experts to learn about the Battle of Gettysburg, experiencing the museums, monuments and culture of this historic site.

Wishlist

Start

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

4 days

3 nights

7 meals

3B 1L 3D

Check-In, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner, Class

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg Visitors Center & Museum, Battle First Day

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Battle Second Day, Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Performance

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg Day Three, Program Concludes

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

View Full Itinerary

At a Glance

The Battle of Gettysburg — July 1-3, 1863 — determined the outcome of the Civil War. This bloodiest of battles left 28,000 Confederate and 23,000 Union casualties. Expert battlefield guides bring history alive as you trace battlefield strategies, separate legend from lore and gain an understanding of the impact on the town and its people. We’ll also pay our respects at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery.

Activity Level

On Your Feet

Walking up to one mile daily and standing indoors and out; climbing flights of stairs; getting on/off a motorcoach.

Small Group

Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

Experience the new Gettysburg National Military Park & Museum and explore sites related to each day of the battle.
Be entertained by a folk musician who plays Civil War-era music on his handmade dulcimer, banjo, accordion and harmonica.
Meet Hannah Shearer, close friend to Mary Lincoln, in an exceptional living-history presentation.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Tom Jolin

Tom was a founding member of the West Orrtanna String Band, as well as the Orrtanna Mountain Steamers, and played with these groups from 1972 to 1999. Through funding from The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, their five albums were archived and preserved in a set, “Traditional Music from Orrtanna.” Tom is also an instrument maker, specializing in the hammer dulcimer. He is a sought after artist-in-residence and lives with his family in the foothills of the Appalachians, near Gettysburg.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Tom Jolin View biography

Lauren Kain View biography

Lauren Biddle Kain is the site coordinator for Philadelphia Landmarks Road Scholar. She received her BS/BA from Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. After marriage and transfer to the San Diego area, she began working at EVENT NETWORK, a leading experiental retail operator, on behalf of cultural attractions such as zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, museums, science centers and other cultural attractions. Lauren and her family now reside in the Philadelphia area. She started working with Road Scholar as a junior Group Leader for Grandparent Programs.

Julie Geyer View biography

Julie Geyer served in the Air Force in the early 1960s on Cape Cod. She enjoys camping, hiking, volksmarching/walking, scrapbooking, and volunteering with the York County Area Agency on Aging as a Friendly Visitor and Financial Counselor, and with the VNA Hospice of Hanover as a hospice volunteer. She also was active in organ donor awareness for many years. Julie and her husband Gene have participated in 56 Road Scholar programs including 21 as group leaders with the Gettysburg program over the past 22 years.

Richard Kohr View biography

Richard Kohr has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1995, and is the former president of the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides. Rich has led presentations at several seminars and Civil War round tables, and has taught continuing education courses on the Gettysburg campaign at the Gettysburg campus of Harrisburg Area Community College.

Maryann Oelkers View biography

Living and working in the Philadelphia area for 30 years, Maryann Oelkers found a renewed love for American history. Since retiring from a nursing career in 2009 and moving to Gettysburg, Maryann has been involved in learning about and sharing the history of this special town. Her ongoing experiences include working as a visitors’ services rep for the Gettysburg Foundation. Maryann enjoys continually learning about the history of Gettysburg, including the civilian experience during that fateful year of 1863.

Peter Miele View biography

Pete Miele is a native of northern New Jersey. After graduating from Ramapo College with a degree in History and Secondary Education, he began teaching American History, World History, and American Studies. In 2013, Pete relocated to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, earned a MA in Applied History from Shippensburg University, and worked with the new Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center. He was named the Museum’s Executive Director in 2020. His interests include 19th century mid-Atlantic social and cultural history, environmental and medical history, and museum studies.