Gettysburg Crossroads-Historic City

Family and Travel

Giles Kennedy

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By Giles Kennedy

Family and Travel Columnist

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Columbus Wired

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Whether you do a crash course weekend for a few days; or spend a week in Gettysburg..there is so much to do just in Gettysburg alone.

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We will touch on Gettysburg National Military Park in our next entry (Gettysburg Crossroads-Battlefield and Remembrance)

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Just exploring Downtown Gettysburg and South Gettysburg is worth a day or two alone.

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My long time friend Richard “Ric” Salisbury and I have been planning this trip for a few years. It finally came to fruition.

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We started at historic Lincoln Square in the heart of the city.

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Many shops, restaurants and attractions are within walking distance.

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Here are some highlights of what we explored.

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The Union Drummer Boy (on historic York Street/Lincoln Highway) is part museum, part relic dealer. It has many Civil War, World War I and II, and military artifacts for sale.

https://uniondb.com/

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The Hotel Gettysburg; operated by Gettysburg College, dates back to the 1790’s as a stagecoach stop.

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1991 is when new life came; the space was vacant from a fire in 1983. Gettysburg College took ownership. It has remained an stay icon since reopening.

https://hotelgettysburg.com/

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Many other properties, AirBnb’s and such are available at your fingertips for your stay.

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https://destinationgettysburg.com/places-to-stay-in-gettysburg-pa

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The AirBnb Richard and I stayed at was extremely nice; in rural Hunterstown. It is mere minutes away from Gettysburg

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https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1517678659698932859?adults=1&search_mode=regular_search&check_in=2026-09-27&check_out=2026-10-02&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&source_impression_id=p3_a55b8885-152a-40b2-97e7-12e773adee9b_b21b6ec3-cd5e-439e-930b-7e468ed268e2_0_1517678659698932859_0&previous_page_section_name=1000&federated_search_id=a55b8885-152a-40b2-97e7-12e773adee9b

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Many shops, bakeries and restaurants await you as well.

https://destinationgettysburg.com/places-to-eat/

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Appalachian Brewery ( a group of microbreweries in Pennsylvania) had a Gettysburg location. My wife and I visited the one in Harrisburg. The Gettysburg location did not disappoint with great beer, food and fare.

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https://abcbrew.com/gettysburg

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We also visited a local diner not far from our AirBnb; the Hunterstown Diner. It was also worth a stop.

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https://hunterstowndiner.com/

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A tragic death for a local heroine gives great context and story for the trials within Gettysburg.

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Jennie Wade was merely baking bread for Union soldiers; when a musket shot from a Confederate soldier ended her young life.

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Her young life, ties with the McClennan family and the war effort are displayed at the Jennie Wade House in South Gettysburg