Freshmen Take Historical Journey Gettysburg

The annual ninth grade field trip to Gettysburg for 2016 took place on 14 October. It’s roughly the fifth year they have been going on the trip.  This year, approximately 200 students traveled about two hours to their first stop, where they would tour the battlefields.

On a two-hour guided tour, students were able to march like soldiers on the battlefield. The last thing they did before leaving was climb to the top of the Pennsylvania Monument.

After the tour, students and staff headed to the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor’s Center at Gettysburg National Military Park. There they first ate a picnic lunch outside, with the weather being nice.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor’s Center was designed and built in 2008 to provide a permanent home for the Gettysburg National Military Park’s collection of Civil War artifacts. It also provides a comfortable environment where visitors can learn about the Battle of Gettysburg and the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.

When first getting in the museum, students sat down and watched “A Birth Of New Freedom,” a film narrated by Morgan Freeman and sponsored by The History Channel. The Cyclorama, a 360 degree painting, was the next attraction students visited.  It is the nation’s largest painting that places visitors in the middle of Pickett’s charge on the third day of the battle.

Lastly it was time for museum exhibits.  The Gettysburg Foundation writes the following regarding the museum: “Throughout the museum, visitors will find interactive and visual stations. Five of the galleries include short video presentations on the causes of the Civil War, the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg and the results of war, and two ‘Voices’ theaters feature readings from battle participants. Of the 12 galleries, 11 are based on phrases from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and organized around the museum’s major themes, including the Gettysburg Campaign, and the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.”