Eisenhower Farm In 1950, after World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his wife, Mamie, purchased a 189-acre farm adjoining the Gettysburg Battlefield. During his first term as President, he and Mamie renovated their Gettysburg home and construction was completed by March of 1955, and the Eisenhower’s began to visit on weekends and holidays. Though Eisenhower used his weekends at Gettysburg to escape the pressures of the Presidency, work was never far away. He began each morning with a briefing on world events and meetings with staff were common especially during his heart attack recuperation in 1955 when the Gettysburg Farm became the “Temporary White House.”
In 1961, after 45 years of service to their country, General and Mrs. Eisenhower retired to their Gettysburg Farm. For the next eight years the Eisenhower’s led an active life. The General worked weekdays at his Gettysburg College office, meeting political and business associates and writing his memoirs. He continued to serve as elder statesman advising Presidents and meeting world leaders. But the Eisenhower’s greatest joy was to simply spend time on their farm with family and friends.
Gettysburg National Military Park The Battle of Gettysburg fought July 1-3, 1863, was a turning point in the Civil War - the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy," it was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address.
Gettysburg Visitor Center and Cyclorama Newly opened in 2008, the center hosts a museum on the Civil War from beginning to dramatic end and features one of the largest collections of Civil War relics in the world. The Visitor Center also houses the fully restored Gettysburg Cyclorama. In the late 1800’s the "Cyclorama" was a very popular form of entertainment both in America and Europe. Massive oil-on-canvas paintings were displayed in special auditoriums and enhanced with landscaped foregrounds sometimes featuring trees, grasses, fences and even life-sized figures. The result was a three-dimensional effect that surrounded the viewers who stood on a central platform, literally placing them in the center of the great historic scene. This fantastic painting brings the fury of the final Confederate assault on July 3, 1863 to life, providing the viewer with a sense of what occurred at the battle long touted as the turning point of the Civil War.
Shriver House Museum Located in the heart of the Historic District where some of the heaviest fighting took place during the Battle of Gettysburg, the Shriver House has been restored to its original 1860’s appearance to preserve its history for future generations. The home of George Washington Shriver, his wife – Hettie, and two daughters – Sadie and Mollie, the Shriver House was witness to the war’s bloodiest battles. Tours of the house include every room and provide an understanding of what everyday life was like in the mid-19th century and how one family was affected by the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War.
