Gettysburg Cyclorama & Museum

Of the many documentaries and museums dedicated to the history of the Civil War, none are more spectacular than the Gettysburg Cyclorama.

First, you experience a new film titled "A New Birth of Freedom". Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the 22-minute film provides the backdrop with a dramatic look at the Battle of Gettysburg and its place in history. 

After the film you enter the Cyclorama. Originally displayed in 1884, this massive fully-restored, 360-degree painting places you in the middle of Pickett's Charge on the decisive third day of the Battle. The painting is the work of French artist Paul Dominique Philippoteaux and depicts Pickett's Charge, the failed infantry assault that was the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg. The painting is a cyclorama, a type of 360 degree cylindrical painting. The intended effect is to immerse the viewer in the scene being depicted, often with the addition of foreground models and life-sized replicas to enhance the illusion. Among the sites documented in the painting are Cemetery Ridge, the Angle, and the "High-water mark of the Confederacy". The completed original painting was 22 feet high and 279 feet in circumference. The version that hangs in Gettysburg, a recent (2005) restoration of the version created for Boston, is 42 feet high and 377 feet in circumference.

Complete with shackles, swords and bullet-pierced furniture, the rare artifacts and interactive stories take you on a journey back through the events and issues surrounding the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. The movie and Cyclorama bring the battle to life with explosions that rattle the whole room. This is definitely a must-see!