Gettysburg with Kids

[livelylittlecam]

I would like to go to Gettysburg for a three day trip this Spring (I am a bit of a history buff), but my wife is concerned that there is not much for little kids to do in that area. We have five year old twins and a toddler. Can anyone make recommendations for fun activities for our boys in that area?

Best--JP

[livelylittlecam]

We have camped at Old Mill Stream and visited Dutch Wonderland--it is a great combo. Leaving my wife with the three boys for the day while I go to Gettysburg sounds awesome--but not possible:)

I am going to help off on Gettysburg until I know I can really enjoy it with the kids. Thanks for everyone's input. Happy camping this spring!!

[RGar974417]

I agree.Stay at Old Mill Stream Campground next to Dutch Wonderland and do a day trip to Gettysburg.DW is geared towards little kids.We stayed at Old Mill and walked over to DW which is right next door.They used to have a deal where if you went to DW after 5pm,your ticket was also good for the next day.

[1775]

About an hour or so east of Gettysburg is Lancaster County with an amusement park geared toward YOUNG children - Dutch Wonderland, and also a lot of things more attractive to a toddler and a five year old with farm animals and petting zoos, corn mazes (not in the Spring)and the Strasburg Railroad with special weekends featuring Thomas the Tank Engine.

Old Mill Stream Campground in Lancaster is immediately next to Dutch Wonderland. Your wife could take the kids for the day to that park while you take off for Gettysburg for the day.

As a history buff you will enjoy Gettysburg but it is a hard battle to follow spread out over three days and a lot of ground. You drive most of the battlefield in a large circle with stops at key spots - if you know what took place on those spots - a field, a hill, a forest - you will be impressed. Other than history buffs, few really understand it without a lot of explanation. If your wife is not sure the kids will like it, she is right. Even older kids don't like it because they don't understand it. But that does not mean you should not see it. So they (she) should indulge you for a day. The toddler will not like anything. The five year old understands soldiers and that might hold his attention for at least a little while. Before going sit with the five year old plus your wife and watch the Turner Film, Gettysburg - now often found in the $5 DVD bin. This movie, though long, brings the entire battle to life and you then can say when you get there - see that spot - remember in the movie when... - that was right there.

[reinita]

We. Took our kids when our youngest was 5. We went for a few hours at a time and went back to the campground for a rest and/ or kid-friendly activities. He was fine. He loved looking at the"Army men" and even enjoyed the films and diorama. One of our favorite memories is of him insisting we write a note to a current "Army man (or woman!), then signing his name. They had postcards you could send there (I don't recall what group sponsored them). He was bored at times, but overall, it was fine. The older kids loved it and we are going back this summer. Thanks for all of your tips; I've included Hershey Park to the agenda!

[D___M]

livelylittlecampers wrote:
Thanks for all of the interesting comments! Now I want to go more then ever. Will take all of this into consideration--but the DW is not totally sold. She just said that "Gettysburg has been there for hundreds of years so it should still be there in a few years when the boys are older." Now you see what I have to overcome to get a little Civil War action into our family camping itinerary:)

If Mama is not totally sold about going to Gettysburg for a little Civil War action, wait to you let it slip that Gettysburg Battlefield Park is only an hour from Antietam Battlefield and Harpers Ferry, and less then 2 hours from Manassas/Bull Run Battlefield. :W LOL

[docj]

D & M wrote:
Trust me, there is nothing that a toddler and two 5 year olds would find interesting for more then a few minutes.

X2 We lived a half hour away from Gettysburg for 8 years. The new Visitor Center/museum is wonderful but it is not for kids. The refurbished Cyclorama is interesting but to a 5 year old it will look like a pale shadow of today's computer animation. Trust me, I've taken grandchildren there and know their reactions to it. The battlefield, itself, is not very exciting unless you are a Civil War buff; it's hard to get a child to visualize a battle by looking at a field of grass.

[livelylittlecam]

Thanks for all of the interesting comments! Now I want to go more then ever. Will take all of this into consideration--but the DW is not totally sold. She just said that "Gettysburg has been there for hundreds of years so it should still be there in a few years when the boys are older." Now you see what I have to overcome to get a little Civil War action into our family camping itinerary:)

Our philosophy about camping with kids goes something like this--

We don't totally focus on entertaining our kids while traveling and we don't totally focus on entertaining ourselves. We really try to find activities (such as hiking, canoeing etc..) that we can all enjoy together. After 100 days in our RV over the last four years this formula has worked pretty well.

Our family travel blog is all about enjoying travel with kids, but sometimes we do end up torturing ourselves or torturing them! A few of you stumbled onto our blog through this thread! Thanks for the nice comments.

Best--Jeremy

[Crowe]

Have been to Gettysburg many times. Spring may be a little early for a lot of things mentioned. I just feel that sometimes early exposure can create a thirst for learning. Not the toddler, but the 5 year olds. We took my son to Gettysburg at that age and he loved it. Yes, the battlefields, the monuments, the history, all of it. But then, again, he's not what most would consider "normal". When he was 4 and we were in either Jamestown or Yorktown (forget which) he didn't want to go back to the hotel to go swimming. He wanted to stay and tour the ships.

[katleman]

noe-place wrote:
Gettysburg isn't for very small kids, however it's really for those old enough to understand what happened there and why. Even then the person must have a real interest in the Civil War since that's what the whole area is about. My 2cts of course. I didn't take our daughter until she was in middle school and she enjoyed the tours because she was old enough to understand what happened. I took my grandson when he was 10 and he fell in love with the place and wants to go back every year and just walk over the battlefield. Good luck.

x2

Followup to my earlier post, my visit in 2008 was with three kids, while the youngest didn't enjoy it, my 13 year old son loved it. (So much that he enlisted in the army this year) He's a history/military/collector buff like dad. Gettysburg was our day, after a visit the day before to Hershey PA for the others.

Trips with children are properly focused on what they will be interested in. Harder to do as they get older and their likes diverge. Then its a bunch of compromises, everyone getting their turn. Parents who try to pull their children, especially young children, are usually the ones with unhappy, misbehaving kids. I loved taking my children places, lots of national parks. Enjoy those early years, they don't last long. Just have to gear the trips with their interests.

Gettysburg area is fine with small children, as long as the parent understands the visit is at their children's level, not the adult level. If that is what the OP is attempting, great, as long as there are no illusions that the visit won't be from a civil war buff perspective.

Still envious at anyone being within a few hours of the area. 🙂 Hoping to return for an in depth visit with my son in the next decade or so.

Back on the topic, I recall a wonderful historic inn with a nice restaurant called Dobbins Inn, very memorable meal, and kid friendly for a sit down place.

[D___M]

johnwalkerpa1 wrote:
While I don't have any additional ideas to offer, I do have one caution. The OP mentioned that the trip would be in the spring.

Depending on how early in the spring he is talking, some or all of the ideas mentioned (water park, pools, Land of Little Horses, HersheyPark) may be closed completely or only open a limited number of days/hours.

Just something to keep in mind.

Good catch

[ependydad]

johnwalkerpa1 wrote:
While I don't have any additional ideas to offer, I do have one caution. The OP mentioned that the trip would be in the spring.

Depending on how early in the spring he is talking, some or all of the ideas mentioned (water park, pools, Land of Little Horses, HersheyPark) may be closed completely or only open a limited number of days/hours.

Just something to keep in mind.

X2. I was literally about to post the same thing.

[johnwalkerpa1]

While I don't have any additional ideas to offer, I do have one caution. The OP mentioned that the trip would be in the spring.

Depending on how early in the spring he is talking, some or all of the ideas mentioned (water park, pools, Land of Little Horses, HersheyPark) may be closed completely or only open a limited number of days/hours.

Just something to keep in mind.

[D___M]

Crowe wrote:
It's a place for adults to go to in order to help understand history

And older children. It's not undoable with younger kids and "mixing missions" is not hard either. I suspect JP isn't the type that would leave his kids when he goes camping. While this trip is probably better left to when the kids are older it's not out of the realm of possibility.

I live close to Gettysburg and I am up there a couple of times a year for special events and I know a couple of good restaurants. It's a rural area. Trust me, there is nothing that a toddler and two 5 year olds would find interesting for more then a few minutes. Depending on the level of inspection you want to take, a couple of days could be spent, looking at monument, walking the battlefield, visiting the museum.

Artillery Ridge does have horseback riding and Drummer Boy has a medium size water park. Hershey Park is about an hour or so away, so there's a day shot. The battlefield is just that, the battlefield. Good for a history buff. For little kids, not so much. You see a lot of teenagers, but you don't see a lot of tykes at the battlefield.

I suspect that Mom would be happier at another destination.

But hey, it's MHO. To each his own.

[I_am_still_wayn]

The world isn't about entertaining little kids and making them happy. Sure, they can get cranky if they don't get their way, but that is the fault of the parents. First, kids need to be taught to behave in all situations, and if they are bored, then just be quiet and patient. Parents today are too focused on making everything perfect for the kids at the expense of their own sanity. Having said that, there are great things to explore at every stop at the battlefield. The OP's kids are too young to understand the history and the military maneuvers, but they are old enough to look at the monuments and point out what they see and how each one is different. They are old enough to go through the museum and the cycloramic painting with things explained at their level. Many great museums around the world have programs just for kids. If a parent chooses to actually parent and teach, rather than just entertain, then Gettysburg will be a place the kids want to come back to.