Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center — Attraction in Gettysburg

I admit, I didn't know anything about the history of this school and the significance of this location, particularly this building.

Also, if you are doing the auto tour that the NPS offers, it starts at the nearby Reynolds field (visible from the cupola), so it was the perfect place to start. You just need to go a minute up the road for the first stop, plus you get the whole history of the significance of the location since the battle started right there.

I bought a ticket for the cupola tour and museum ahead of time online (I think it was $32). It was absolutely worth it. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, the grounds are beautifully kept, the bathroom is really clean, and the tour and museum are amazing.

The cupola tour lets you go up in the attic, where you can see the original construction and wood workmanship. Fascinating. I have a fear of heights and vertigo, but the cupola itself wasn't bad. There is a staircase and railing to the top, a wide basically double outer railing and plenty of space. And the views are amazing!! Our guide, Mary, was like a walking encyclopedia. She also clearly loves her job.

The entire building is a museum. Each of the 3 floors of exhibits has a theme, and the exhibits are well done. I particularly enjoyed the floor about medicine and death during...

The Seminary Ridge Museum is located in the original Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary with the iconic cupola familiar to viewers of the movie "Gettysburg". It served as an observation post early on the July 1st engagement. The building had been classrooms and living quarters for those connected with the seminary, but the bloodshed soon turned it into a field hospital for both sides.

The Museum offers several short films regarding the conflict, the wartime use of the building, prominent figures from the building's past, the state of battlefield medical care, and local views on current issues, especially abolition of slavery. It is located a few minutes from the Visitors Center on the battlefield.

Adult admission is affordable; student and senior rates are available. The Museum charges a $28 fee per person to visit the cupola. The artifacts and displays are quite interesting, but you should allow yourself sufficient time to see the exhibits and visit the small gift shop.

Our group visited this site due to interest in Lutheran history connected to this battle. This is worth seeing if you have sufficient time and also if you have an interest in the topic. The displays explain the battle quite well, although the rooms tend to be somewhat dark, possibly to help preserve the...

I would recommend this museum to anyone looking to broaden your appreciation and interpretation of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the history of the town itself. It dutifully covers First Day action but also many things that are usually found in books about OTHER than the Battle -- citizens, slavery in the region, care of the wounded, history of the seminary itself, etc. The privilege of ascending into the cupola (as part of a "tour") is worth the sticker-shock price. The "tour" is basically guide-talk while overlooking the scene, but our guide -- Avery, a recent history grad from the College -- was quite good and took advantage of the sight lines to amplify the First Day story. The building is rebuilt from the inside out so there are few places where the experience of being there is easily imagined, but the "history" of going up and down the old wooden staircases is intact. Finally, there is a VERY interesting "ethics test" ("what would you do?") feature -- take some time with it -- very...