Covering nearly 6,000 acres and featuring more than 1,300 monuments, the Gettysburg National Military Park is vast – as is its mark on history. Taking place over three days, the Battle of Gettysburg was a critical juncture in the American Civil War. When the conflict ended on July 3, 1863, the Union Army emerged victorious. But victory came at a high cost – more than 51,000 casualties. Events leading up to the historic conflict and the battle are memorialized in the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. The museum is world-class. Not to be missed – the film A New Birth of Freedom narrated by Morgan Freeman, and the Cyclorama, the nation’s largest painting depicting Pickett’s Charge. After visiting the center, you will want to explore the grounds of the National Park. Be sure to stop at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.