WHY? The National Park Service is creating a new Museum and Visitor Center for Gettysburg National Military Park that reflects the historical significance of the park and achieves four objectives:

• Protection of the park’s collection of artifacts and archives: The park owns collections of over 38,000 artifacts and 700,000 printed texts, historic photographs and other archival documents. New facilities are needed to provide appropriate storage conditions, proper care, and display of the collections.
• Preservation of the cyclorama painting: Providing an appropriate gallery space to stop the continued deterioration of the largest and one of the most significant objects in the collection. The "Battle of Gettysburg" is a colossal painting illustrating Pickett’s Charge, measuring 27 feet by 359 feet. The painting is designated a National Historic Object.
• Provision of high-quality interpretation and educational opportunities for park visitors: New exhibits and broader interpretation to provide visitors with an understanding of the Gettysburg Campaign in its broad context of the Civil War and American history.
• Restoration of Cemetery Ridge: Removal of two buildings and parking lots from the Union battle line at Cemetery Ridge where 34 Union regiments fought and over 900 soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured during the Battle of Gettysburg.

• Museum
• Cyclorama Gallery & Electric Map
• Theater/Classrooms
• Public Library/Research Center
• Archives/Collections storage
• Book Store and Museum Store
• Limited Food service
• Tour Center for Licensed Battlefield Guide tours and other educational tours
• Park Administrative Offices

WHAT IS NOT IN THE PROJECT? An early version of the proposal called for an IMAX theater, a civil war arts and crafts gallery, a National Geographic store, and two gift stores. All of these have all been eliminated from the proposal.

WHO? The National Park Service will operate the facility in association with the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation, a non-profit corporation. Kinsley Equities of York, Pennsylvania developed the partnership proposal.

WHERE? A 47-acre site within the park boundary recently purchased by the Foundation, located southwest of Hunt Avenue and Baltimore Pike. The site is two thirds of a mile from the current facilities. No major battle action took place on the proposed site.

HOW? The Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation will raise $95 million for the facility and for the rehabilitation of Ziegler’s Grove, including a $10 million endowment for the facility. No federal construction, operations, or maintenance funding are required for the project.

The Foundation will donate the land and the facility to the National Park Service after 20 years of operation.

Dr. John A. Latschar, Superintendent, Gettysburg National Military Park, can be contacted through Katie Lawhon, at (717) 334-1124 x452.

Robert C. Wilburn, President, Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation, can be contacted through Dan Goldstein, at(202) 216-8919.