|
(National Park Service) The National Park Service (NPS) and the Gettysburg Foundation have decided to charge a single admission fee for venues at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, including museum exhibits, the film, and the Cyclorama Painting. The Gettysburg Foundation will collect the fee as part of its responsibilities as operators of the museum. The new "all-in-one" ticket is $7.50 for adults, which is considerably lower than the $12 previously planned for the film and Cyclorama Painting programs alone. The fee allows the Foundation to create a higher value for visitors, and encourages multiple opportunities to enjoy the venues during their visit. The proposed new fee structure at the Museum and Visitor Center was created to address revenue shortfalls affecting the Foundation’s ability to operate the museum on behalf of the NPS. The Foundation uses revenue from ticket sales, the bookstore, and food services in the facility to pay for operations and meet its other financial obligations, including an annual donation to Gettysburg National Military Park and the NPS that funds preservation and educational programs on the Gettysburg battlefield and at other National Parks. The proposal was released on August 28, 2008 for a thirty day public comment period. Gettysburg National Military Parkreceived 572 public comments from the Gettysburg area and from throughout the United States. Approximately 56% of the public comments received were in favor of the proposal to collect an "all-in-one" fee. In addition 5% of the responses were in favor of the proposal to collect an "all-in-one" fee but suggested lower fees than proposed; 34% of the responses opposed the proposed fee change; and 5% of the responses provided comments but were neither in favor of, or opposed to, the new fee. In direct response to public comments, the new fees are lower for all youths aged 6 through 18 so that visits to Gettysburg are more affordable for families and school groups of all ages. The Park and the Foundation have created a new discount price for Senior Citizens and members of the U.S. military. In order to encourage longer stays in the Gettysburg area, multi-day passes will be available for two days and three days, in addition to annual passes for individuals and families. The Park and the Foundation are committed to welcoming residents of Adams County on four fee-free "Community Appreciation" days per year. The dates will be announced in advance in the local news media and will include: Veterans Day; Martin Luther King Day; Presidents Day; and a "Back to School" day each year in early September. Beginning Thursday, October 2, 2008, the new fees are: Adult $ 7.50 Most of a visit to Gettysburg National Military Park will remain free. There will be no charge to enter the Visitor Center and Gettysburg National Military Park (the entire battlefield and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery). Use of the Visitor Center, the Refreshment Saloon, the Museum Store, exhibits in the Theater and Museum Lobbies, and the Resource Room remain free. There is no charge for parking or for the numerous Ranger programs provided in the height of the visitor season. Students, scholars and visitors may still conduct research in the park’s archival and museum collections for free, by appointment. The fee decision is available on the Gettysburg Foundation’s website. Gettysburg Fee Decision (pdf,30.21kb) Fee Decision Fact Sheet (pdf, 23.48kb) |
Last updated: October 24, 2017