Depicting one of the most dramatic moments of the Civil War, the Gettysburg Cyclorama was the IMAX experience of its day, surrounding visitors on all sides with a life-like depiction of Pickett’s Charge. This scene of dramatic Southern pride was actually painted by a Frenchman, Paris-trained Paul Dominique Philippoteaux. The artist had preiously collaborated with his father on other battle scene panoramas, which were extremely popular in Europe in the 19th century.The commission for the Battle of Gettysburg panorama came in 1879 from a group of Chicgo-based investors. The massive painting was created by five artists over a year and a half. The final installation included not just the painted backdrop, but three-dimensional artifacts and objects to lend further realism to the scene.It was originally exhibited in Chicago in 1883 and was so successful that copies were made and exhibited in Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. It is the Boston copy that is now on display at the Gettysburg Museum. The others have regrettably been lost or destroyed.However, the existing cyclorama was restored by the National Parks Service in 2005. The cyclorama is 359 feet by 27 feet, and weighs in at an estimated 3 tons.Although few full-scale panoramas of the hundreds that once lured crowds around the world still exist, there are a few notable survivors: In Wroclaw, Poland, the enormous 120-year-old Raclawice Panorama lets you step into the middle of the 1794 Battle of Racławice. In Istanbul, Turkey the Panorama 1453 Museum recreates the epic fall of Constantinople. A more modern example in Damascas, Syria, the October War Panorama is dedicated to scenes from the 1973 October War between Israel, Egypt, and Syria.

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion", Gettysburg was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. It was also the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln's immortal "Gettysburg Address". Fought during the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most crucial battles of the Civil War having occurred at a time when the fate of the nation literally hung in the balance. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion", it was the culmination of the second and most ambitious invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee and his "Army of Northern Virginia". The Union "Army of the Potomac", long the nemesis of Lee's army in Virginia, met the Confederate invasion at the Pennsylvania crossroads town of Gettysburg. Under the command of Major General George Gordon Meade, the Union army fought with a desperation not always seen before on other battlefields. Despite initial Confederate success, the battle turned against Lee on July 3rd, and with few options remaining to him, the general ordered his army back to Virginia. The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg resulted not only in Lee's retreat to Virginia but an end to the hopes of the Confederacy for independence.

This quiet Pennsylvania town, founded in 1786, is dubbed the "Most famous small town in America." From July 1-3, 1863, it saw the American Civil War's most decisive and bloodiest battle which pitted more than 90,000 Union troops under command of Gen. George Meade against over 70,000 Confederate troops under command of Gen. Robert E. Lee resulting in an estimated 51,000 casualties. It is also where President Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address. At the 6,000 acre Gettysburg National Military Park, you can obtain maps that detail a self-guided 24 mile-auto tour that includes 16 stops in Historic Downtown Gettysburg and the battlefield such as Devil's Den, Little Round Top, Big Round Top, the Wheatfield, and Pickett's Charge that remain firmly entrenched in the American memory. Every July, Gettysburg holds its Civil War Heritage Days Festival where reenactment groups in authentic uniforms and weapons demonstrate infantry tactics and drill, cavalry drill, and soldiers' occupations and pastimes. By Christian Mirasol, AFAR Local Expert

The Gettysburg National Military Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the park is managed by the National Park Service. The GNMP properties include most of the Gettysburg Battlefield, many of the battle's support areas during the battle, and several other non-battle areas associated with the battle's "aftermath and commemoration", including the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

The Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg is the site of Gettysburg Battlefield, where in 1863 this Civil War battle took the life of some 51,000 people over a three-day period. Hundreds of markers and monuments now grace the park. Key highlights are Seminary Ridge, which was the primary Confederate position west of Gettysburg for days two and three of the battles; Cemetery Ridge, the site of Union Lines for the final two days of battle; and Oak Ridge, the site of the opening day battle of the Civil War. The Park Museum and Visitor Center has several exhibits, including the Rosensteel collection, which is one of the largest collections of Civil War uniforms, weapons, and personal items in the United States. The park also hosts living history programs and reenactments and has extensive horseback riding trails.