Shriver House- Gettysburg Pennsylvania

We walked in to the Shriver House to take a tour while on our trip.  We entered, and bought tickets, then explored the gift shop as we waited for our tour to begin.

While looking at books, the lady who would end up being our tour guide asked me about our plans for the evening.  I thought she was being polite, and just chatting.  Anyway, as we talked, she told me about the Licensed Battlefield Tour Guides program going on in town right now.

She told me that each evening at 6, a guide volunteered their time to do a free group tour at the Cemetery, which would end at the time that Taps would be played each evening at 7.  I was glad she told me (we ended up going- more on that later), and I thought it was sweet that she brought this up.  Obviously, at the Shriver House, they care about being good ambassadors for the community.

Our tour started not long after that.  It was less than $20 for the two of us to go through.  We both agreed that this was a great tour, and I would rank it among the "Must Dos" on any trip to Gettysburg.

Not to spoil the story, but the house was used by Confederates during the Battle.  Sharpshooters shot from the attic, and from witness accounts, at least a couple were shot and killed in the attic.


The house is set up the way it may have looked right after the battle.  The kitchen is a total mess.  Guns are near where the sharpshooters were.

Our amazing tour guide talked at length about living in 1863.  We had some young children on the tour with us, and it was fun seeing her tell them about chamber pots, and other inconveniences of the day.