Gettysburg 2023

We will meet in the Schnucks (formerly Shop ‘n Save) parking lot next to the car wash (800 Carlyle Ave, Belleville, 62221) at 3:30 PM and board the Vandalia bus. We will have two drivers for the trip, and they will switch at St. Clairsville, OH on the outbound journey and Plainfield, IN on the return. We will stop for dinner along the way. Bring your pillow!

After a breakfast stop, we will visit the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Our expert guide will take us on a park tour, then we will have free time to purchase lunch. When we arrive in Gettysburg, we will meet our Gettysburg guide at the Gettysburg National Military Park. We will begin by watching the film, “A New Birth of Freedom,” narrated by award winning actor Morgan Freeman. We will also see the restored Gettysburg Cyclorama, which depicts “Pickett’s Charge,” and browse the museum. There will be a selection of food in the Visitor Center, including some Civil War-era specialties. In the evening, we will dine at the Dobbin House where we’ll have a buffet meal. We will also see a movie in the Battle Theatre about Abraham Lincoln, before checking into the Quality Inn Gettysburg Battlefield Hotel. (Dinner)

We will board the bus after breakfast with our licensed guide, Jack Drummond, who will join us for a “Killer Angels” themed tour of the battlefields, followed by free time to explore the battlefield on our own and purchase lunch. Later in the afternoon, we will take a self-guided tour of the National Cemetery and then return to our hotel for a pizza party. After we eat, we will test our skills at the 1863 Escape Room. (Breakfast/Dinner)

After an early breakfast we will board the bus for the return journey. We will stop for lunch and dinner along the way. A visit is also planned to the United 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA. On 9/11, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed down in a field because its crew and passengers fought back against the terrorists. The expected arrival time at Schnucks (formerly Shop ‘n Save) parking lot is 11:30 PM. Students will contact parents when they are almost back. (Breakfast)