Gettysburg’s: Seminary Ridge Trail Self-Guided Walking Tour

What your day looks like

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app that will function as your personal guide, audio tour, and map all in one. On this self-guided walking tour taken on an app, explore Seminary Ridge where some of the fiercest fighting took place during the Battle of Gettysburg. Hear the story of the soldiers and civilians who put everything on the line during this historic confrontation. Begin your journey in the center of the seminary, by the Seminary Ridge Museum. From there, simply follow the audio instructions and the route via the app that will be your guide, narrator, and map in one. Start by diving into the long history of the institution and its importance to the town of Gettysburg. As you walk the hallowed paths, step into the shoes of a seminary student back in the 1800s and get introduced to what life looked like before war came to the town. Hear some insights into the Iroquois who once occupied this land and whom General Robert E. Lee respected immensely. You’ll see the home of the seminary’s founder, Samuel Schmucker, and learn why he was practically an outcast among the Lutheran community. Then, feel the tension in the air as the townsfolk rush to read the news every day, watching the war draw closer to their front doors. Headlines like “Lee Invades the North” and “Confederates Advancing Toward Gettysburg” do not bode well for our townspeople. Follow the lines of battle as they’re drawn by both sides and hear how the explosive battle began. Visit the seminary building which became an impromptu Union hospital when the fighting started going south. Next, follow the struggle blow-by-blow, from the fighting atop McPherson’s Ridge to the Confederate assault on the seminary itself. Become a fly on the wall in the command outposts of Generals Buford and Ewell as they vie for control of the battlefield. But it wasn’t just soldiers fighting during the battle. Visit the home of John Burns, a feisty old man who decided if the Union couldn’t fend off the Confederates, he’d just do it himself. Toward the end of the path, survey the final bursts of combat and get an overview of the aftermath of all the bloodshed, both for the seminary and for the Union. The tour will conclude back where it began.