Gettysburg Tourism: 50% Open

By Leon Reed · Originally published July 2020 · pp. 1–4

Gettysburg Tourism: 50% Open by Leon Reed The reopening of Gettysburg will be a welcome change for merchants, unemployed workers, and people wanting to visit, but while Devil’s Den and the Pennsylvania monument will remain as iconic locations, returning visitors in coming weeks will encounter a very different place from what they remember. While tourists will still be able to obtain lodging and food (carry out and outdoor seating) and do some shopping, many of the most visible attractions will remain closed for now. Governor Wolf announced that Adams County would enter “Phase Yellow” on Friday, May 22. This means most businesses were able to open with requirements for face masks, limited crowds to facilitate social distancing, and frequent cleaning. No announcement has been made about the Park, which means its status for now will remain the same: the Park grounds are open but the visitor center is closed and all ranger programs and other park activities are off for now. Like all towns in America, Gettysburg suffered during the shutdown. Unemployment increased from ~3% to well over 10%; businesses catering to tourists, weakened by several down years of park visitation, had to shelve plans for a strong recovery year. Business, government, and community groups were busy during the shutdown preparing for a smooth opening. The Borough of Gettysburg offered no-interest loans to help local businesses survive the crisis. Main Street Gettysburg, a downtown merchants association, developed and distributed a “pandemic” kit with hand sanitizer, fact sheets, signs, and “social distancing” markers. Destination Gettysburg prepared a “visit Gettysburg” ad campaign to run when reopening is authorized. Norris Flowers, President of Destination Gettysburg, believes tourists will return quickly. He predicted that families may avoid long vacations that require an airplane trip and may revive “the family vacation in a car.” He suggested that proximity to major cities and the predominantly outdoor setup will both help draw visitors. A B&B owner shared a similar prediction. “I predict business will come back when the museums, shops, and restaurants are able to open, hopefully by mid-June 2020 will see mostly local and regional business with visitors from an approximately 200 mile radius. … Gettysburg is fortunately located within a 3 hour drive for a few million people, many of whom already love coming to Gettysburg.” Another hotel owner predicted a “slow, long recovery.” He noted that his order book for June and July, when his hotel normally is 80-90% full, stands at 20-30% now. He noted that the status of major events, such as Bike Week, will go a long way to determine how the rest of the summer goes. Whether the decision maker is the Park Service (activities in the Park), the Gettysburg Foundation (the visitor center), a local government, or individual businesses, visitors are likely to encounter much more emphasis on social distancing and crowd control. Some merchants seem to be taking an even more cautious attitude than the state requirements. Local Park Service or Foundation officials need to make tough decisions about issues such as whether there is a way to open the visitor center safely; when, or whether, to resume such popular activities as ranger talks or Cyclorama visits, and whether visits can resume at the Wills House or the Eisenhower farm. The days of three busloads of middle school students arriving simultaneously at the visitor center are probably over. Superintendent Steven Sims commented “The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, our operational approach will be to examine each facility’s function, and services provided, to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners.” Most decisions about park operations remain in flux at this writing. From numerous conversations with people familiar with Park operations, it seems that planners haven’t yet identified a way to open the visitor center safely. Opinions of people knowledgeable about park operations ranged from “it won’t open this year,” or “it won’t reopen until Adams County goes to green,” to “they still haven’t identified a safe way to open the facility.” Other events that draw crowds, such as ranger talks, are areas of concern and may remain so even after park facilities open. While formal ranger talks are off, effective May 22, rangers were authorized to interact occasionally with visitors by “roving” through the park. The Lincoln Fellowship, which sponsors “100 Days of

Taps” at the Soldiers National Monument, announced the park was prohibiting such live events and that the sundown “Taps” would be a virtual event until further notice. Licensed battlefield guides were permitted to resume tours as of May 22 with some restrictions, including compliance with a manual prepared by a committee of guides, including two who are MD’s. Tickets will be available at the Guide Office or the Gettysburg Heritage Center. Battlefield bus tours will run from the Gettysburg Tour Center on Baltimore St., weekends only at first, but not from the visitor center. The buses are not operating at full capacity in order to maintain social distancing. The park is also considering crowd control measures such as limits on audiences for ranger walks. Town tours and carriage rides are also still on hold, but may be opening soon if not already by the time this issue reaches CWN subscribers. The concern is magnified by worries about visitor behavior. On a pleasant Sunday afternoon in the midst of the shutdown, at least five groups of 8 or more people were seen clustered together in Devil’s Den; none of them were practicing social distancing or wearing a mask. Maskwearing has become a partisan issue in Gettysburg. The state senator representing Gettysburg has been a leader of the “open now” movement and lately has called on his supporters to refuse to wear masks. Several local merchants expressed concern about confrontations between their staff and visitors insisting on their “constitutional rights.” Most businesses and many local attractions are preparing to open with modified practices. Restaurants continue to offer carry-out and sometimes delivery service. Effective June 5th outdoor seating is permitted for businesses in the “yellow phase.”

Bars remain closed as well. Most hotels will be open with heightened cleaning and disinfecting efforts. Carry out of alcoholic beverages is permitted, and will soon available to be served (June 5). The Lightner House B&B is practicing social distancing and asking guests to wear face masks at check-in and while socializing inside. To facilitate distancing, they are offering breakfast in guests’ rooms just this year. Eileen Hoover, owner of the B&B, also said they have adjusted to accommodate the likely surge in last minute booking and cancellation. “Lodging properties need to be flexible with last minute bookings and penalty free cancellations.” Many other businesses opened starting May 22 but with restrictions. For the Historian Bookstore is opening with a requirement for masks and limiting the number of visitors inside at any time. The Gettysburg Heritage Center will be opening its store, weekends only at first. The Regimental Quartermaster and Jeweler’s Daughter are open. Customers will need to wear a mask at all times in the shop. Regimental Quartermaster is allowing customers 60 years and older to shop an hour before opening to the public. This will help to ensure everyone can get the items they need in a less-crowded environment. Their store hours are: Monday-Friday & Sunday: 10-5, Saturday: 10-6. The Antique Center of Gettysburg, a popular source of Civil War memorabilia, reopened on Friday, May 22 on an appointment basis both for customers and vendors. The antique mall is limited to 15 guests in the shop at a time and masks are required. Some private attractions will open but many will remain closed. The Shriver House Museum opened Saturday, May 23, but will be operating with limited hours. Besides masks, sanitizers, and 6 foot separation, they are sanitizing the shop and house after each tour and limiting size of tour groups, etc. Nancie Gudmestad said, “We may have shortened hours throughout the week. We will be playing it by ear for a while.” The Jenny Wade House museum, home of the only civilian casualty during the battle, will be opening for weekends only until Gettysburg moves into the “green” category. For now, tours will be self-guided rather than groups with a guide. The Gettysburg Tour Center will be opening and will be operating bus tours at reduced capacity for social distancing. Gary Casteel, the sculptor who created the Longstreet statue and is preparing a series of miniatures of Gettysburg and other monuments is open with mask requirements. For those who come to Gettysburg for the ghosts, Ghostly Images resumed tours May 23, weekends only for now. Mark Nesbitt Ghost Tours is holding off opening for now. Some other businesses are remaining closed for now. Waldo’s and Co., a local coffee house, arts center, and popular gathering place, is staying closed. Chris Lauer said “we are taking our time to make sure that we are opening in the most responsible way. … as a space that fosters community, i.e. strangers meeting strangers, tourists meeting locals, etc., we recognize that there is still some risk of spread. We have chosen to wait until the next phase of reopening and taking that time to prepare our staff and our space to mitigate any risk we can.” The Seminary Ridge Museum, for now is “working on a plan to ensure staff, visitor, and resource safety when we reopen,” said COO Peter Miele. There is no firm reopening date. Gettysburg isn’t just a tourist town: to a great extent, it’s also a special events town. Some events that draw large crowds (college graduation, Memorial Day parade, anniversary reenactment and Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association’s July 4 reenactment at Daniel Lady Farm) have already been cancelled or postponed; the future of others is uncertain. On the other hand, Nancie Gudmestad said that Shriver House will be augmenting its “Confederates Take the Shriver House” program over July 4, “since both reenactments have been canceled … and so many people come over the holiday …” Bike Week, which typically occurs in mid-July, is still on the schedule, as are events such as the Apple Festival and Dedication Day. Several major conferences scheduled for later in the year, including the Lincoln Forum, are currently assessing the feasibility of moving forward. Gettysburg College’s Civil War Institute, scheduled for June, was canceled, but the organizers plan a Facebook Life event at the time the conference was scheduled and, perhaps, a one day event in the fall. The situation in Gettysburg will continue to evolve. Discussions in online Gettysburg discussion groups make it clear that there is a yearning on many people’s part to visit Gettysburg. Many people will undoubtedly agree with an adapted version of the old golf gag: a bad day at Gettysburg is better than a good day somewhere else, but it appears that the Gettysburg experience will remain a partial experience for much of the summer. See the following links to get a more up-to-date status of guidelines. • Cocktails to go: https://www. governor.pa.gov/newsroom/ gov-wolf-signs-cocktails-togo-bill • Outdoor restaurant service: https://patch.com/pennsylvania/newtown-pa/pa-restaurants-can-open-outdoor-dining-rooms-june-5 • PA – red, yellow, green phase: https://www.governor.pa.gov/process-to-reopen-pennsylvania Leon Reed is a former congressional aide, defense consultant, and US History teacher. He lives in Gettysburg, volunteers at the visitor center when it’s open, and is the author of Stories the Monuments Tell: A Photo Tour of Gettysburg, Told by its Monuments.