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, return ing visitors in coming weeks wil encounter a very different place from what they remember. While tourists will still be able to o tain lodging and food (carry out and outdoor seating) and do some shopping, many of the most visible attractions will remain clos 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 othe 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 “soci 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 ai plane trip and may revive “the family vacation in a car.” He suggested that proximity to ma-
jor 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 t Park), the Gettysburg Foundation (the visitor center), a local gov ernment, or individual businesses, visitors are likely to encoun much more emphasis on social distancing and crowd control.
tude than the state requirements. Local Park Service Foundation officials need to make
The Pennsylvania State Memorial is commemorates the 34,530 Pennsylvan
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
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monument in Gettysburg National M soldiers who fought in the July 1
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 u til Adams County goes to green,” to “they still haven’t identified safe way to open the facility.” Other events that draw crowds, such as ranger talks, are areas o concern and may remain so even after park facilities open. While formal ranger talks are off, effe tive May 22, rangers were authorized to interact occasionally wi visitors by “roving” through the park. The Lincoln Fellowship, which sponsors “100 Days of
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Taps” at the Soldiers National Monument, announced the park was prohibiting such live event and that the sundown “Taps” would be a virtual event until ther notice. Licensed battlefield guides were permitted to resume tours as of May 22 with some restrictions, including compliance wit a manual prepared by a committee of guides, including two wh are MD’s. Tickets will be avail able at the Guide Office or the Gettysburg Heritage Center. Battlefield bus tours will r from the Gettysburg Tour Center on Baltimore St., weekends only at first, but not from the visi center. The buses are not operating at full capacity in order maintain social distancing. The park is also considering crowd control measures such as limits on audiences for ranger
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