Recommended length of visit: <1 hour

Owner description: You may know what happened on battlefield...but do you know what happened to the families and their homes in town? The Shriver House Museum is an award-winning Civil War museum dedicated to the civilian experience during the Battle of Gettysburg. The story is told through the eyes of the Shriver family, whose ancestors settled in the area in the 1700s. While George Shriver served in the Union army, his wife, Hettie, was worried about the safety of their daughters, Mollie (5) and Sadie (7), as well as their home. When soldiers filled the streets of Gettysburg, Hettie (27) chose to take her children back to her family's farm three miles south of town, by Big Round Top; where she thought they would be out of harm's way. Hettie could not know she jumped from the frying pan into the fire or that her unoccupied home would offer the Rebels an outstanding view of Union ground. It was quickly commandeered by Confederates to set up a sharpshooters' nest in the attic. Today the Shrivers' home appears much the same way it did when it was built in 1860, just a few months before the Civil War began. Guides in period dress recount the harrowing story of the Shriver family's experiences as you walk through their home - from the Confederate sharpshooters' nest in the attic, through their finely-appointed home, to Shriver's Saloon in the cellar. The story of George Shriver was not well-known until 1996 when his house, which sat abandoned for nearly 30 years, was painstakingly restored to its original appearance. Today the Shrivers' story is one of the most intriguing stories told when it comes to the civilian aspect of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Useful Information: Activities for older children