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All 56 Gettysburg Attractions »

Shriver House Museum

309 Baltimore St., Gettysburg, PA 17325
717-337-2800
Ranked #8 of 31 attractions in Gettysburg
4.5 of 5 stars 110 Reviews
Type: Historic Sites, History Museums
Owner description: The Shriver House Museum is an award winning Civil War museum dedicated to the civilian experience during the Battle of Gettysburg. The home of George...... more » Owner description: The Shriver House Museum is an award winning Civil War museum dedicated to the civilian experience during the Battle of Gettysburg. The home of George and Hettie Shriver appears much the same way it did when it was first built in 1860. Today, guides in period dress recount the harrowing story of the Shriver family's experiences. The thirty minute tour includes all four floors including the Confederate sharpshooters nest in the attic and Shrivers' Saloon in the cellar. The story of George Shriver was not well-known until 1996 when the house he built on Baltimore Street, which sat abandoned for nearly 30 years, was painstakingly restored to its original 1860s 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.______________________________________________________________________CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS TOURSTake a step back in time to discover how Christmas was celebrated in the mid-1800s. Enter the 19th century home of George, Hettie, Sadie (7), and Mollie (5) Shriver as they prepare for the Christmas holidays. See the candle-laden Christmas tree in its place of honor on the parlor table as a fire roars in the fireplace of the handsome room decorated with hand-made holiday greenery. After hanging stockings on the mantle, the girls set out milk and cookies in anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus on that magical night. While soldiers faced the perils of the Civil War, Christmas offered a few moments of cheer that would help brighten the lives of those at home. Learn how families celebrated the holidays while fathers, sons, and husbands were separated from loved ones during this tragic time in American history. Christmas tours will take place from Thanksgiving Evening, November 24th, through December 17th. Private tours for groups of ten or more are welcome at anytime throughout the holiday season. Reservations are required for Chritmas tours only. « less
Useful Information: Activities for older children
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110 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    21
    4
    2
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Date Rating
dover de
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2012

Great family history from civilian point of view of Civil War. Forensic tests in the attic had trace of soldiers blood after 150 years. Amazing. Sad story of family outcome though. More

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See 8 more reviews by johnchris46 for Gettysburg
West Virginia
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012

Yes, it's a little pricey, but a different view of the battle from the civilian side, not the usual discussion of military strategy. Oftentimes visitors tend to think of the battle as happening in the fields, but this tour demonstrates how the town itself was overrun with soldiers and how women and children were affected by the fighting and the... More

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delaware
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 May 2012

This was a neat little museum which tells the story of the battle from a civilian family's point of view. This was pretty interesting and fairly inexpensive. It's something to do when you've done the battlefields over & over. My mom - who is not a big history buff really enjoyed this attraction. More

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See 3 more reviews by wolvesongs for Gettysburg
Stowe, Vermont
Senior Contributor
46 reviews 46 reviews
Reviews in 31 cities Reviews in 31 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2012

We arrived an hour before closing and although the remainder of the day's tours were sold out (school group), the guides were so kind and allowed us to join them on the next tour. So glad we did! The guide did a superb job telling the history of the family that lived in the home. She not only focused on... More

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Montreal
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2012

The tour was very informative, and good to see how people survived the war. More

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Baltimore, Maryland
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2012

This house and tour was such a insight to the civilian people of Gettysburg. One left feeling very moved. The families had to endure so much hardship.The house is set in the period and it's well worth seeing. More

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See 2 more reviews by oldrileythomas for Gettysburg
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 April 2012

We went to the Shriver House as part of a Goldline/Grayline day tour from Washington, booked through All Washington DC Tours. We are not overly impressed with the info given at time of booking via their website, but the driver, Steven, the battlefield guide Dave Richards, and Jerry, the guide at the Shriver House, were all EXCELLENT! Try to be... More

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Canton, Michigan
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

The Shriver home existed when Gettysburg was invaded during the Civil War. You will see, get a historical sense, and explanation of life in Gettysburg before, during, and after the Civil War with a visit here. You can see where bullets left their marks on the outer walls of the home. Confederate snipers occupied the attic for a time and... More

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See 5 more reviews by kdh48187 for Gettysburg
familythattravels30
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
Reviews in 23 cities Reviews in 23 cities
27 helpful votes 27 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This is definitely a tour you don't want to miss. Because we hear so much about the war and the soldiers but nothing about the civilians and what they had to endure during such a trying time. Shriver house tells the life of a normal family having to open their home to many wounded soldiers and dealing with a war... More

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See 7 more reviews by familythattravels30 for Gettysburg
Salt Lake City
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 April 2012

The tour was very informative, house was authentic, guide was great. Nice way to get a glimpse of what life was like during the 1860s. More

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See 8 more reviews by Gloria G for Gettysburg

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