THE GETTYSBURG FOUNDATION.
Helping To Preserve The Battlefield And Its Stories.

This website -- and a tremendous amount of support for the preservation and education missions at Gettysburg National Military Park -- are brought to you by the Gettysburg Foundation. Who is the Foundation? That can, perhaps, best be described by our mission statement:

 

The Gettysburg Foundation is a private, nonprofit educational organization working in partnership with the National Park Service to enhance the preservation and understanding of the heritage and lasting significance of Gettysburg.

 

The Gettysburg Foundation is the merging of two very active and very dedicated groups: The Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation and the Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg. The Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation was established in 1998. Working hand-in-hand with the National Park Service, this organization was established to raise the funds needed for the Campaign to Preserve Gettysburg. This campaign has involved building a new Museum and Visitor Center; ensuring the preservation of an extensive collection of Civil War-era archival materials, objects and artifacts; conserving the massive Gettysburg Cyclorama painting and returning portions of the battlefield to their 1863 appearance.

 

The Friends of Gettysburg was started in 1989 by a small group of concerned citizens who wanted to help preserve the national parks at Gettysburg. Since its founding, the Friends has become a national leader in battlefield landscape preservation, land protection, monument restoration and education, providing millions of dollars to Gettysburg National Military Park for preservation programs. 

 

The two organizations merged – becoming the Gettysburg Foundation – in mid-2006. In April 2008, the Gettysburg Foundation – working in partnership with the National Park Service -- will open the new Museum and Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Military Park.

 

 

Objectives, Goals and Guiding Principles

 

 

OBJECTIVES

 

  • To preserve, honor and protect the natural and cultural resources associated with the Gettysburg National Military Park, the Gettysburg Campaign, and the Eisenhower National Historic Site.
  • To excite visitors about the past, inspire them to want to learn more about the events that have shaped America and prepare them to become better citizens.

 

 

GOALS

 

  • Return the battlefield, to the extent possible, to the conditions that existed at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg so that visitors may better understand the soldiers’ experiences in one of America’s greatest battles.
  • Preserve the battlefield, including its monuments and cannon carriages, unimpaired, for future generations.
  • Preserve, protect and acquire key parcels of land related to the Battle of Gettysburg.
  • Preserve, protect and acquire key artifacts and documents related to the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Campaign and the Eisenhower National Historic Site, helping to ensure a tangible link between visitors and the soldiers and civilians who struggled at Gettysburg.
  • Build and maintain a state-of-the-art museum and visitor center to provide for the orientation, comfort and education of visitors.
  • Present exhibits, programs, services and activities (on- and off-site) that enhance visitors’ understanding of, and will excite and inspire new generations about, the causes of the Civil War, the significance of the Gettysburg Campaign and the consequences of the Civil War for all generations of Americans.
  • Provide exhibits, programs and activities that will emphasize the importance of visiting the town as well as the battlefield to ensure that visitors have the fullest Gettysburg experience possible.
  • Enlighten and encourage people of all ages to understand and support the importance of preserving and interpreting America’s historic sites and their collections.
  • Provide all Friends of Gettysburg, through membership in the Gettysburg Foundation, with the opportunity to join us in achieving these goals, with their time, their talents and their gifts.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

   

The Gettysburg Foundation will inspire people to recognize the historical significance of Gettysburg and the importance of preserving, enhancing, honoring and protecting the natural and cultural resources associated with one of America’s most important places.

Exhibits, programs and activities will be designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience in terms of age, learning styles, objectives and physical abilities.  Exhibits, programs and activities will meet the highest standards for historic preservation, conservation and curatorial care of the collections, and will be designed and developed with maintenance requirements in mind. They will take full advantage of scholarship, technology and learning techniques.

The Gettysburg Foundation will excite and inspire visitors by making personal and emotional connections to what happened at Gettysburg. Recognizing that this may be the only visit to a Civil War site for many, the Foundation will use the Gettysburg experience as a lens through which the broader issues of the era can be understood. 

Through its exhibits, programs and activities, The Gettysburg Foundation will encourage visitors to experience everything that Gettysburg has to offer.