2024 News

The Gettysburg Foundation is honored to receive the Gettysburg-Adams County Chamber of Commerce 2024 Environmental Stewardship Award for implementing programs and/or projects at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center that have had a positive environmental impact on the Adams County, Pennsylvania, area. The Gettysburg-Adams County Chamber of Commerce announced the award last month and presented the award to the Gettysburg Foundation during a ceremony Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

“We are honored and humbled to again receive this prestigious award in the community for our diligent work in keeping the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center environmentally friendly since we opened our doors in 2008,” said Gettysburg Foundation Vice President of Facilities Brian Shaffer. “We strategically take action to continue our LEED Gold certification and continually review our facility operations with the environment in mind. We are glad to have our partners, Battlegrounds Hospitality, which services our on-site eateries and Event Network, which operates our Museum Book Store, join us with their environmentally conscious practices as well,” added Shaffer.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center opened in 2008 with an environmentally friendly LEED Silver certification, which was upgraded in 2010 to LEED Gold designation. Through its facility and grounds maintenance, the Gettysburg Foundation continues striving to maintain its LEED Gold certification and is committed to its sustainability. The Gettysburg Foundation’s commitment to its LEED Gold certification has required its facilities team to make critical adjustments to optimize energy and cost savings. The Foundation could not be true to its LEED goal without paying attention to the health and balance of our planet. To this end, the Foundation strives to minimize its environmental footprint. At the same time, maintaining specific indoor conditions for the Museum & Visitor Center is necessary for the preservation of countless artifacts from the American Civil War on exhibit in the galleries of the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War and archived collections, as well as the historic Gettysburg Cyclorama—the massive, 360-degree oil painting that depicts Pickett’s Charge.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings, and is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED standards emphasize state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality and innovative design.

Highlights of the Museum & Visitor Center’s environmental features with enhancements that are key to sustaining its environmental stewardship include the following elements:

• A geothermal heating and cooling system with 272 initial wells and 104 added wells, at a depth of 550 feet, uses the earth’s constant 55-degree temperature to heat and cool the facility.
• Nearly two acres of wetlands were restored during construction of the Museum & Visitor Center. 
• Native, drought resistant plants that require no irrigation are found throughout the Museum & Visitor center complex. 
• Existing timber was reused in the construction of the building. 
• A facility-wide recycling program was adopted. 
• Metal, cardboard and wood were separated during the building’s construction to minimize waste.
• Stormwater runoff is mitigated through underground storage basins throughout the complex. 
• Low-flow toilets and sinks were installed as part of the plumbing throughout the Museum & Visitor Center and its offices. 
• Off-gassing from carpets, glues, vinyl and paints was reduced during construction and continues to be practiced when upgrades and replacement installations. 
• Bicycle parking was installed near the parking area and public transportation access to the Gettysburg area bus system is provided on-site.
• More than 35 percent of the building materials were manufac­tured locally or regionally.
• Three electric vehicle charging stations were installed in partnership with BMW.
• Interior and exterior lighting has been revamped to LED lighting.
• Variable frequency drives to air handling units were installed to reduce energy costs.
• The building management system is utilized to create heating and air conditioning schedules for all areas.
• Load shedding of the building’s electricity load onto our generator through a Demand Response Program has been instituted.

As the official non-profit partner of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, the Gettysburg Foundation owns and operates the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in a vital partnership with the National Park Service at Gettysburg. This partnership has been instrumental in sustaining the Museum & Visitor Center’s environmental stewardship while welcoming a substantial number of visitors to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, over the past 16 years – and will continue to do so for years to come.