Family Weekend recommendations and tips

Favorite recommendations and tips for getting the most out of Family Weekend (and, frankly, any visit to Gettysburg College)

Created by the Family Weekend Advisory Council

Top recommendations

  • Download and set up the Pay-by-Phone parking app—you won't need change and you can add time without returning to your car.
  • Print the Family Weekend schedule ahead of time and review with your student to make sure that you adjust for events they already have planned.
  • Plan on the Gettysburg College Civil War Tour and the Gettysburg College Ghost Tour (sold out for 2024).
  • Arrive 10 minutes early to events.
  • Take time to find a quiet place on campus to relax and catch up with your student.
  • Stroll around town and browse in the shops. Gettysburg is a charming little town with a surprising amount to offer of which your student may not be aware.
  • Use your Discount ID card at participating businesses—if you don’t have one, they will be available at Registration.
  • Make dinner reservations and have a back-up plan as many places are short staffed.
  • Try something new!
  • There is no charge for athletic events, so wear your orange and blue and cheer on the Bullets sports teams.
  • Take a break on the Bullet Hole patio—especially if it's a nice day.
  • Tour the Battlefield. You can break it up and visit a new location every time you visit your student.

Top dining recommendations (in no particular order!)

  • Garryowen Irish Pub (gluten-free choices)
  • Blue & Gray Bar & Grill
  • Sign of the Buck
  • Deliso Pizza (homemade pasta, gluten-free and allergy-friendly choices)
  • One Lincoln
  • Mason Dixon Distillery
  • Appalachian Brewing Company
  • The Pub (huge slices of cake that four people can share)
  • The Dobbin House
  • Get food from the Halal truck, so you know what your student is raving about—it's open in the evening on the corner of Carlisle St. and Water St, near Colonial
  • Fourscore Beer Co.
  • La Bella Italia
  • Montezuma
  • Gettysburger Company

Transportation

Did you know that you can ride Rabbit Transit for free with a Gettysburg College x Mainstreet Discount ID card? ID cards are available on Opening Day and Family Weekend, and are not used for anything on campus.

Check out the Rabbit Transit website for route maps and schedules. You can park at your hotel or at the conveniently located parking garage downtown (behind The Hotel Gettysburg).

Note: The last trolley leaves the Transit Center at 8 p.m. Please plan accordingly.

Be aware that parking on campus is limited. We have found that the Gettysburg Borough police will ticket cars on borough streets when meters or the allotted time to park expire.

Visit Registration early!

If you can, try to visit Registration as early as possible, especially on Saturday morning, to avoid a crowd. Please note that Registration closes at 6 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Getting off campus

Of course, your student may be itching to get off campus for a while, and Family Weekend is the perfect time to explore the town of Gettysburg and beyond. Here are some traditional faves.

Within walking distance

  • Stroll the Battlefield
  • David Wills House, Lincoln Square
  • Lincoln Diner, 32 Carlisle Street
  • The Ragged Edge Coffee House, 110 Chambersburg Street
  • Local shopping along Chambersburg, York, and Baltimore Streets
  • Mr. G’s Ice Cream, 404 Baltimore Street

Within a few minutes’ drive of campus

A bit farther afield

  • Orchard visits
    • Historic Round Barn and Farm Market, 298 Cashtown Road, off Route 30 west of Gettysburg
    • Hollabaugh Bros., Inc., Carlisle Road, North of Gettysburg
  • Hiking trails
    • Appalachian Trail, crosses Route 30 near Caledonia State Park about 10 miles west of Gettysburg
    • Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve
    • Cunningham Falls State Park (MD)

Have your own ideas?

Please send your suggestions to families@gettysburg.edu! Thank you!

Updated October 2024