Free Concierge Service

Things to do nearPickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge marks the climactic assault of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, drawing visitors with its open fields, moving monuments, and profound Civil War significance.

Browse experiences

Pickett's Charge took place on the afternoon of July 3, 1863, the third and final day of the Battle of Gettysburg. General Robert E. Lee ordered a frontal assault across nearly a mile of open farmland toward the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. The attack, led by generals George Pickett, James Pettigrew, and Isaac Trimble, involved around 12,500 men and lasted less than an hour. The repulse of that charge effectively ended the battle and marked the turning point of the Civil War.

Today the ground is preserved within Gettysburg National Military Park. Visitors can walk the fields along a well-maintained path that traces the Confederate advance from Seminary Ridge to the Angle, a low stone wall where the fighting reached its most intense. Interpretive markers line the route, identifying units, officers, and moments of the assault with precision.

Rangers lead historical tours of the assault corridor, offering context that transforms an open field into something deeply legible. The George Spangler Farm, just a short distance away, served as a field hospital during and after the battle and adds another layer to understanding the human aftermath of the charge.

Few places in the United States carry this kind of stillness and gravity. Pickett's Charge rewards visitors who take time to walk slowly, read the markers, and let the landscape speak.

17325, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA

7-day forecast

Chance of rain

TodaySatSunMonTueWedThu

62%46%33%41%32%

Tips for visiting Pickett's Charge

Visit early in the morning to experience the fields in near-silence before tour groups arrive, which sharpens the sense of scale and solitude.

Walk the full assault route on foot rather than driving it — the distance across open ground is central to understanding why the charge failed.

Bring water and sun protection, as the fields offer almost no shade and can be intensely hot in summer months.

Stop at the High Water Mark monument, which marks the deepest point of the Confederate advance and is considered one of the most significant spots on the entire battlefield.

Pair your visit with the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center nearby, where the cyclorama painting of the battle puts the landscape you just walked into dramatic visual context.