Christmas in Gettysburg hits a sweet spot between festive and historic. The past is everywhere, but so are the breweries, distilleries, and newer restaurants that give the town some modern energy. Add in holiday lights, carols drifting across the square, and a few quirky traditions, and you get a weekend that feels cozy, memorable, and pleasantly unexpected in a small town holiday movie way.
A Town Square That Could Pass for a Snow Globe
Destination Gettysburg hosted my stay. Everything I’ve shared is my own take.
Lincoln Square is the heart of downtown Gettysburg and the center of the holiday action. Shops line the square with wreaths and twinkling lights, and the town Christmas tree stands in the middle, adorned with giant red bows and thousands of lights.
Right on Lincoln Square I also found the Return Visit statue, one of the most photographed spots in town. It shows Abraham Lincoln standing beside a modern-day visitor, as if he’s sharing the Gettysburg Address with someone from our time. The statue points directly toward the David Wills House, where Lincoln stayed and likely finished his speech the night before he delivered it in 1863. I love how it connects the history to the present.
A Gettysburg Christmas Festival (First Weekend in December)
If you time your visit right, Christmas in Gettysburg comes with a major bonus. The town hosts A Gettysburg Christmas Festival every December, and for three days, the whole place turns into one big holiday village with themed activities, markets, performances, and pop-up events.
One of the biggest highlights is the quirky Tuba Carol Fest, where dozens of tuba players gather on the square to play holiday classics while everyone sings along. It’s one of the most loved traditions of the whole weekend, and one of my favorite memories from my visit. It was pretty cold outside (so I popped into the hotel to warm up once), but there was free hot cocoa and hot cider for the crowd, too.
The festival packs in plenty more. There’s the annual tree lighting, Victorian-themed celebrations, a gingerbread house contest, ice sculptures, breakfast with Santa, and special historic house tours. You’ll also find festive shopping, good food, Santa sightings, and plenty of little surprises that keep the whole weekend lively.
Holidays Shows at the Majestic Theater
Every holiday town needs a glowing vintage theater, and Gettysburg has the Majestic. I saw their seasonal production of A Christmas Carol and went in expecting something fairly amateur. I was wrong. The cast, staging, and overall production were genuinely impressive.
The holiday shows change each year, so for 2025 the Majestic will be running Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, which should be a solid pick too. And if you’re more into movies, they’ll also be showing A Gettysburg Christmas, a Hallmark style holiday film shot right in town. You can find it on Amazon Prime as well.
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
We took a Victorian Carriage Company ride through historic Gettysburg, and it was just as fun as the Christmas carriage ride I took on Jekyll Island the week before.
The carriage was trimmed with Christmas lights inside and out, giving the whole ride a warm holiday feel. We lucked into having a musician and storyteller along for the trip. Our musician played a villara, a Romanian instrument that’s basically a violin with a trumpet tube horn attached. I’d never even heard of it, so hearing it up close was a fun surprise. We also got a Gettysburg-style telling of The Night Before Christmas along the way.
The route wound through historic downtown Gettysburg and out into the quieter edges of town before circling back. By the time we reached the starting point again, I was pretty much brimming with holiday spirit.
Christmas at the Eisenhower Home
The Eisenhower home feels especially charming at Christmas. The National Park Service decorates it the way Dwight and Mamie had it in 1967, the last holiday season they spent here together. We were lucky to get extra background from the ranger, but most visitors explore on their own in an open house style tour. Almost everything in the home is original, from the furniture to the gifts from world leaders, and the seasonal touches show just how much Mamie loved this time of year. She went big on greenery, cards, and thoughtful gestures, even making sure Secret Service families received presents.
The house offers an interesting look at the Eisenhowers’ life away from Washington. It became a place where Ike worked, hosted world leaders, and found peace. It would be worth visiting any time, but it feels especially warm and welcoming during the holidays.
Five Christmases at the Shriver House
The Shriver House tour walks you through five very different Christmases in the same 1860s home, all through the story of one family. You follow George and Hettie Shriver and their daughters, Sadie and Mollie, from their first joyful Christmas in a brand new house and booming saloon business, into the years when George leaves for war and the holidays get leaner and tenser. The rooms are furnished with period antiques based on the family’s original inventory, and your costumed guide explains Victorian traditions like presents hung directly on the tree, flags in the branches, oranges in stockings, and Noah’s Ark as a “Sunday toy.”
As the tour goes on, the mood shifts. You hear how the war drags on, how Gettysburg is changed by the battle, and how Christmas 1863 comes just months after the town has been overrun and exhausted. George finally makes it home for a brief Christmas visit, only to be captured days later and sent to Andersonville, where he dies. By the last Christmas in the house, Hettie is a widow with two young girls and eventually has to sell the property. It’s a very story-driven tour, and by the time you step back outside, you’ve felt both the festive side of an 1860s Christmas and the weight of what this family went through.
Jennie Wade House
Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. She was 20 and kneading dough in the kitchen when a bullet passed through two doors and struck her dead. The museum’s interpreters recount the story, and the house displays the artillery shell that tore through the roof, along with a floorboard still stained with her blood.
You can check out my full Jennie Wade House guide with more photos and details.
Sach’s Covered Bridge
I can never pass up a covered bridge, so I make a point to find them wherever I go. That’s how I ended up at Sachs Covered Bridge, just outside town. The lattice truss bridge, built in 1854, stretches about 100 feet across Marsh Creek. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was declared the most historic bridge in the state.
During the Battle of Gettysburg, both Union and Confederate troops used it as a crossing point. A major flood in 1996 knocked the bridge off its abutments and carried it downstream, but it was rebuilt with about 90 percent of the original material, supported by hidden steel beams to keep it stable.
Today, it’s pedestrian only, which makes it an easy stop for history fans, photographers, and covered bridge chasers like me. The only thing that would’ve made it better is a little snow in the background.
Historic Holiday House Tour
If you’re in town in December, check out the Gettysburg Holiday House Tour. It’s a self-guided walk through historic buildings dressed in their holiday best. The event runs over two days, and different homes are open each day, so you can technically house hop all weekend.
I did the Sunday lineup before heading home and loved it. I made it to every historic property on the list that day, and each one felt completely different. The roster changes every year too, which makes it an easy holiday tradition to revisit.
My favorite stop was the Olinger House Bed and Breakfast. The holiday decor was next-level, the dog was wearing a Christmas sweater, and the owners couldn’t have been warmer. The place was gorgeous, and now it’s firmly on my list of places I’d love to stay at someday.
Quirky Extras
Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum
This quirky little museum was a must for me. Twin sisters Rebecca and Ruth Brown recreate key Civil War moments using tiny hand-sculpted clay cats, and the level of detail is wild. The dioramas are historically accurate down to terrain, uniforms, and battle placement, but the cats bring an unexpected amount of heart to the storytelling. Visitors end up feeling the weight of the scenes more than they expect. If you like history, cats, or just something unusual, this museum is an easy add to any Christmas in Gettysburg getaway.
You can check out my full Civil War Tails guide here with lots more photos.
See the It’s A Wonderful Life Taxi
I went to the World War II Experience museum specifically to see the actual taxi from the classic holiday movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. They had it set up in the lobby with a Bedford Falls backdrop, perfect for Christmas. They also put out vintage train displays for the season, so take a look at those while you’re there.
According to the museum, this is the cab Ernie was driving when Clarence showed George Bailey what Bedford Falls would’ve looked like without him. If you love the movie, it’s worth seeing in person while it’s on display in November and December.
As for why it’s at a WWII museum, Jimmy Stewart wasn’t a draft dodger or a reluctant participant. He was already a major Hollywood star when he enlisted as a private. He went on to become a bomber pilot and eventually rose to the rank of colonel. His service is a big part of why the museum includes the taxi in its holiday display.
Holiday Shopping Around the Square
A holiday getaway without shopping? I don’t think so. I found plenty of great spots around the square (sorry, bank account) and came home with more than I planned, but no regrets. Here are a few of my favorite shops in Gettysburg.
The Christmas Haus
The Christmas Haus has been around for more than twenty years, and after hearing the full story during my visit, I appreciated it even more. The owner began by selling Christmas pieces out of his home and eventually grew the shop into what it is today.
When Old World Christmas moved its production to China, he shifted to working directly with traditional glassmakers in Lauscha, Germany. Those ornaments are still mouth-blown, hand-painted, and lined with real silver, which is why they look so vivid.
As I browsed the shop, I learned that many of the artisans they work with have incredible histories. One family smuggled antique molds out of East Germany a half at a time during the war, and another rediscovered molds buried in their yard and brought their old paper-mache line back to life.
The shelves are packed with German-made pieces: wooden smokers, pyramids, embroidered decorations, nutcrackers, and rows of ornaments in every shape and theme imaginable.
It’s Christmas here all year long, and after seeing how much craftsmanship goes into these pieces, I understand why the place is such a draw. I left with a few ornaments I couldn’t resist, and now have my eye on a smoker and a Christmas pyramid for next time.
They also have a robust online store, which is excellent news for anyone who can’t make it to Gettysburg and mildly dangerous for people like me who have very little willpower around Christmas.
Gettysburg Chocolate Market
The Gettysburg Chocolate Market has a cozy European café vibe, and since it’s connected to The Christmas Haus, hopping between the two is almost too easy. Inside are international chocolates from Italy, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and Iceland, as well as locally made treats, house-made caramel apples, and small seasonal sweets.
Their hot chocolate is a local legend. It’s made with steamed milk instead of powder, and they have a rotating monthly specialty drink created by the staff. I ordered their Christmas Cheer Chai, a white-chocolate cinnamon chai invented by one of the employees, and it was to die for!
Gallery 30
When I spotted the wooden jumpies bouncing in the window, I was done for. These finely painted little toys bob up and down on metal springs, and they’re impossible to ignore. I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to pick just one. Spoiler: I walked out with three. The shop carries a thoughtful mix of other gifts, from gourds to jewelry and beyond, but the jumpies were my downfall.
Lark Gifts
This shop is so stinkin’ cute. I loved it enough to go back a second time, and I could’ve spent half the day in the notebooks, notepads, and greeting cards section alone.
Gettysburg Goods
This shop, right next to Lark, is packed with clever finds from local artists and makers. I picked up the cutest Gettysburg sweatshirt here and loved it so much I wore it the next day… and people actually stopped me to compliment it. There’s also a Mason Dixon Distillery tasting bar tucked in the back, and if that’s not a bonus, I don’t know what is.
Food That Fits the Winter Mood
I didn’t come close to tackling Gettysburg’s whole food scene, but I did make a solid snack-sized dent. Here’s what I tried.
Sign of the Buck
Sign of the Buck is one of the newer eateries in town, but it leans into its history in a way I really liked. The restaurant opened in 2023, yet its name dates back to 1804, when the original Sign of the Buck tavern was located on this same patch of land. The current owners revived the old name and created a New American menu with French influences, featuring a variety of locally sourced ingredients.
We began with charcuterie and a bread board. For my entree, I ordered the Charming Meadows mushroom gnocchi with butternut squash puree, dried fruit and nut relish, Parmesan, and roasted Brussels sprouts. And those who had room finished with a Basque cheesecake and a chocolate tart.
Mason Dixon Distillery
Mason Dixon Distillery’s dining room is modeled after a German beer hall. It’s located in a renovated 100-year-old furniture factory, where they distill and bottle their small-batch spirits by hand.
They grow their own grains on leased battlefield land, work with nearby farms and butchers, and run a full scratch kitchen where everything from sauces to rolls is made in house. The menu shifts with the seasons, leaning into cozy comfort food in winter, and they do monthly updates that include a new burger, a seasonal doughnut, and a featured cocktail.
We stopped in for lunch and kicked things off with crispy fried pickle chips and Brussels sprouts. The dried cranberries in the Brussels were a great addition. I ordered the Winter Salad with pulled pork added in, and it really hit the spot. The rest of the table covered the comfort-food side of things with Chicken Parm, a burger, and a Texas Toast Monte Cristo.
Dobbin House Tavern
Dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern was my favorite meal of the trip because it felt so different from anywhere else. We had a Colonial-style dinner by candlelight in the very cozy (read: close quarters) Alexander Dobbin Dining Room. Reservations are required, and totally worth it.
At one point, a troubadour wandered through playing the Deutsche Laute, which gave the whole experience even more character. The menu had roast duck, veal, steak, pork, and seafood, and if you’re a fan of French onion soup, don’t miss the cheesy Baked King’s Onion Soup made with beef.
The home was built in 1776 by Reverend Alexander Dobbin for his very large family, which included 19 children. It’s the oldest building in Gettysburg, and many believe it served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. In the attic, a small exhibit features mannequins arranged to depict how freedom seekers might have been positioned in the confined space while hiding.
Where to Stay in Gettysburg
Hotel Gettysburg
There are plenty of inns and hotels in Gettysburg, but I stayed at Hotel Gettysburg, right on the square. If you like being in the middle of everything, it’s pretty perfect. The rooms have a historic feel with modern comforts, which I appreciated after long days out exploring. Another perk: there’s a self-parking garage right behind the hotel, which made coming and going super easy. On past trips, I’ve stayed just outside downtown, and while those visits were perfectly lovely, staying on the square this time felt like a whole different level of convenient.
Final Thoughts
By the time I packed up to leave, I realized Gettysburg had checked every holiday-weekend box I didn’t even know I had. Lights, music, history, great food, oddball attractions, and shopping that tested every ounce of my self-control. If you’re looking for a December escape that’s a little Hallmark, but not at all cookie-cutter, Gettysburg delivers.
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