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Event Calendar

CANCELLED: An Evening with the Painting: Civilians in the Cyclorama

Thursday, April 1, 2021
6:00 pm9:00 pm
1195 Baltimore Pike Gettysburg, PA 17325

Join Licensed Battlefield Guide and author/historian Sue Boardman and friends on the Gettysburg Cyclorama platform for an exclusive "after-hours" program at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center. The program will cover the history of the Gettysburg Cyclorama, painted in the 1880s by French artist Paul Phillippoteaux and a team of artists, with an emphasis on the battlefield farms and civilian stories hidden in the massive piece. The entire Cyclorama runs 42 feet high and 377 feet long, making it one of the largest, free-standing paintings in North America. The painting is a rendition of the famous "Pickett's Charge" on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Suspended in-the-round from the ceiling, this massive work of art creates a spectacular 360-degree illusion when viewed from the platform. Explore the history of the genre of cycloramas and the history of the Gettysburg Cyclorama in this behind-the-scenes program. The presentation covers the fascinating creation of this piece of art, the rich symbolism found in the painting and an interesting discussion on the extensive conservation effort. Enjoy additional time on the viewing platform to observe in full light the remarkable, close-up details and distant battle scenes of the painting. Journey under the diorama to see how the illusion comes to life. There will be time for a question-and-answer session. Photography is welcomed. The special program lasts about two hours.

Please park in Parking Lot 1 at the GNMP Museum & Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike, and arrive by 5:45PM. The program will begin in the Ford Education Center inside the Visitor Center.

Speakers include Sue Boardman, Mike Shovlin, Jody Wilson, and Abbie Hoffman of the Gettysburg Foundation.

© 2024 Adams County Historical Society

Any individual who financially qualifies, based upon level of income, may be granted free admission to the museum. The determination will be made by museum staff based upon that individual’s application for free admission.