Were it not for three hellish days in the summer of 1863, this crossroads town founded in the 1780s north of the Maryland state line might still be as obscure as it was before the clash of Union and Confederate forces left 51,000 Americans dead, wounded or captured. Confederate General Robert E. Lee had marched his army into southern Pennsylvania, seeking a major victory in Union territory. On July 1, in the picturesque farmlands and woods just south of Gettysburg, Lee’s 75,000- man Army of Northern Virginia collided with the 90,000-strong Army of the Potomac, led by General George Meade.

On July 3, when the Civil War’s bloodiest battle was finally over, Lee was defeated, although he did escape with his army. The battle is often called the “high-water mark” of the Confederacy, a turning point from which the South never recovered. Three months later, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address at the dedication of Soldiers’ National Cemetery.

To today’s 7,000 residents, the battle bequeathed a thriving tourist economy, which is centered on the nearly 6,000 acres of Gettysburg National Military Park.

Visitors can drive 26 miles of roads through the battlefield. Popular sites include the stone house where Lee had his headquarters, the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge, the scene of the costly last-ditch Confederate assault known as Pickett’s Charge, and the Lincoln Room Museum in the Wills House, where Lincoln stayed and finished writing the Gettysburg Address.

There is no charge for touring the park. There are fees to view the large electric map of the battlefield, and the Cyclorama, a large 360-degree painting completed in 1884 that depicts Pickett’s Charge accompanied by a dramatic sound and light program. It is possible to tour the park in a few hours, but a full day at least is recommended. Guided tours are available, as well as audio tapes for auto tours.

Gettysburg is also the location of the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the 231-acre farm that was the only home the former general and two-term Republican president and his wife, Mamie, ever owned. Access is via shuttle buses from the Gettysburg Military Park Visitor Center.

There is no public transportation into Gettysburg, which is 37 miles southwest of Harrisburg, and is reached via US- 15 and US-30. The closest airport is Harrisburg International.