June 24, 2024 Gettysburg PA
Gettysburg National Military Park today celebrated the reopening of Little Round Top with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The Little Round Top area of the Gettysburg battlefield, which saw extensive fighting on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, had been closed to the public for almost two years for extensive rehabilitation efforts to improve parking areas, accessibility and safety, and address erosion and vegetation issues.
Little Round Top is expected to reopen to the public later this afternoon.
The project enhances access to a more extensive, safe, and accessible trail system that allows visitors to experience the area's monuments, cannons, and other areas of interest. Gathering areas across the summit will better accommodate the many large groups arriving by bus. Eroded soils have been stabilized and re-vegetated. New interpretive waysides throughout the area tell the story of those who suffered, died, and memorialized the battlefield. In addition, satellite parking has been expanded and formalized in the area with access to the trail system.
Funding for the project represents a mix of federal funds and generous donations. The total cost of the project was $12.9 million, of which $5.2 million came from donations from the Gettysburg Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the American Battlefield Trust.
“We extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to our philanthropic partners at the Gettysburg Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the American Battlefield Trust. Their dedication, vision, and support of this project made it possible” said Kristina Heister, superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. “After a twenty-two-month closure, we are thrilled to welcome the American public back to the most iconic location on the battlefield. It is an area where visitors can truly experience a meaningful connection to the past and understand the sacrifices made to protect our freedoms. We are confident that, with the help of the visiting public, the improvements to Little Round Top will provide an amazing experience for generations of visitors to come.”
“The Gettysburg Foundation is excited about the reopening of Little Round Top and the work that the National Park Service has completed to rehabilitate the landscape, monuments, and trails there,” said Gettysburg Foundation interim president & CEO David Malgee. “We are proud to have supported this extensive project as the official non-profit partner of the National Parks at Gettysburg and are truly thankful for the many enhancements to “the hill” that will inspire visitors for generations to come,” added Malgee.
“Gettysburg veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Joshua Chamberlain noted that ‘In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays’ and there are few landscapes for which that power of place is more tangible than Little Round Top.” said American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan. “Now revitalized and enhanced, it stands ready to welcome this and future generations, a place where they can feel a meaningful connection to the past.”
“Modernizing and improving visitor access to Little Round Top protects this hallowed ground and ensures that future generations can explore this place where history was made, and better understand how the battle of Gettysburg shaped our nation,” said National Park Foundation President and CEO Will Shafroth. “I am grateful for the generosity of John L. Nau, III and the partnership of the American Battlefield Trust for making it possible.”
Park staff would like to thank the many members of the local Gettysburg community who helped keep park visitors up to date with pertinent information about the project and their continued patience throughout the process. We look forward to welcoming visitors back to this iconic battlefield site and join us as stewards to help us protect and interpret the site for generations to come.
Full details of the project, including photo albums, videos, time lapse videos, and frequently asked questions are on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/gett.
Jason Martz
Communications Specialist
Gettysburg National Military Park & Eisenhower National Historic Site
Office: 717-338-4423
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