Originally Posted by
ukyank
For hotels, there are a lot of options just outside of the town center area which are within a short/easy drive to everything (I've stayed at the Hampton Inn for example) that you can consider too. In town I've only stayed at the 1863 Inn which was passable & the Farnsworth House which was nice so long as you like B&B type places.
Park Service guides are top notch & a great way to see the park. Definitely hit up the visitors center, skip most of the tourist traps in the town itself- there is a store to definitely check out though, the 'Horse Soldier' as it's practically a museum in itself.
The Dobbin House is a nice dining experience in town.
Don't think it's on the way from NYC but Lancaster, PA is relatively close by & nice (great steam railroad & accompanying museum there @ Strasburg is thats of any interest to you).
I wouldn't call Lancaster "close."
It's over an hour, and Strasburg is about an hour and a half.
OP--if you are interested in ghosts, Farnsworth House is supposedly haunted.
You can stay at any of the "chain" hotels and have a perfectly nice stay, but without much character.
I'm about 40 minutes from Gettysburg, so if you want to get together for a drink while you are in the area, let me know.