Time it around the first weekend in December
A Gettysburg Christmas Festival concentrates the largest share of holiday programming into one weekend, so plan around it if you want the full experience.
Christmas in Gettysburg
Things to Do in Gettysburg at Christmas
Historic streets, holiday lights, candlelit tours and small-town celebration — here is how to fill a winter day in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Gettysburg is compact, walkable and unusually atmospheric in December. The historic downtown runs from Lincoln Square down Baltimore Street and out along Steinwehr Avenue, and most of the holiday activity happens within that one-mile stretch — which means you can park once and spend the day on foot.
Start with the season's anchor celebration, A Gettysburg Christmas Festival, held each year on the first weekend in December by Main Street Gettysburg. The festival brings a tree lighting ceremony at Lincoln Square, the long-running Tuba Carol Fest, a Victorian Christmas along Steinwehr Avenue, gingerbread displays, holiday markets and a festival tavern back to the square in the evening.
Between festival weekends, Christmas in Gettysburg is quieter but no less rewarding: museums and historic homes add candlelight tours and holiday storytelling, the shops stay open late with cider and carols, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful under snow. Most visitors find one full day is enough for the town and two days makes for a genuinely relaxing weekend.
Before You Go
Things to Do at Christmas: what matters most
Build the day around daylight
It gets dark early in December. Do the battlefield and outdoor history in the morning, then keep the late afternoon for lights, shops and a long dinner.
Stay overnight if you can
An overnight stay turns a hurried afternoon into an evening by the fire and an unhurried breakfast the next morning.
Our Suggestions
Ways to spend the day
Practical starting points, all within the historic district or a short drive of it.
Evening walk
Holiday lights in historic downtown
Lincoln Square, Baltimore Street and Steinwehr Avenue carry wreaths, garlands and warm white lights through the season — best seen on foot after dark.
Afternoon
Christmas shopping on Baltimore Street
Independent shops, antique dealers and local makers fill the historic blocks, and many keep extended festive hours in December.
Evening
A seasonal dinner in town
Taverns and historic dining rooms lean into the holidays with hearty winter menus and candlelit rooms.
Morning
Winter at the battlefield
The grounds are open and quiet in winter. Early light on the fields and monuments is one of the most memorable hours of the season.
This Season
Happening while you're here
Events are added and verified by our team, and always link back to the organizer's own page.
December 4–6, 2026
Festival
A Gettysburg Christmas Festival
Gettysburg's community-wide holiday celebration, held on the first weekend in December, filling downtown from Lincoln Square to Steinwehr Avenue with entertainment, shopping, dining and lights.
Dates shown are the organizer's published festival weekend
Historic Downtown GettysburgDetails →
Friday, December 4, 2026
Tree Lighting
Tree Lighting Ceremony at Lincoln Square
The lighting of Gettysburg's town Christmas tree opens the holiday weekend, with a crowd gathering in Lincoln Square for carols and the countdown.
Ceremony time is confirmed by the organizer each season
Lincoln SquareDetails →
December 4–6, 2026
Concert & Theatre
Annual Tuba Carol Fest
The festival's long-running brass carol tradition, now in its 30th year, gathers tuba and euphonium players at Lincoln Square to play carols for the crowd.
Performance time published by the organizer
Lincoln SquareDetails →
Questions
Good to know
Is Christmas a good time to visit Gettysburg?
Yes. December is one of the town's most atmospheric months — the historic district is decorated, holiday programming runs through the first weeks of the season, and the crowds of summer are long gone.
How many days do you need?
One full day covers the historic downtown, the lights and a museum or two. A Friday-to-Sunday stay is the comfortable version and the basis of our suggested Christmas weekend itinerary.
Do things close over the holidays?
Individual attractions, shops and restaurants set their own holiday hours, and some close on Christmas Day. Check the operator's page before you travel, and always confirm event details with the organizer.
Event dates, prices and hours are set by each organizer and can change. Always confirm details on the organizer's page before travelling.
Stay Overnight
Turn your Christmas day trip into a winter getaway
Stay the night in a historic countryside inn and let the season slow down. Book direct for the best available rate.
Free Download
Free Gettysburg Christmas Weekend Guide
A printable Friday-to-Sunday route, the lights worth finding, and where to eat.