GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

[zouavecampaigner]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

If nothing else, the one sweet lady's southern drawl is kinda cute.

BTW, her name's Beth, and you best step off, homes! ;) LOL

[CJDaley]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

Anyone have a clue what it costs to run a state of the museum which houses a world renowned painting and an unrivaled firearms and textile collection?

Here are some ONE DAY admission fees for local attractions here where I live:

Historic Sites
Yorktown Victory Center: $9.50
Colonial Williamsburg: $37.00
Jamestown Settlement: $13.50
Historic Jamestown/Yorktown Battlefield: $10.00

Non-Historic Sites
Busch Gardens: $56.95
Water Country USA: $39.95

The Gettysburg Battlefield is still free which is more than I can say for other Civil War battlefields (Manassas comes to mind).

The GNMP used to be one of the best free museums in the world, but you can't expect museums to keep the lights on these days. Think about how much they pay in gas every day just to keep 800+ acres mowed or how much it costs just to pay the staff for ONE day of operations.

[unionprivate]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

I don't really have a problem with this, after all, did we really expect something of this magnitude to stay free forever!? Comparing it to other museums I've been to, most of them charge an admission fee. Nothing is free anymore in this day and age. Grant it, we would like it to be, but were talking reality here, and it just ain't gonna happen. This wont deter me one bit from going to Gettysburg. In fact, I can't wait for Rememberance Day. Ahhh yes, 4 days of vaction for me, and Im gonna enjoy everything it has to offer.

[M.Latham]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

All,

If the artifacts can be seen by simply making an appointment, I think that is great. However, without a detailed catalog how will anyone, not allready familiar with the collection know what is available to be seen?

Also to that point, if the museum has prolonged, significant financial difficulty those postitions that deal with private appointments are usually the first eliminated.

This was just a poor business plan, executed badly.

[PieBoy96]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

If the artifacts can be seen by simply making an appointment, I think that is great. However, without a detailed catalog how will anyone, not allready familiar with the collection know what is available to be seen?

I don't know if there is a public database, but considering everything has that patch of white paint with a number, records do exist of what they have. A simple call would answer this question. Or a call saying "I'm researching General Lee's 1863 underwear. Do you have this in the archive or know where I could find it?" I've done this before with favorable results. But it was something else, not Lee's 1863 underwear.

Also to that point, if the museum has prolonged, significant financial difficulty those postitions that deal with private appointments are usually the first eliminated.

So act now! Supplies are limited!

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

I've never seen a hard-copy catalog (wish I could remember why the curator said they haven't done and/or can't do a publication similar to the MOC catalog), but they do maintain a database which they can search by keyword. It's not foolproof, though, as something might be listed under "jacket" vs. "uniform" vs. "coat" vs. "frock," so multiple search terms are in order. Fortunately, however, most similar items are stored close to one another, so sometimes it's a matter of finding one item, and asking "what's that next to it?"

[CSchneider]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

Like Marc said, Gettysburg does have the government's internal ANCS computer catalog, but unfortunately not a published guide. Certainly, the search engine won't find everything, but the curator definitely has a good idea of what's in the collection. I've never had a problem calling the curator and asking if they had something like what I'm interested in researching, and usually get a detailed answer about what's in the collection, what is on display and what is not on display, without him even needing to use the catalog. Don't just ask to poke around their storage cabinets, but if you want to see an SA jacket, ask if they have an SA jacket, and they'll tell you.

And its usually curators who deal with private appointments. As long as there's a collection, that position is not going anywhere.

-Craig Schneider

[LWhite64]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

Ok, , as a US citizen I have no problem paying a fee for G-burg, BUT I think they missed an opportunity of not charging to get into the park itself, get something from all of those Ghost Tours, Joggers, etc.

Lee

[Bill Fean]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

I do not agree with charging the population to see the battlefield. The locals who walk/jog have to pay??? No, stop giving everyone such an inflated salary. Like the president of the Foundation who makes over $380K a year.

I will never go to the VC again. Maybe cut costs first with high salary?? No, to easy.


Bill Fean

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

That's the thing -- the SA jacket in the collection, as a specific example, isn't marked nor cataloged as such. Some items still retain original notes from the Rosensteel era, which were often not up to what we would consider scholarly standards. Consequently, "name-brands" and "typology" usually isn't the way to go. However, the "Daniel Byam - Signal Corps" jacket would yield the SA jacket. (Incidentally, that particular one is on display now.)

I remember some 20 years ago a survey going out asking if you would consider paying an admission fee to the park. Nothing came of it, but at the time it didn't seem unreasonable to maintain the status quo.

Now, a six-figure salary for the Foundation president, leaving flat-screen TV screens on overnight, a for-profit bookstore contractor whose donations to the park equal a fraction of the previous non-profit's donations, tree-removal from areas that historically had trees (by the park's own admission, no less...) -- where's your money going now?

[GrumpyDave]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

So, now we're talking about $27 or there about for a family of 4 to get in to the VC. That's less then 1/2 the cost of a whole day pass for Hershey Park. Could you spend 4 hours in the museum/VC? Yea probably. Could your kids? It's robbery I tell you, robbery. For me, the GF folks won't ever be able to justify costs like that. If they think attendence is down now; just wait. Our Cub Scout, WEBLOS den has 7 kids. 5 adults volunteered to go. Nope, they wouldn't bend the discount. And, part of a "badge" you earn with your visit to Gettysburg, has to be completed inside the VC. Imagine that.

[shubal]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

Lee, you know they can't easily control access to that site in terms of entrance fees and probably its in the park's mandate that they not charge a fee.
I personally have no problem with the fee but I do think its higher than necessary (I also work at a museum that is free but have worked at an NPS battlefield site that charged).

tree-removal from areas that historically had trees (by the park's own admission, no less...)

Umm, I think there is some value to be gained from reading this document and seeing if what is happening on the ground is matching what the goals stated here... 'restoring the historic assets of the battlefield.'

In order to understand how the Generals organized the terrain for battle, we need to remove non-historic trees that have grown up over the past 65 - 70 years, to restore the 1863 characteristics of observation and fields of fire, and cover and concealment. In order to understand the avenues of approach that were available and/or used, we need to restore farm lanes and roads that once crisscrossed the battlefield, but have long since disappeared. If we can do that, visitors will be able to better understand the operation decisions made by the Generals during the battle, and how the troops were moved into their battle positions. In order to achieve this, we will:
· Remove up to 576 acres of existing woodlands that were not present in 1863
· Add 115 acres of woodlands that were present in 1863, but are now lost
· Repair, rehabilitate, or reconstruct 9.8 miles of historic lanes and roads that were present in 1863, but are now missing or overgrown

Small-scale features, such as fences, orchards, open woodlots and buildings, affected the tactical movements of small units and in many cases made the difference between life and death for individual soldiers. These missing, dilapidated or damaged features will be repaired or replaced, so that visitors can clearly understand the cover and concealment available to the soldiers and the obstacles that affected them during combat. For example, visitors can now see the field of Pickett's Charge, which currently appears as one large, unbroken field. But when nine miles of fences are rebuilt, showing the field of Pickett's charge in its historic configuration of 12 small fields, the difficulties and challenges facing those troops can be understood in more depth.

In order to do this, we will:
· Restore historic field patterns by adding 39.1 miles of field boundaries, using fencing, vegetation patterns, hedgerows
· Rehabilitate 160 acres of orchards so that they reflect their historic sizes and spatial configuration.
· Rehabilitate 278 acres of forests to attain their appearance as historic woodlots.
· Replant 65 acres of thickets at the general height they were during the battle.

http://www.nps.gov/gett/parknews/get...ield-rehab.htm

[Suppelsa]

The fee

I just walked through one of those side doors in that circular hallway.

.

[missourirelics]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

You wouldn't have to pay to keep up revenue if Dept. of the Interior money was both met and spent smartly. Those funds are being funneled into other programs (not mentioning 700Billion recently).....although I do not mind paying an entry fee, what I do mind is when I know these things are paid for by tax dollars. If they couldn't afford it, they should not have built it. And oh, I bet after it is paid for, that fee will not go away. Meanwhile poor ol' Vicksburg has the same dang museum display it had in the 60s. Sure roll over, and pay what they want.....it's Gettysburg.

Paul Arnold

[Court Micker]

Re: GNMP Museum officially has an entry fee as of today.

This is something I feel strongly about.

Having been a long time member of the FNPG (Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg) for years I initially did not mind the new admission fees. However, it became abundantly clear to me this weekend after having visited the park for several days, that the funds being collected are not being directed to the preservation of the park.

It is interesting to note that the ongoing tree removal around the park has been outsourced to a local contractor. The contractor has quietly been paid nearly $7 Million (from what numerous locals have told me) to cut the trees. They are also allowing the contractor the sell any and all wood he removes. Now there will be those who say it would be ethically wrong for the park service to sell these trees for profit, this would be the same group of people who don't recall what happened to the most recent Gettysburg witness tree. Whomever hauled that tree away allowed sections of the tree to be sold in local tourist shops as "Witness Tree Walking Sticks."

Not only have they effectively created a two tiered tourist system (those who can afford it and those who cannot), it is rumored that the superintendent, John Latschar (whom upon leaving the NPS, will assume the presidency of the FNPG to the tune of over 400K per year) has proposed that a fee be collected at each gate of the National Cemetery in order for a visitor to enter and, the true kicker, admission be charged in order to visit Warfield Ridge, Big Round Top, Little Round Top, The Wheatfield, Devil's Den, Houck's Ridge and parts of the central Cemetery Ridge line. Now, I noticed that some of you may support this, but it was mandated in its Congressional charter that the park would always be free to any person that wished to visit. That means no admission fees. I find it disgusting that they would even consider charging people to visit the hallowed locations and national cemetery.

The local animosities ran deep for the park service the moment plans were announced to build the new visitor center. The ten's of millions spent on the visitor center, in their eyes, was unnecessary. However, the true problem lies within Gettysburg's economic structure. The new visitor center has, in reality, drawn people away from the town itself. This is due to the fact that the superintendent has every intention of making Gettysburg a commercialized tourist destination. They have even gone as far as no longer consulting rangers as to what merchandise should be sold in the overpriced bookstore and alienating the Licensed Battlefield Guide Association (which had been headquartered in the previous visitor center but has now opted to find a new home). If one were to walk through the visitor center they would notice a new discovery channel store (soon to be added along with Starbucks), that allegedly several National Park Service higher-ups hold vested interests in. Par for the course at this point on most governmental levels.

So where is the money going to go? Well rest assured that it will quietly line a few pockets, be spent irresponsibly by the new FNPG and Gettysburg NPS partnership (Tree Removal, Building Additions, and buying battlefield locations for much more than is necessary). Meanwhile, a new hotel is being built on the slope of Cemetery Hill and land remains to be sold to contractors on East Cavalry field as the NPS sits idly by...

The sad reality that most don't see is that many families won't be able to enter the museum or the park due to financial constraints. And those who can will be herded like cattle through the museum and cyclorama by "employees" that edged out qualified park service employees due to the fact that they are either disabled, veterans of foreign deployment or willing to comply with the current state of affairs. I was disheartened to hear from many visitors that they were rushed through the cyclorama by red-shirted employees that told people they had exceed their allotted time limit for viewing the famous painting.

I feel a great deal of affection for Gettysburg and its people and I hate to see it and them dealt with in such a dishonest manner. As I walked the streets I saw nothing but vehicle traffic and little foot traffic while the visitor center was swamped and nearly inundated with people. $7.50 translates to over $30 for a financially suffering family which I see regularly in my travels. I, for one, am outraged and I hope I am not alone. This isn't preservation, this is the greed I've become familiar with over the passing years. I will be more than willing to visit the town and battlefields but I will not support the park service or the FNPG for permitting such a horrible thing.