City: Gettysburg, PA

Category: Education

Telephone: (717) 334-9171

Address: 909 Fairfield Road

Description: The first elderhostels in the United States began in 1975 on a few college and university campuses in New England. Then, as now, they were dedicated to providing high-quality and affordable educational opportunities to older adults. At Gettysburg the elderhostel program is put on with the association of the YWCA of Gettysburg, and the Gettysburg battlefield serves as the campus. Rather than staying at a college dormitory, accommodations are at the Historic Gettysburg Hotel, a premier hotel located on Lincoln Square (see the Hotels, Motels, and Resorts chapter). Elderhostel offers a wide array of programs throughout the United States. Some are held entirely at Gettysburg while others include Gettysburg as part of a longer itinerary. The Gettysburg elderhostel programs focus on the battlefield, the surrounding area, and Civil War–related subjects. Stays usually are for three or five days. Grandparents may want to check out the program that allows them to bring grandchildren along on their learning experience. There’s also a service program where participants work on the preservation of the Eisenhower National Historic Site.