Gettysburg Welcome Center
340 Baltimore Street
The property was generously donated to the Borough of Gettysburg specifically for this purpose. The new Welcome Center will feature ADA-compliant restrooms and a central hub for tourist information, event listings, transportation resources, volunteer opportunities, and more. Located between Steinwehr Avenue and Lincoln Square, the center will improve accessibility and walkability in the heart of downtown Gettysburg.
Funding is fully secured thanks to a combination of local and federal support:
$153,000 raised by Main Street Gettysburg through local fundraising efforts
$300,000 committed by the Borough of Gettysburg
$1,272,436 awarded through a Congressional Appropriation
Final design plans, created by Connor Phiel of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, will be submitted to the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) in July. Pending approval, the project will go out for contractor bids in August, with construction expected to begin in the fall of 2025.
“Our goal is to open the welcome center by summer 2026, just in time to host visitors for America’s 250th anniversary,” said Sellers. “We are incredibly grateful to our partners, donors, and the community for helping bring this vision to life.”
NEXT PHASE
Gettysburg, PA (June 3, 2025) – Main Street Gettysburg is excited to announce the next phase is underway for the Gettysburg Welcome Center.
On June 4, 2025, the existing structure at 340 Baltimore Street will be demolished to prepare for new construction of the Gettysburg Welcome Center. The demolition will be carefully carried out by C.E. Williams, which is also preparing the site for construction.
The need for a downtown welcome center was first identified in 2018 through a series of public meetings with Main Street Gettysburg, the Borough of Gettysburg, C.S. Davidson (Borough Engineer), and more than 80 community members and organizations. These discussions highlighted the lack of accessible public restrooms and central tourism information in the historic district.
“This project has been carefully curated for over six years and is finally moving forward,” said Main Street President Jill Sellers. “It’s a bittersweet moment to witness the past making way for the future, but thanks to many generous donors and grant awards, this vital project will support our businesses, residents, and visitors for generations to come.”
On June 4, 2025, C.E. Williams carefully executed demolition to initiate the next phase of the Gettysburg Welcome Center.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!
Vision
The Gettysburg Welcome Center will provide a centralized location for information and public restrooms in the heart of our historic district.
Location
The Gettysburg Welcome Center will provide a connection between the south and north ends of town. Its physical location is central, set perfectly between Steinwehr Avenue and Lincoln Square, and will enable the walkability of our entire historic district.
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
Legacy Donor
Visionary Donor
Downtown Donor
ADA Donor
Walkability Donor
Accessibility Donor
Information Donor
Corridor Donor
Business Donor
$500,000
$250,000
$100,000
$50,000
$25,000
$10,000
$5,000
$2,500
$1,000
Our contribution tiers are designed to empower donors to support specified objectives of the Gettysburg Welcome Center.
Please contact us about Pledge Options. We would love to work with you on a three-year pledge for the Endowment Goal!
We are excited about the Gettysburg Welcome Center!
Together, we will build a legacy to serve our downtown for generations to come!
“We listened to our local business community over many years regarding the need for tourism information and public restrooms downtown. Together we will be able to build these amenities that are otherwise unattainable by individual businesses.”
— Jill Sellers, President and CEO, Main Street Gettysburg
Gettysburg, PA
(March 15, 2024) –
The Borough of Gettysburg is honored to announce the award of $1,272,436 in Congressionally Directed Funding for the construction of the Gettysburg Welcome Center project.
In February 2023, on behalf of the Borough of Gettysburg, Main Street Gettysburg submitted a Congressional Appropriation Request to both the House and Senate. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman, and Representative John Joyce, M.D. jointly forwarded the application for Community Project Funding under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the FY2024 Budget.
On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the House of Representatives passed a “minibus” for six appropriations bills including Transportation-HUD, by a 339-85 vote. On Friday, March 8, 2024, the Senate cleared full-year appropriations for those six bills, by a 75-22 vote. President Biden signed the measure into law on March 9, 2024.
Congressman Joyce personally contacted Manager Gable and Main Street President Sellers to announce the appropriation. Senator Casey’s senior staff also contacted Manager Gable regarding the news. “We are grateful for this generous funding to build a legacy project in the heart of Gettysburg, which will enable the Borough to serve residents and the millions of visitors that come to Gettysburg annually,” said Borough Manager Charles Gable, “and it will be completed in time to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday in July 2026.” The award, combined with local fundraising, will provide for construction to begin later this year in 2024.
The Gettysburg Welcome Center is a $1.5 million public facility project, which will create greater accessibility and walkability throughout the historic district. The project is in the center of downtown and will provide tourism, transportation, event, and volunteer information, as well as public restrooms. Plans include ADA-compliant facilities. The building site at 340 Baltimore Street was generously donated to the Borough for this purpose by Tim Shields, founder of Future Stake, Inc.
To ensure operational sustainability following construction, Main Street Gettysburg has partnered with Adams County Community Foundation to create an endowment fund. The endowment goal is $1 million.
To donate to the Gettysburg Welcome Center Endowment Fund, contact Main Street Gettysburg at 717-337-3491, or online at www.mainstreetgettysburg.org/donate; or Adams County Community Foundation at 717-337-0060 or online at www.adamscountycf.org.
Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (right) meets with Jill Sellers, President of Main Street Gettysburg (left) and Rich Farr, CEO of Rabbitransit (middle) to discuss the Gettysburg Welcome Center
Architectural Rendering by Connor Phiel
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates
January 16, 2024
Destination Gettysburg donates $100K to Welcome Center project Main Street Gettysburg plans to open building by 2026
To invest in the future of the community and tourism industry, Destination Gettysburg recently donated $100,000 to Main Street Gettysburg to kick off the operations endowment campaign that will support a downtown Welcome Center.
The Gettysburg Welcome Center, to be located at 340 Baltimore Street between Steinwehr Avenue and Lincoln Square, will serve as a hub for tourism and event information and provide public restrooms.
Destination Gettysburg will further support the initiative by staffing the welcome center with visitor service representatives and supplying the facility with brochures and other informational materials.
“We see the new welcome center as a key touchpoint for visitors and residents, where they can get information on everything to see and do in Gettysburg and Adams County, get questions answered, and orient themselves as they explore our area,” Destination Gettysburg President and CEO Karl Pietrzak said.
Donations like Destination Gettysburg’s will be key in helping Main Street Gettysburg reach its capital goal of $1.5 million for construction costs and endowment goal of $1 million for operations. Local grant match funds total approximately $425,000 currently.
“Partners like Destination Gettysburg are enabling the sustainability of the facility to benefit the community for generations to come by contributing to the endowment,” Main Street Gettysburg President and CEO Jill Sellers said.
Main Street Gettysburg has been working toward this project since 2017 and is also collaborating with the Borough of Gettysburg, Adams County Historical Society, Adams County Community Foundation, the Gettysburg Foundation, and other community organizations to develop a joint venture responsible for operation of the facility.
“Gettysburg does not currently have an information center downtown,” Sellers said. “Gettysburg’s major economic driver is historic tourism, and Baltimore Street plays a major role in moving people to experience the historic attractions and unique places of interest. Its health and accessibility are critical to economic stability and growth.”
Main Street will launch a capital campaign this year to support the welcome center project, with a goal of opening in time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026.
“Destination Gettysburg is proud to partner with Main Street Gettysburg on this much-needed project and looks forward to the Gettysburg Welcome Center being an anchor for our visitors and community,” Pietrzak said.
Destination Gettysburg, the official destination marketing organization of Adams County, Pa., promotes Gettysburg and Adams County as a premier travel destination to benefit and enhance our community by sharing history and creating new experiences.
Destination Gettysburg President and CEO Karl Pietrzak and Destination Gettysburg Board Chair Nathan Mares present a $100,000 check to Adams County Community Foundation President and CEO Ralph Serpe and Main Street Gettysburg President and CEO Jill Sellers. The funds will support the operations endowment campaign for the Gettysburg Welcome Center.
Project Updates
March 2024: Congress approved $1,272,436 for the Gettysburg Welcome Center project.
December 2023: Main Street Gettysburg received $49,859 in contributions for this project through the Adams County Community Foundation Giving Spree. Our thanks to our generous community!
August 2023: Main Street Gettysburg raised over $28,000 and qualified to receive $20,000 to match a Challenge Grant from Adams County Community Foundation.
April 2023: Main Street Gettysburg received $20,000 from the Adams County Community Foundation Forward Fund.
Local investment is critical to the sustainability of this project!
Please click below or contact us to donate to the Endowment Fund!
Thank you!