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Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – a town that nearly 150 years ago found itself in the crosshairs of the American Civil War’s most famous battle – will mark the sesquicentennial of those pivotal days throughout 2013 with battle re-enactments, new exhibits and programs, tributes and soldier encampments along with special tours and the opening of the newest Civil War experience.

In July 1863, Union and Confederate soldiers clashed on the fields and in the streets of this small town in what would become the most tragic battle of the four-year war. When the smoke cleared after the three-day battle, there were more than 50,000 casualties, and a town that would never be the same. Four months later, President Lincoln made the train ride to this same community to deliver “a few appropriate remarks,” known as the Gettysburg Address. His short, 10-sentence speech is long-remembered and secured his legacy as one of America’s most famous presidents.

Throughout 2013, Gettysburg – along with neighboring communities in both Pennsylvania and Maryland – will commemorate the 150th Anniversary of this battle and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Four million people from around the world are predicted to visit this region this year to learn, to pay their respects and to reflect on the nation’s course of history.

“This is an exciting time for Gettysburg,” said Norris Flowers, President of the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This anniversary will highlight not only the battle, but the fighting that occurred before and after Gettysburg, along with the heroic and tragic stories of the town’s own citizens in 1863.”

At the heart of this year-long commemoration are 10 days – from June 28 through July 7, known as “Gettysburg 150: Reflections of History” – that will feature two large battle re-enactments, Gettysburg National Military Park’s Official Commemorative Ceremony – “A New Birth of Freedom,” military and medical encampments, lectures and programs, special tours of the town and battlefield. There will also be the grand opening of the Seminary Ridge Museum, an experience dedicated to the first day’s battle and Civil War medicine, as well as faith and race issues during the war.

Events in surrounding communities such as Cashtown, Hanover, Hunterstown and Union Mills, Md., will also be held during this 10-day commemoration to bring further understanding to the events that led up to the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

“To fully understand the Battle of Gettysburg, it’s important that visitors take the time to learn about these smaller battles that helped shape the major conflict in Gettysburg,” said Flowers. “Our visitors are always hungry for more history, and the anniversary commemoration will provide people with some lesser-told stories of the Civil War.”

In November, to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and the dedication of the country’s first national cemetery, a ceremony will be held in Gettysburg to highlight Lincoln’s famous speech and to honor those same soldiers that the 16th president did nearly 150 years ago. Remembrance Weekend – a time when Gettysburg pays tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of those 160,000 soldiers – will be held Nov. 22-24 and will include a large-scale military parade on Nov. 23, Civil War balls and a variety of events for both re-enactors and the public.

Gettysburg has already been named a top destination for 2013 by the Associated Press, CNN.com,
USA Today, Miami Herald and SmarterTravel.com; and Gettysburg’s 150th Anniversary was designated the top event in the United States by the American Bus Association.

For more information about Gettysburg’s 150th Anniversary Commemoration, visit www.gettysburgcivilwar150.com or call (800) 337-5015.

The Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official tourism promotion agency, markets Gettysburg – Adams County as a premier travel destination, producing a positive economic impact.

TheIsrael Museum, the country’s largest cultural institution, unveiled a new exhibition chronicling the life and legacy of King Herod the Great, featuring hundreds of ancient artifacts on public display for the first time ever through Oct. 5. The exhibition is called “King’s Final Journey.”

On display will be more than 250 archeological finds from the recently discovered tomb of King Herod, including three sarcophagi, restored frescoes and King Herod’s private bath from the palace at Cyprus. The exhibition will also show recently discovered carved stone elements from the Temple Mount and an imperial marble basin believed to be a gift from Augustus, among others.

King Herod constructed many large-scale projects in Israel during his reign from 4 until 37 BCE, including the port of Caesarea and Masada, two of Israel’s most frequently visited tourist sites, as well as the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Religious pilgrims will have an interest as well, as Herod figures significantly into the story of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew says that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great. According to the New Testament narrative, the three Wise Men or Magi proclaimed him to be King of the Jews. When Herod heard of it, he ordered the killing of all male children born in the vicinity of Bethlehem during that period in order to eliminate any possible threat to his claim to the throne. Historians differ as to the veracity of the story, but it is part of Christian doctrine.

In the Gospel of Luke it says that in Jesus’ last days the Jewish elders wanted Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of the Roman province of Judea, to pass sentence on Jesus for falsely claiming to be a king. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, claiming that Jesus was a Nazarean and therefore outside of his jurisdiction. Herod and his soldiers put a robe on Jesus and mocked him as “King of the Jews” and sent him back to Pilate, who claimed he found Jesus guilty of no crime worthy of execution and “washed his hands,” returning custody of Jesus to the Jewish elders.

“We are thrilled about the opening of the new exhibition highlighting King Herod, one of the most significant builders in human history,” said Haim Gutin, Israel’s Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America. “The exhibition will be sure to provide some additional excitement for travelers arriving in Jerusalem this year.”

Stockholm’s ABBA museum on May 7 will open on Djurgården between the Liljevalchs art gallery and the Gröna Lund amusement park, within a larger museum devoted to important Swedish artists. The ABBA museum is being one of the city’s main attractions, since the rock group is Sweden’s biggest musical export (having sold nearly 400 million records worldwide).

The museum will feature the band’s often over-the-top stage costumes, as well as vintage instruments and other memorabilia. Interactive and experience-based, the exhibitions will include still photos, video clips, and props from legendary concerts and music video productions. The Swedish Music Hall of Fame also will house The Melody Hotel, a boutique property with views over the sea.

“ABBA is Sweden’s most successful music group of all time and the Swedish Music Hall of Fame and ABBA The Museum will become a new reason for ABBA fans all over the world to come to Stockholm,” said Peter Lindqvist, president of the Stockholm Visitors Board.

The Pearl Harbor Historic Sites have launched three Pearl Harbor Half-Day Tours. Starting at $15 general and $11 for children ages 4 to 12, these packages offer different combinations of attractions at Pearl Harbor. Among the possible inclusions are the USS Arizona Memorial Audio Tour, a tour of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and a tour of the USS Bowfin Submarine or the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.

For visitors who want to explore the area for a full day, the Passport to Pearl Harbor package offers one-day access to all four sites for $55 general and $30 per child. In addition, Two-day Passports are available for an additional $10. Two-day Passport holders can return to Pearl Harbor within seven days of their initial visit.

TheNewseum in Washington opened “Jailed in Birmingham,” an exhibit featuring a casting of the original jail cell door behind which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was confined after his April 1963 arrest for leading nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Ala.

It was in this cell that the civil rights leader penned his historic letter defending civil disobedience.

“The Letter From Birmingham Jail,” written in response to a statement by a group of eight white Alabama clergymen, includes the now-famous quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The opening of the Newseum kicks off the beginning of Black History Month.

The door on display is a bronze casting made from the original door to King’s cell in the Birmingham city jail. The exhibit also features one of the first publications of the letter, a 1963 pamphlet published by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group. The exhibit is on display in the Newseum’s News Corporation News History Gallery.

This year will mark a number of milestone anniversaries of key events in U.S. history, and the Newseum will debut new exhibits to highlight them. From March 1 to 14, a free exhibit will illustrate the landmark 1913 women’s suffrage parade on Pennsylvania Avenue through newspaper front pages and photos of the historic event. Marching for Women’s Rights will be on view to the public in front of the Newseum in the museum’s Today’s Front Pages cases.

Later this year, the Newseum will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy with two new exhibits and an original documentary chronicling the presidency, family life and death of the 35th president. The Newseum will host public programs and special events about the Kennedys throughout the year to enhance the visitor experience. The JFK exhibits and film will be on display April 12 to Jan. 5.

Tauck gave a pair of $25,000 grants respectively to the Mark Twain House and Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center as part of the tour operator’s “World of Giving” corporate philanthropy initiative. Tauck is including a visit to the authors’ houses in a new version of a tour of New England designed with the filmmaker Ken Burns as part of the Ken Burns American Journeys series.

“The Mark Twain House and Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center feature prominently in our new ‘Hidden Gems of New England’ tour, and they’re both true cultural gems that are deserving of our support,” said Tauck President Jennifer Tombaugh. The grants will be used to help fund an upcoming special exhibition about the Gilded Age at the Mark Twain House and Museum, and to help underwrite a redesign of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center’s website.

Tauck has incorporated giveback programs for sites it uses on its tours for many years and has provided support for national parks, cultural sites and historic locations, including Grand Teton National Park, Plimoth Plantation, Ellis Island and Boston’s Old North Church.

The company also promotes volunteerism to employees and customers through a National Parks program that has been recognized by both the White House and the U.S. Interior Department.

42 Area Museums Offer Half-Price Admission

Throughout February 2013, San Diego visitors can get more bang for their buck and experience the region’s rich cultural offerings at half-price during San Diego Museum Month. Guests can participate by picking up a free San Diego Museum Month Pass at participating Macy’s locations; with the pass, they can receive half-price admission for up to four guests per visit at 42 of San Diego’s museums, cultural attractions and historical sites.

Visitors can take advantage of San Diego Museum Month at facilities located throughout the region, including:

The USS Midway Museum, Maritime Museum of San Diego and The New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego;
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla;

LUX Art Institute and the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas;

13 world-class facilities like the Mingei International Museum, the Museum of Photographic Arts, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and San Diego Museum of Art, located in Balboa Park, which is often referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West.”

For a complete list of participating museums, visit www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org.

Visitors can pick up a San Diego Museum Month Pass, valid February 1-28, 2013, at participating Macy’s stores in San Diego County or neighboring Temecula and El Centro. Locations and store hours can be found online at www.macys.com.

San Diego Museum Month was created in 1989 by the San Diego Museum Council to promote the region’s museums, historical sites and cultural offerings.

Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego’s offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority’s website at www.sandiego.org  or call 619.236.1212.

In 2013 the British Museum will be hosting its first exhibition in 40 years dedicated to the ruins of Pompeii. The event will run from 28 March to 29 September 2013. To mark the occasion Classic Collection Holidays is offering packages to include half day or full day private tours of Pompeii (with private car, driver, guide and entrance fees to Pompeii) on stays at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento during summer 2013.

Classic Collection Holidays (0800 294 9324) offers four nights at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento from £1117 per person next May. Price based on 2 adults sharing a classic garden view room on a bed & breakfast basis and includes return flights from London Gatwick to Naples and private transfers. Also included is a guided half day tour of Pompeii by private car with the services of a guide and driver and entrance fees. Seven nights holiday prices to include a full day tour of Pompeii start from £1537 per person in May 2013. www.classic-collection.co.uk

The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria is featured in Classic Collection Holidays’ newly released, dedicated Italy brochure.

New for 2013, in addition to continuing to offer flights from all UK airports, the West Sussex based tour operator is offering train travel to Italy from the UK. Travel is by Eurostar from London to Gare du Nord, Paris and then onward on an overnight sleeper train from the Gare de Lyon to Milan, Verona and Venice. Or from Paris by TGV high–speed trains to Milan and overnighting, before taking the Italian Frecciarossa and Frecciabiance trains from Milan to Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. Alternatively there is the new Paris-Florence-Rome sleeper train operating from early December 2012. Classic continues to offer travel on board the Venice Simplon Orient Express.

Classic Collection Holidays features more than 150 hotels in Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, Liguria, Piedmont, Portofino, San Remo, the Italian Lakes, Sicily, Sardinia, Rome, Florence, Venice and Verona.

During November 10, 2012-February 10, 2013, the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park will collaborate with The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Timken Museum of Art on Behold, America!, an exciting new exhibit that captures the sweeping changes in art created in the United States across three centuries. The show offers an array of paintings, sculpture and photography, most of which have not been shown together before and when put together provide viewers with a visual testament to the history of the United States from the colonial period to present day. For more information, visit www.sdmart.org/art/exhibit/behold-america.

Now through March 10, 2013, the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park is presenting the traveling exhibition Chocolate, where visitors can explore the origins of chocolate consumption and discover how chocolate was transformed from a bitter drink of kings into the indulgence we love today.

Guests also learn about the plant, products, history and culture of chocolate through the lenses of botany, anthropology, economics, conservation and popular culture.

Now through February 18, 2013, the museum presents BOLD: The Art of DNA Barcoding, a sculpture series stemming from a collaboration with leading biodiversity scientists. BOLD is an acronym for Barcode of Life Datasystems.

For more information, visit www.sdnhm.org.

London’s Imperial War Museums (IWM) is creating new First World War Galleries to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in 2014. The First World War claimed the lives of over 16 million people across the globe and changed the world forever.

To deliver the new museum, which will include new First World War Galleries and a transformed Central Hall with terraced galleries, a new café and shop, IWM London will be temporarily closed from Jan. 2 to July 2013. IWM will partially reopen in July 2013 and visitors will be able to see the transformation in action as the museum continues to build new galleries and a Central Hall through to 2014. IWM will also launch a major new family exhibition, “Horrible Histories: Spies.”