History Pointer vs Gettysburg Auto Tour

History Pointer is your portable copy of the US National Register of Historic Places, over 100,000 sites, buildings, battlefields, vessels, and historic districts of significance in the United States and territories. Find the sites near you or along your next road trip. Don't miss a detour. Map gives you your choice of Apple maps, USGS topographic maps, or NOAA nautical charts. Wikipedia text excerpts and links are included. Augmented Reality view identifies what's nearby, and shows the way to spots far afield. Every history buff needs this app. History Pointer's data comes from the US National Register of Historic Places, which is "the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation." The register is maintained by the National Park Service. For more information about the criteria for inclusion on the National Register. see https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm.

The National Park Service’s free map for Gettysburg outlines an auto tour of the battlefield. It is also available from the Visitor Center and at the seasonal information center on the Chambersburg road. While the map is a wonderful overview of the battle, it doesn’t give much background information. This application provides historical and other contextual information for each of the map’s designated auto stops. The sheer number of markers and monuments can be overwhelming on the auto tour. This application is designed specifically for a bored 11-year-old—perhaps, like me so many years ago, riding in the back of the family Buick on a hot August afternoon (with no air conditioning). This application does not use GPS tracking services and does not require Internet access on the battlefield.