The Gateway Theater located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, features a one-of-a-kind film titled Fields of Freedom. The film is 30 minutes long and was produced for 7 million dollars. The production is about the third and final day of the famous Battle of Gettysburg that occurred in 1863. The movie features a voiceover of former president George H. W. Bush reading stories written by soldiers’ in their journals. The film is shown on two, three story tall screens in order to fully submerge the group into the graphic documentary experience. A riveting score, Pickett’s Charge is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra’s amazing music. The digital screens are the largest in the United States. Gettysburg is the only place you can see this movie. The film also features a portion of the Gettysburg Address. This stop on the group tour will enhance your historical experience! Call and book your trip today!

Get your Tarzan on when group travel leads you to Go Ape! Strap on the harnesses, pulleys, carabiners and pass that safety training to ascend into the treetops! Once your tour group gets over that first jump you’ll enjoy smooth sailing from there on out! If anyone disagrees with heights, they are welcome to explore the trails below the course and watch you soar from below! Obstacles aside from zip lines include: cargo nets, swaying rope bridges and ladders along with the need for leather gloves for a 600 foot long line! 15 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg there is no lack of chow nearby after your heart pounding adventure that is certain to stir your appetites!

Otherwise known as the “Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds,” this is clearly not an ordinary museum with dinosaurs and globes. This establishment was the very first of its kind in North America in the 1700s; a treatment asylum for the mentally disturbed and occasionally hostile. Inside the hospital you will find containment cells, medications, clothing and devices used in attempt to control the mad hundreds of years ago. This is one museum where you will want to read everything you come across as the revelations may be surprisingly shocking and gruesome enough that you will never complain about going to the doctor again.

What began in the late nineteenth century as a small exhibition of native Florida reptiles ultimately evolved into the quintessential Sunshine State attraction. The Alligator Farm, today, functions as a modern zoo serving the public and scientific community, alike, with an array of entertaining productions and displays and ongoing research and conservation efforts. Wildlife shows like Florida’s Forest Friends, Realm of the Alligator and the Rainforest Review capture visitors in their thrall while fascinating exhibits like the Birds of Africa, Florida Native Reptile and Animal House and the Wading Bird Rookery provide wonderful up-close and personal opportunities to view and even interact with the Farm’s residents in their natural habitats. Encounter rare and mysterious Albino Alligators –legend has it simply gazing upon these legendary creatures will bring good luck – and pay a visit to 18 foot Gomek, one of the largest crocs to have ever lived at a zoo. Adventurous types with a need for speed may opt for an aerial view of the zoo’s birds and beasts as they zip through the sky and tackle more than 50 crazy obstacles on their choice of two thrilling Crocodile Crossing adventures. Once you’re back on “terrifying firma” in search of a “bite,” Toucantina tenders tasty tidbits and frosty refreshments certain to wet parched whistles and satisfy even the wildest appetites – chow down in the shade overlooking a friendly crew of Galapogos Tortoises doing their very cool regal reptile thing!

The historic city of St. Augustine is the site of the oldest navigational aid in the United States; the original, a Spanish watchtower, was converted into Florida’s first lighthouse in 1824. A second lighthouse was completed in 1874 to replace its predecessor, taken by the sea after a long battle with erosion in 1880. Constructed of Alabama brick and Philadelphia iron, it rises an impressive, candy-striped 165 feet above sea level and contains 219 steps; its massive lens consists of 370 hand-cut glass prisms arranged in a beehive shape 12 feet tall and six feet wide. Visitors to the Old City are invited on self-guided tours of the Lighthouse, Museum and Shipyard Playground, with a variety of fabulous, fun and informative guided tours offered to enhance an already fascinating experience. Climb to the top and enjoy stunning 360 degree views of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean; be regaled with the colorful stories of lightkeepers, sailors and fishermen who’ve shaped and protected the coast of Florida for more than 500 years and ponder centuries of maritime history and trivia as you marvel at three stories of intriguing exhibits and authentic artifacts, many from the sites of old shipwrecks.

Groups out and about enjoying a rockin’ Blues City holiday may want to enlist the talents of the good, capable folk at Backbeat Tours in providing a unique specialty entertainment excursion with that “personal touch” – their fantastic outings have been featured on CNN and Fox 13 News, and in Forbes, USA Today, Southern Living, Memphis Magazine, and newspapers around the country and treat guests to an extraordinary Memphis sightseeing extravaganza! They offer something for every age, interest and adventure appetite, and promise to leave you with a smile on your face and a song in your head – with a Memphis memory you’re certain to cherish. Memphis owns a compelling and influential history which has helped shaped popular culture to a degree far beyond imagining; Backbeat Tours’ knowledgeable and talented guides bring that history to life on immersive, creative, interactive, informational and truly entertaining forays into the very heart of the home of the Delta Blues. The Memphis Discovery Tour tenders guests the ultimate Memphis dining and shopping experience; Memphis Mojo combines live music and killer comedy on a wild musical heritage discovery, while Elvis fans exploring the area during Elvis Week trip over their blue suede shoes running to the acclaimed and ever-popular Hound Dog Tour. Ghost hunters of all ages will enjoy tiptoeing through the city’s dark history of voodoo, ghosts and lost souls as guides regale them with terrifying tales of eerie local misadventures, and traditionalists traveling the Delta will be tickled “Pink-Cadillac” to visit Graceland, Backbeat- style!

This landmark Historic District in downtown Memphis, created in 1841 by developer Robertson Topp and named after a forgotten military hero saw its notorious heyday in the roaring 20s in a thriving boom of nightclubs, theaters, restaurants, stores, pawnshops, hot music, gambling, drinking, murder, mayhem, and other, unmentionable vice in a red light district rivalling New Orleans’ Storyville. Energetic Beale Street, official home of the rockin’ blues , important center of riverfront trade to the West and burgeoning affluent suburbia to the East, has survived a hurricane of of feast, famine, renovation and renewal, growth and change to arrive where it is today: THE most visited attraction in all of Tennessee, acclaimed entertainment venue, local hangout and important Memphis cultural hotspot. Today, Beale’s gritty and wild atmosphere is tempered, considerably, by a strong, tourism-driven economy, and the area is a virtual 2-mile beacon of incredible cafes, BBQ joints and restaurants, noisy clubs and smoky bars, live music, street performers, an array of novelty and specialty shops, music stores, houses of worship, theaters, pool halls, museums and historic points of interest with a distinctly Southern-fried crunch steeped in a richly authentic, smooth and moving Blues culture and vibe. Anything goes on Beale Street; come as you are – see the sights and sounds of this quintessentially Memphis neighborhood: follow the walk of brass notes, stop in at A. Schwab’s dry goods store, check out the cool sounds of Memphis Jams on Beale at Handy Park, come to town for the International Blues Challenge, pop by the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum or just hang out and revel in that “catfish on the table, gospel in the air” feel of this most iconic street in America!

More than 600,000 adoring fans annually make the big-daddy of all celebrity pilgrimages to 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard, passing through those hallowed, music-booked-shaped gates onto the perfectly preserved and maintained 13.8 acre estate at Graceland, favorite tourist attraction in all of Memphis and place the legendary humanitarian, movie star and King of Rock and Roll loved and called home for more than 20 years; a stop by Graceland is an absolute must on any Blues City getaway! Guests enjoy audio-guided tours of the mansion featuring commentary and stories by Elvis and his daughter Lisa Marie; they see where Elvis relaxed, played, ate, slept and spent time with his cherished friends and family on a very personal look inside the home of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, with peeks into each lovingly, elaborately decorated room, furnished in Elvis’ signature flamboyant style. You’ll love seeing the collection of vehicles Elvis owned at the time of his passing – especially the Pink Cadillac he bought for his precious Mama, as well as his purple Caddy Convertible, his Stutz Blackhawk and the Red MG he drove in 1961’s romantic musical comedy, “Blue Hawaii.” The final stop on every Graceland Tour is the Meditation Garden, rumored to have been Elvis’ favorite place on the Estate, where he would go in troubled times to seek peaceful refuge, and where he and several family members have been laid to rest; yearly processions on the eve of his death have attracted as many as 40,000 visitors, showing up to pay special homage as they file through the Garden and past the grave of the beloved, undisputed King of Rock and Roll. Graceland receives you with open arms into the world of the Elvis: the man, the movie star and the musical legend.

“If music was a religion, then Memphis would be Jerusalem, and Sun Studio its most Holy Shrine.” Visitors to iconic Beale Street must NOT miss an opportunity to stop into this landmark historic attraction, springboard for some of the most important careers in the history of music and comfort food for established modern talent looking to tradition for occasional inspiration. Rock pioneer Sam Phillips opened the doors to his childhood dream and brand new Blues City studio with the slogan, “we record anything, anywhere, anytime” in an effort to drum up business and generate some fast cash. Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats’ “Rocket 88″ was recorded there in 1951 with Ike Turner on keyboards – reputedly the first single ever – earning the studio its golden status as the “birthplace” of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Fast forward through a series of ups, downs, changes big and small, sweet successes and the usual setbacks to the day 18-and-a-half year old Elvis Aaron Presley walked through the doors and recorded his first number, EVER. The rest, as they say, is history. Phillip’s studio ultimately garnered the reputation as the place that nurtured fledgling talent and encouraged it to expand with bigger labels, and heavy hitters that cut their teeth at Sun would move back through those doors, time and again – legends like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison – and of course, Elvis Presley, the undisputed King of Rock ‘n’ Roll . It’s been said Sun Studio oozes grit, blue collar resolve, and unadulterated Americana. The table where The King signed his very first contract sits right at the studio entrance. Tours happen on the half hour, and treat guests to an unforgettable hit of pure nostalgia; if you’re waiting your turn, check out the killer memorabilia on display, browse souvenirs, or pop a squat at the counter, order up a malt and imagine Elvis next to you. It’s not that hard to do.

This beloved Music City landmark attraction and live venue with the “best sound in town” was built by riverboat captain and Nashville businessman Thomas Ryman to celebrate his new-found salvation, and debuted in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle; it was renamed after his death in his honor. The Ryman Auditorium was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 until 1974, when a larger venue was built at the Opryland USA theme park; a five-foot diameter circle was removed from the old stage floor and inlaid into the center of the new one in an effort to maintain continuity with the Opry’s colorful, storied past. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001 and christened Theatre of the Year four times in one decade, the Ryman has appeared in memorable movie scenes over the years and hosted scores of events from community gatherings, political rallies, ballets and operas to popular televised music shows and dazzling theatrical productions; legends like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, distinguished guests like Helen Keller and President Teddy Roosevelt and world-class performers from the Zac Brown Band to ZZ Top have taken the stage at this grand old auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music” and “the Birthplace of Bluegrass.”