Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Bream Gym 31 W Lincoln Ave Gettysburg, PA 17325
Year Opened: 1962
Capacity: 3,000
Home of the Bullets
Gettysburg College is a private, four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832. From its founding until 1921 it was known as Pennsylvania College.
Author Jerry Spinelli, Carson Kressley from Bravo TV’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” and former Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul are graduates of the college.
The area is more known for the July 1st through 3rd 1863 military engagements, as well as Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The area is very busy nearly all times of the year as tourists flock to the battlefields, as well as the commercial endeavors that surround the area.
Sports teams at the college are known as the Bullets and there are 24 NCAA Division III men's and women's teams. Although the mascot for Gettysburg College is the Bullet, there is no official Bullet mascot at sporting events. The Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team won the Division III National Championship in 2011. The Bullets play in the Centennial Conference.
Men's basketball at Gettysburg have won conference championships in 2001, 2002, and 2009.
Bream Gym is the long time home of the Bullets. Since the mid-1960s, it has served as the home court for men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and volleyball.
Food & Beverage 3
There is a nice little campus food option located between the gym and Bullets Pool called The Dive. Prices are good and the food all looks great. The best option is a fresh and delicious yogurt parfait.
Atmosphere 3
Bream Gym is quite bright inside. For a gym that has been in use for so long, the windows and lighting system make it appear much newer. It is still a pretty basic gym with separate basic seating sections along the four sides of the court. All other aspects of the simple gym are nice, but nothing that will excite a fan too much.
Neighborhood 5
Gettysburg is a great small town. There is almost always traffic in the town as tourists flock to the area all of the year. In summer months it can be almost unbearable to drive through the area, so make note of that.
Because so many people travel in the area expect to see numerous food options. But not all of them are good so make sure to check reviews so that you do not waste time in tourist dumps.
My favorite restaurant choices are Hunt's Battlefield Fries, Tommy's Pizza and The Garryowen Irish Pub. The fresh cut fries at Hunt's are a must.
A couple of homestyle options are Hoss's Steaks and the Lincoln Diner. You can't go wrong with their simple, but tasty offerings.
There is also a very good outlet mall right outside of town called The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg. With no taxes on clothing in Pennsylvania it is a popular attraction on its own.
Fans 3
As with most small college gyms the bulk of the fans tend to be family or friends of both teams. There will be some local fans who just happen to stop by for the game as well. The game I attended was during move-in weekend so there looked to be some students attending with their parents.
Access 3
Gettysburg is close to many things. Washington, DC is 75 miles away and Baltimore is 55 miles away. The main east-west road through Gettysburg is U.S. Route 30, and U.S. Route 15 runs south towards Frederick, MD and Washington DC, as well as north to Harrisburg, PA.
The only real problem is the traffic in the area. The college is located in a small neighborhood north of downtown and it won't be very hard to get to the college, but expect to venture on many small roads to get there. Parking is usually pretty OK, but the larger the event the more likely that parking will be at a premium. You can always park downtown and walk to campus.
Return on Investment 5
Basketball games are free. Parking is also free, unless you had to park downtown. Either way the value and return on investment is very good here at Gettysburg College.
Extras 5
There is a nice veterans memorial just outside of Musselman Stadium. Stop in and think of those who gave all to this nation before seeing a game here. It will be well worth the visit.
The architecture of the college is worth noting. Make sure to wander around and see the marvelous buildings on campus. The John F. Jaeger Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness is a pretty spectacular architectural building with its unique glass tower. There is a nice hall of fame and historical exhibits of the Gettysburg College athletic program located here.
The Gettysburg Battlefield and all that surrounds it is worth a couple stars in itself. Yes it is a tourist attraction, but one must stop in and see. There is a multitude of historical markings, statues and attractions in the area.
Besides being on hand upon this stadium's opening, Dwight D. Eisenhower is a popular name on the campus and the region. He retired to his working farm adjacent to the local battlefield. The Eisenhower Institute is also a part of the college and develops and sponsors civic discourse on significant issues of domestic and international public policy.
Final Thoughts
Gettysburg College has a nice, older gym that feels fresh and new. It may not be highest level of basketball but you will enjoy the simple surroundings.
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