Got a wild idea? We build for service members — not the brass, not shareholders. If it's good, it ships.
Suggest a Feature →Carlisle, Pennsylvania — The Army War College & Cumberland Valley
The Army's senior professional development year. Pennsylvania charm, Gettysburg 30 minutes away.
Carlisle Barracks is one of the oldest military posts in America — established in 1757, it is now home to the U.S. Army War College. The War College prepares Army colonels and select joint and international officers for senior strategic leadership — a 10-month program that is intellectually demanding, professionally significant, and unlike any other assignment in the Army.
Carlisle, Pennsylvania is a classic Pennsylvania county seat — 20,000 people, Dickinson College, historic brick downtown, and the Cumberland Valley spreading out in all directions. The assignment is one year: arrive, read, think, debate, and leave as a strategist. Gettysburg is 30 minutes south. Hershey is 30 minutes east. The Appalachian Trail is an hour north. It is a genuinely excellent place to spend a year.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Café Bruges (Carlisle)
"An unexpectedly sophisticated Belgian restaurant in a Pennsylvania college town."
Café Bruges is the War College community's go-to for a quality dinner — Belgian classics (moules frites, beef carbonnade, waterzooi), a serious Belgian beer selection, and an atmosphere appropriate for a War College faculty dinner or a date night.
The mussels (several preparations) are the benchmark. The Belgian beer list is genuine — order from the Trappist ales first. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Market Cross Pub and Brewery (Carlisle)
"Carlisle's gathering spot. British-style pub with house beers."
Market Cross is a British-style pub in downtown Carlisle with house-brewed beers, solid pub food (ploughman's plate, shepherd's pie, fish and chips), and a community atmosphere. The War College cohort ends up here regularly.
Thursday evenings have live music and the Market Cross fills with the War College community and Dickinson College faculty. Good place to meet colleagues outside of the academic environment.
Lancaster County / Pennsylvania Dutch Country (Food)
"The most authentic traditional American farm food culture. 45 minutes east."
Lancaster County PA Dutch Country (45 minutes east) is the real Pennsylvania Dutch food culture — whoopie pies, shoofly pie, scrapple, Lebanon bologna, and fresh farm produce at the Lancaster Central Market (the oldest farmers market in the country, operating continuously since 1730).
The Lancaster Central Market is open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. Go on Friday for the full experience — Amish and Mennonite vendors alongside local meat markets and produce vendors. The cider donuts in the fall are extraordinary.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Gettysburg National Military Park
"The most significant battle in American history. 30 minutes south."
Gettysburg National Military Park is one of the most important military historical sites in the world — the three-day battle (July 1-3, 1863) turned the tide of the Civil War. The battlefield auto tour, the Museum and Visitor Center, and guided battlefield tours are exceptional.
The licensed battlefield guides (available at the visitor center) are the single best investment at Gettysburg — 2-hour walking or vehicle tours with historians who have spent careers in the park. The Little Round Top evening walk at sunset is particularly moving. Go multiple times — there is more than one visit can absorb.
Appalachian Trail (Cumberland Valley and Pine Grove Furnace)
"The AT crosses the Cumberland Valley. Pine Grove Furnace is the halfway point."
The Appalachian Trail passes through the Cumberland Valley near Carlisle — accessible via multiple trailheads. Pine Grove Furnace State Park (30 minutes north) is the official halfway point of the AT (from Georgia to Maine) and has an excellent state park with swimming and camping.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park has the halfway point monument and the famous Half-Gallon Challenge (eat a half-gallon of ice cream at the camp store to celebrate reaching the midpoint). The AT through the Cumberland Valley is flat farmland — the Pennsylvania ridge sections (North and South Mountains) are more dramatic.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Gettysburg Address Site and Lincoln History
"Where Lincoln delivered the most important speech in American history."
The Gettysburg National Cemetery — adjacent to the battlefield — is where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. The actual location where he spoke is documented, and the setting of the national cemetery (containing the graves of 3,500 Union soldiers) is profoundly moving.
November 19th (the Gettysburg Address anniversary) has commemorative events each year that draw historians, reenactors, and leaders from across the country. Being at Carlisle during this period is a rare opportunity.
Hershey, Pennsylvania
"The sweetest place on Earth. 30 minutes east."
Hershey, Pennsylvania is the home of the Hershey Company and Hersheypark — a full theme park, Hershey's Chocolate World (factory tour, free to visit), the Hotel Hershey, and Hersheypark Stadium (concerts).
Hershey Military Discount: Hersheypark offers significant military pricing on admission. The Hershey's Chocolate World factory tour is free and excellent for children of all ages. The Hotel Hershey brunch is a War College traditional family event.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Carlisle Car Shows (Carlisle Events)
"The largest car show series in America. Carlisle Events runs 10+ shows annually."
Carlisle Events runs the largest car show series in the country at the Carlisle Fairgrounds — Spring Carlisle (antiques), Fall Carlisle (antiques and classics), Corvette Nationals, and multiple specialty shows throughout the year. The event culture is a unique Carlisle tradition.
Spring Carlisle (April) and Fall Carlisle (October) are the main events — hundreds of thousands of cars and spectators over 4-5 days. Even non-car-people find the sheer scale impressive. Free parking and reasonable admission.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The capital. 2 hours southeast. Free Smithsonian museums."
DC is 2 hours southeast on I-270 or I-70 — the full Smithsonian museum complex (all free), the memorials, and the political and historical context highly relevant to War College study.
"The bloodiest single day in American military history. 1 hour south."
Antietam is 55 miles south — September 17, 1862, the bloodiest single day in American military history (23,000 casualties). The preserved battlefield, the Visitor Center, and Burnside Bridge are deeply relevant to War College students studying operational art.
The War College year is unlike any other assignment. The academic environment, the cohort of colonels and senior officers, and the intellectual freedom to study strategy creates a unique professional development opportunity. Engage fully.
Spouses frequently use the War College year to pursue advanced degrees at Dickinson College, Penn State Harrisburg, or online programs. The stable, predictable schedule makes this uniquely achievable.
The cohort of international officers at the War College creates relationships that last careers. Build those connections intentionally — the NATO and partner nation officers are exceptional professional network assets.
Carlisle's location places it equidistant from Gettysburg (30 min), Hershey (30 min), and the Appalachian Trail (1 hr). Use every weekend productively.
Carlisle is a small Pennsylvania town and the War College is the dominant institution. For officers who don't engage with the intellectual mission, the year can feel underwhelming. The community is small and the social world is largely the War College cohort — approximately 300 students plus faculty. If you approach it as a year to read everything you couldn't during the operational years and think strategically, it's one of the best assignments in the Army. If you approach it as a year off, you'll be disappointed.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.