American Master Guide Program

The Licensed Battlefield Guides of Gettysburg have been conducting tours for nearly a century  with the roots of local guiding stretching back to the summer of 1863.  Consequently the Gettysburg guides have a wealth of experience with the ‘art’ of guiding unmatched by any similar organization in the world.  Our licensed guides conduct tours 365 days a year by personal car, commercial coach, and extended walking tours of both the town of Gettysburg and its surrounding countryside. Guides have conducted tours by moped, motorcycle, bicycle, horseback and horse-drawn carriages and more recently by segway.

The American Master Guide certification program has been designed to share this knowledge with individuals anywhere who have a desire to sharpen their guiding skills.  Whether you are new to the guiding profession or have many years of experience, work only occasional tours or guide full time, the Master Guide Certification program can offer insights into tools and tricks of the guiding trade.

Application Process

• Government-issued guide license and three years guiding experience OR five years of documented guiding experience.
• Submission of a completed application form.
• Signed agreement to abide by the Master Guide Code of Conduct and Ethics.
• Payment of the Application fee.

Note: Membership in the Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides is NOT a requirement to enter this program.

The Program

The program consists of a series of twelve distinct modules each dealing with a particular skill set useful for anyone in the guiding profession.  The applicant may work through each module at their own pace submitting completed work to a peer evaluation team.  Applicant’s work is rated as either “approved” or “in-progress.”  The final module consists of a presentation in the form of a guided tour or a program delivered in front of an audience at which peer evaluators will look for evidence of elements common to good touring practices.

An optional module is included for guides who conduct multi-day theme tours.

Completion

Successful completion of the program entitles the applicant to wear the official badge and/or pin providing recognition as a “Master Guide.”