The Gettysburg Museum & Visitor Center has opened its doors to the public.

The 139,000sq ft (12,900sq m) attraction is located on the Baltimore Pike in Cumberland Township, Adams County, adjacent to the famous American Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania.

The US$103m (77m euro, £60m) museum includes 11 permanent galleries with exhibits, designed by Gallagher & Associates, showcasing the history of the battle of Gettysburg,

Exhibits include the Cyclorama Gallery, displaying the historic and recently conserved Gettysburg Cyclorama painting.

The painting – on public view for the first time after a five-year, $15m (11m euro, £8.7m) restoration project – was originally completed in the 1880s by the French painter Paul Philippoteaux and a team of assistants. The 377ft (115m)-long, 42ft-(13m)-high painting wraps around the entire wall of a large gallery, offering visitors a panoramic view of the battlefield.

Other displays are similarly designed to immerse visitors in the stories of the Civil War era and the Battle of Gettysburg, including interactive stations throughout the museum and educational facilities for teacher workshops, classroom use and distance learning programs.

The museum is operated jointly by the by the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation and the National Park Service