HGAC offers McAllister Mill tours, replaces Civil War hospital signs with a key assist from high school students

McAllisters Mill marker

Historic Gettysburg Adams County volunteers have begun conducting weekly Underground Railroad tours at McAllister’s Mill, located adjacent to the National Military Park. HGAC encourages everyone to discover a part of the battlefield unknown to most visitors. Tours leave from the south end of the old Mulligan MacDuffer’s Golf Course parking lot at 1360 Baltimore Pike

ABT will hold its 2024 annual conference in Gettysburg; announces new virtual tour at Lee’s Headquarters

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In less than one year, hundreds of American Battlefield Trust members will descend on Gettysburg for the national preservation organization’s 2024 Annual Conference. From April 25–28, they’ll enjoy tours, talks, and other special gatherings at an event designed to showcase both the battlefield and the community that surrounds it. Speaking from the group’s iconic property

Gettysburg Underground Railroad tours will begin in May

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Walking tours of Gettysburg’s only Underground Railroad (UGRR) Site recognized by the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom will begin on Saturday, May 6th, and everyone is invited to attend. Professional guides will lead tours every Saturday at 11 AM from May through August. Since 2011, hundreds of visitors have taken advantage of this unique

The lasting appeal of Gettysburg

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“We had an almost mystical visit to the cemetery,” said Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer about his recent trip to Gettysburg with 19 Hunter College students. “We walked in via the route Lincoln took and visited the soldiers’ monument plus the now famous rhododendron bush [recently identified as the spot where Lincoln stood to deliver his

Discover the Untold Stories of Gettysburg at Beyond the Battle Museum

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The Adams County Historical Society (ACHS) officially opened the doors of its new history center and museum, “Gettysburg Beyond the Battle,” on Saturday, April 15th. Over one thousand visitors enjoyed Gettysburg’s newest museum as well as a full weekend of programming including book signings, children’s activities, and a special panel discussion. Guest speakers during opening

GNMP adds bronze relief tactile accessibility tables

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Gettysburg National Military Park recently installed two bronze relief tactile tables, with a third to come, at key locations within the park. These new bronze relief tables depict three-dimensional landscape elevations of the battlefield. Visitors will now have access to better understand the landscape across which the battle was fought and how terrain influenced the

24th annual History Meets the Arts next weekend

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Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15, will be the 24th annual History Meets the Arts (HMTA) show & sale in Gettysburg. 17 artists represented by Lord Nelson’s Gallery will be at the Gettysburg Fire Company Community Room Friday April 14, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and again Saturday April 15, from 10:00 am

Tours of the Eisenhower home will resume April 1

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Visitors May Now Drive Directly to the Farm  GETTYSBURG, PA – Eisenhower National Historic Site is pleased to announce that tours of the Eisenhower home will resume on Saturday, April 1, 2023, for the Spring and Summer season. Individuals, families, and groups with fewer than 20 people can now drive directly to the site.  April

WWII American Experience celebrates Women’s History Month

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The Gettysburg WWII American Experience kicked off Women’s History Month on Saturday with an exhibit celebrating the inspirational and unprecedented contributions of women supporting the military efforts during World War II.  Featuring many authentic original artifacts, vehicles, uniforms, pictures, storyboards, and activities for children and adults, the exhibit highlighted the important roles that nearly 350,000

Gary Ozenbaugh and American Battlefield Trust make donation to GARA

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Long-time owner of Gettysburg’s General Pickett’s Buffet Gary “Ozy” Ozenbaugh and officials from the American Battlefield Trust paid a scheduled visit to the Gettysburg Area Recreational Authority this afternoon to uphold their commitment to make a $20,000 gift in support of community projects. “After decades on Steinwehr Avenue, the time was right for us to

Live artillery Shell from the Battle of Gettysburg found on the GNMP battlefield

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An unexploded ordnance shell dating from the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg was discovered today at the Gettysburg National Military Park. The shell was found within the area of rehabilitation currently occurring around Little Round Top. The U.S. Army 55th Ordnance Disposal Company Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Fort Belvoir, VA gently washed off the mud

Winter programming at Gettysburg National Miliary Park

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Gettysburg, PA – Gettysburg will continue its popular Winter Lecture Series. Featuring some of the best National Park Service rangers and historians from across the region, this 10-week series of hour-long talks will examine a wide array of subjects related to the American Civil War and Gettysburg history including archeology at Little Round Top, the

Dedication Day ceremony celebrates 159th anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

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A collection of Gettysburg royalty – Park Superintendent Steve Sims, Gettysburg College President Robert Iuliano, Gettysburg Foundation President Wayne Motts, Lincoln Fellowship President The Reverend Steve Herr, and Gettysburg Forum chair Harold Holzer – together with superstar historians John Meacham and Dr. Allen Guelzo, gathered in the National Cemetery today to celebrate the 159th anniversary

The Shared History of the Musselman Family and the Adams County Fruit Industry

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Nearly everyone, it seems, has heard the name Musselman and knows it is associated with food processing. Fewer know that there were two Musselmans involved, Christian H. Musselman (1880-1944) and Ivan Z. Musselman (1886-1963). And almost no person living today has heard about the third Musselman, Christian’s father, John Musselman (1858-1931). It was John who

Dedication Day and Remembrance Day events calendar

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Dedication Day (ceremony in the Gettysburg National Cemetery) and Remembrance Day (parade and Illumination) events all fall on Saturday Nov. 19, 2022. All events and shuttles are free to the public. Expect substantial road closures in the area. The David Wills House will be open for free on November 18-19. November 19 schedule: 9:00 am to

“Ticket to the Past:” A virtual reality tour about Basil Biggs

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Newly opened in downtown Gettysburg at the beautifully preserved train station, the Gettysburg Foundation’s “Ticket to the Past: Unforgettable Journey” is a wonderful, mind-altering, virtual reality experience that may give visitors a glimpse into the future of museum visitors’ engagements with history. “Ticket to the Past” feels more like a series of face-to-face encounters than

It’s Back to School Time – 1896, That Is!

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On Sunday, September 18 between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Mt. Joy Township will host a re-opening of “Mud College,” the little 1-room 153-year old red brick schoolhouse, along Baltimore Pike between Gettysburg and Littlestown. Originally one of seven one-room schoolhouses scattered throughout Mt. Joy Township, The Pleasant Grove School was built in 1869. It

Local sculptor’s statue dedicated in York

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PA Governor Tom Wolf and other dignitaries gathered in front of the William Goodridge Freedom Center and Underground Railroad site in York on Friday. They were there to unveil and dedicate a monument of William Goodridge, who was born in slavery but became one of York’s leading businessmen and a major leader on the Underground

Gettysburg National Military Park Living History demonstrations continue this weekend

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The Gettysburg National Military Park Living History Program continues this weekend with demonstrations at three locations. Live artillery demonstrations presented by the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery B; Encampment and programs at Auto Tour Stop 12, the Pennsylvania Memorial and the Copse of Trees. Saturday July 16: 11:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m.; 3:00 p.m. Sunday

New World War II Museum Opens in Gettysburg on Saturday

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Just a ten-minute drive from Gettysburg’s Lincoln Square lies the brand new World War II American Experience Museum, full of military vehicles, equipment, uniforms, and Gettysburg history. The museum, located on the Mummasburg Rd. at 845 Crooked Creek Rd., offers learning and entertainment for both children and adults. A soft opening this Saturday from 10:00

Gettysburg Majestic will present first-ever Ken Burns Film Festival

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Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater announced yesterday it will host the first-ever film festival dedicated solely to the work of award-winning documentarian Ken Burns next February 10-12, 2023. More than a career retrospective, festival-goers will engage with Burns, his collaborators, historians, and Gettysburg College students in consequential conversations about the simple question Burns has explored in

Eisenhower Home Opens for Tours Memorial Day Weekend

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Beginning Friday, May 27, the Eisenhower Home at Eisenhower National Historic Site (NHS) will reopen for public tours. The shuttle between the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center (MVC) to Eisenhower NHS will also resume on May 27 at 10:30 am. From Memorial Day Weekend to Columbus Day Weekend, the National Park Service

David Wills House Reopens for 2022

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Beginning April 23, 2022, the historic David Wills House will reopen, free of charge, on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Effective June 2, 2022, operations will expand to Thursday-Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. National Park Service Rangers will staff the home with support from Main Street Gettysburg. The reopening of

Thaddeus Stevens statue unveiled in Gettysburg

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After many years of fundraising and an extensive search for an appropriate location, a statue of former U.S. Congressman and civil rights advocate Thaddeus Stevens (1792-1868) was unveiled today in front of the Adams County Courthouse. Hundreds of people filled the sidewalk and spilled into Baltimore St. during the unveiling ceremony on a sunny spring

GNMP Winter Programs Continue

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Gettysburg National Military Park winter programs will continue through Sunday, March 12, 2022. Park staff and invited historians will once again offer the Winter Lecture Series as well as the popular Reading Adventures program for children ages 4 to 10 and their families. These free programs are presented at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum

Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens to become nonprofit

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After many years of neglect, the Adams County supervisors have developed a plan to provide assurance for the people who are buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery and their families. The cemetery, located at 1380 Chambersburg St. West of Gettysburg has been in poor repair since at least 2015. “It turned into a bit of a

Gettysburg 64th Annual Dedication Day Weekend

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This weekend marked the anniversary of the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg. The Gettysburg National Cemetery is famous throughout the world today as the site of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered at the cemetery’s dedication ceremonies four and a half months after the battle. Numerous events take place each year to commemorate

Veterans Day at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center

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Gettysburg, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2021)—The Gettysburg Foundation announces a special discount and programming at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center to honor our veterans, on Veterans Day, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center is currently open daily, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Gettysburg Foundation invites all U.S. military veterans to

Remembrance Day Illumination: Sponsor a Luminary Candle In Honor or Memory of a Loved One

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Gettysburg, Pa. (Oct. 6, 2021)—The Gettysburg Foundation presents the 19th Annual Remembrance Day Illumination on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The event is subject to weather conditions, health and safety. The commemoration features a luminary candle on all 3,512 Civil War soldiers’ graves. The fallen soldiers’ names are read

The 2021 World War II Weekend at Eisenhower National Historic Site will be a hybrid event

The 2021 World War II Weekend at Eisenhower National Historic Site will be a hybrid event that will include in-person and virtual programming. These programs will take place from Friday, September 17 through Sunday, September 19. Due to safety measures during the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic, we will not host our traditional living history encampment

#MoreHistory will engage historians and public in Civil War Era conversations on Saturday

Gettysburg National Military Park is pleased to partner with the Journal of the Civil War Era and Gettysburg College on a series of special events to be held in the park on Saturday, September 18. From 12 pm to 2 pm, join National Park Service rangers, historians, and volunteers at select sites throughout the battlefield for a special look

Explore Flohr’s Church Cemetery with the Adams County Historical Society

With burials dating to the 1790s, Flohr’s Church is one of the earliest German Lutheran congregations in the area. Still active, this Franklin Township graveyard contains some 3,000 known burials and countless unmarked graves. Join Adams County Historical Society historian Timothy H. Smith on Tuesday, September 7th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on a walk

HGAC Barn Tour on Sep. 18

The Historic Gettysburg-Adams County Preservation Society (HGAC) will hold a tour of historic barns in the Gettysburg area on Saturday, September 18 from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. Proceeds from this Historic Barns Tour will benefit the award-winning HGAC Barn Preservation Project and Grant Program. HGAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on historic preservation in

New York developer Tim Harrison purchases the Gettysburg Station Site for $1 million

Another chapter in the long history of the so-called REDDI or Gettysburg Station property, situated in Gettysburg between North Stratton and Carlisle streets near the historic railroad station, was written this summer when Staten Island developer Tim Harrison purchased the 2.4-acre property from the Adams County Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA) for $1 million. The property,

HGAC Historic Barns Tour of Gettysburg and Adams County: Saturday, September 18 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Travel back in time and enjoy this rare opportunity to visit inside seven historic barns near Gettysburg.  The Historic Gettysburg-Adams County Preservation Society (HGAC) presents the “Historic Barns Tour of Gettysburg and Adams County” on Saturday, September 18 from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm.  The Tour starts at the historic Round Barn near Cashtown where

Gettysburg Heritage Center to host numerous authors as part of the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

The 158th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will bring several authors to the Gettysburg Heritage Center for presentations and book signings.  Notable authors, such as Dr. Bradley Gottfried, Tom McMillan, Kent Masterson Brown, Jim Hessler, Jared Frederick & Erik Dorr will be among those in attendance. Book talks followed by signings will take place Friday,

Veterans Remembered at Gettysburg Memorial Day Parade and Presentation

As other families picnicked and visited, thousands of veterans, families with children of all ages, and other patriots lined Baltimore Avenue in Gettysburg on a sunny Memorial Day afternoon to watch an enthusiastic parade.  A smaller crowd stayed on to hear presentations at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. The parade included representatives of the guided-missile cruiser

Gettysburg National Military Park & Gettysburg Foundation Partnership Project: Culp’s Hill Rehabilitation

Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation are partnering on a Culp’s Hill rehabilitation project. The project will improve the cultural and natural landscape of 18-acres of Culp’s Hill where key battle action occurred on July 2-3, 1863. Work will include the removal of brush and select understory (trees five inches or less in diameter)

GNP Visitor Center Returns to Normal Daily Hours for Visitors

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, home of the Gettysburg Cyclorama and the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, announces new hours of operation throughout the summer starting Saturday, May 1, 2021. The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center had offered visitors reduced hours since reopening its doors June 25, 2020, and

Gettysburg Foundation Names New President

The Board of Directors of the Gettysburg Foundation has appointed Wayne E. Motts as the Foundation’s new president to lead the operations of the national preservation and education organization.  The Gettysburg Foundation owns and operates the LEED Gold-certified Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center in partnership with Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower

Underground Railroad Tours Are Back!

Walking tours of Gettysburg’s only Underground Railroad (UGRR) Site recognized by the National Park Service’s “Network to Freedom” will begin on Saturday, May 1st at 11:00 a.m and everyone is invited to attend. The McAllister’s Mill UGRR Tours were cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, but all of the tour guides have received

ACHS Breaks Ground and Selects Museum Design Firm

As site work begins at the future home of the future Adams County Historical Museum on the Biglerville road just north of Gettysburg, the Adams County Historical Society has chosen an architect for the building. The museum planning process has been entrusted to HealyKohler Design, an award-winning firm based in Washington, D.C. HealyKohler is known

The Black Influence – Series 2: 1847 to 1864

In 1847, John “Jack” Hopkins was a custodian at the Gettysburg College. He was hired making only $15 a month. This was the normal wage for a free Black man in Pennsylvania. He was held in high esteem by the faculty and students. It is said that he helped freedom seekers during their passage in

Fifth Annual Absolutionists Day Event Scheduled for April 10

The fifth annual Abolitionists Day will be held as a Zoom event on April 10 at 4 p.m. To be put on a list to get an invitation to tis event, please send an email to info@thaddeusstevenssociety.com Abolitionists Day has been held annually since 2017, showcasing abolitionists who helped to free the enslaved and destroy

The Black Influence – Series 1: 1780 to 1850

In 1780, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed “An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery.” The Act stated people born into slavery in 1780 and after, would be freed when they turned 28 years old. However, people born into slavery before 1780 were still enslaved for life. For the time, this was a progressive step, but don’t

ACHS Announces Partnership with Gettysburg Black History Museum

The Adams County Historical Society (ACHS) is thrilled to announce the formalization of a key partnership with Gettysburg Black History Museum, Inc. This grassroots organization was established to preserve and promote Black history and culture in our community. Like ACHS, GBHM holds precious archival materials that are key to understanding the story of Gettysburg and Adams County.