On Saturday, Sept. 14, as part of its annual Legacy Weekend commemoration, Seminary Ridge Museum will again host a Community Free Day. Through the generosity of The Robert C. Hoffman Charitable Endowment Trust, all Adams County residents will enjoy free Museum Admission. Please bring a valid ID (one per party is fine). Museum Admission does not include guided Cupola Tours, which can be purchased separately at a discounted rate.
At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, we will offer a “Stories from the Seminary Hospital” walking tour. This roughly 60-minute experience will traverse the campus of United Lutheran Seminary to highlight the scope, impact, and legacy of the Seminary Hospital in the summer of 1863.
Throughout Saturday, Sept. 14, we will feature three special outdoor programs, open to the public and free, though donations to support education and preservation are appreciated. At 1:30 p.m., join us for “Mending the Wounded,” an interactive Civil War medicine activity for all ages. At 2:30 p.m., Director of Museum Operations Kaleb Kusmierczyk will deliver one of his popular “Treated at the Seminary” presentations, examining the life and treatment of a Seminary Hospital patient. And at 3:30 p.m., Director of Education and Interpretation Codie Eash will examine ongoing work in researching and digitizing “The Seminary Hospital Database,” a compiled series of more than 700 patients, surgeons, and nurses who were here. All three of these programs meet at the Luther Statue next to Seminary Ridge Museum.
A full schedule and more information about Legacy Weekend and Community Free Day is available at seminaryridgemuseum.org/events.
Additional Community Free Days will occur on Nov. 16 of this year and Jan. 20, 2025. Free programming presented on these days will emphasize how Gettysburg and south-central Pennsylvania fit into larger narratives, drawing a connection between local and national history.
We hope that all Adams County residents will take advantage of this opportunity to have a truly special connection to the past as we help make history more accessible for all. We look forward to seeing you on the Ridge!
About Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center:
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center is located in the original 1832 building of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary). Opened in 2013, three floors of exhibits connect individuals and groups to the dilemmas that led to the Civil War, provide a powerful and personal view of the battle’s first day, and show the work of one of the battlefield’s largest field hospitals. Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center is located along the Gettysburg National Military Park tour route at 111 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, PA 17325. The Museum is currently open Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.