Visitors can explore Civil War history at Spangler Farm during a free Fall Family Day on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Gettysburg Foundation says the program will include living history, demonstrations and activities at the farm.

The farm, at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road, served as a Union Army field hospital after the Battle of Gettysburg. The Foundation says more than 1,900 wounded soldiers received care there.

Reenactors from several groups are scheduled to portray soldiers and civilians. The Foundation’s event notice names the Blue & Gray Hospital Association, Officers for the Union and Ladies for the Union, Patriot Daughters of Lancaster, and Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Artillery.

Battery B plans non-firing artillery demonstrations. The event listing also describes opportunities to explore the historic barn and summer kitchen.

Preservation work will be part of the day’s program. The Foundation says the Historic Gettysburg-Adams County organization will discuss preservation of the barn, helping connect the site’s military history with the work required to maintain it.

The day is designed for families and visitors who want to learn about the farm through demonstrations and conversation, rather than only through exhibits. Gettysburg Foundation says free ice cream will be available while supplies last.

The program offers a look at a less familiar part of the Gettysburg battlefield story: the network of farms and buildings converted to care for the wounded. The farm had been a working family farm before the battle, according to the Foundation.

Fall Family Day is free and open to the public, according to the event announcement. Visitors can check the Foundation’s event page for current details before traveling.

Sources: Gettysburg Foundation event announcement · Destination Gettysburg event listing