The Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, will host its annual World War II Weekend from Sept. 19-21. The event will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II, focusing on the people, events and legacies of 1945, according to a community announcement.
The weekend will feature interactive programming, tours and activities for visitors of all ages. Programming will begin the evening of Sept. 19 and continue throughout the day on Sept. 20 and 21.
Eisenhower NHS will be closed on Sept. 19 during the setup of the on-site living history camp.
Event highlights include notable guest speakers and historians. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Rick Atkinson will speak Friday evening at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. Free tickets are required for this event.
Two World War II veterans are driven around the living history camp at the 2024 Eisenhower National Historic Site World War II Weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, speakers at Eisenhower NHS will discuss topics such as General George C. Marshall, the U.S. Marine Corps, the island of Iwo Jima, the Women’s Army Corps, surviving the Kamikaze, the flight of the Enola Gay and a conversation with Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, on the afternoon of Sept. 21.
A full list of speakers and topics is available on the park website.
Ranger-guided walking tours of World War II burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery will be offered at 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each evening’s program will have a different focus. Friday night’s theme is stories from the Pacific Theater, Saturday night will focus on casualties from the European Theater, and Sunday night will cover those who fought and died in 1945 at the war’s end. Participants should meet at the Taneytown Road entrance to Gettysburg National Cemetery.
The 1945 Living History Camp at Eisenhower NHS will allow visitors to explore American and Allied units, as well as groups depicting life on the homefront. Park rangers will lead guided walking tours of the living history camp throughout the weekend.
Family activities and programs will be available at Eisenhower NHS. Children can pick up a family activity booklet, participate in activities throughout the camp and visit the Family Tent for a special World War II-themed prize.
Special 1945 museum exhibits will be on display at the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center. These exhibits, from the Naval History and Heritage Command, U.S. Museum of the Navy, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Eisenhower NHS, will explore the people, events and legacies of 1945, including baseball during World War II.
Free tours of the Eisenhower home, the only home owned by Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, will be available on both Saturday and Sunday of World War II Weekend.
For more information, visit the Eisenhower National Historic Site website.
How to visit Eisenhower National Historic Site during World War II Weekend
Weather permitting, free on-site parking for passenger vehicles will be available at Eisenhower NHS in a farm field accessible from Emmitsburg Road, Business Route 15. For GPS, use 250 Eisenhower Farm Road.
Eisenhower NHS will have accessible parking on-site throughout the weekend.
Bus groups must book shuttles from the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center at 1195 Baltimore Pike. Reservations can be made by visiting the Gettysburg Foundation website or calling 877-874-2478.
All National Park Service World War II Weekend programming is free of charge. Outdoor programs are weather dependent.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
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This article originally appeared on Waynesboro Record Herald: Eisenhower NHS to host World War II Weekend in Gettysburg PA
