News Release
A father and child stand silhouetted in front of the Cyclorama painting during a Sensory Friendly event.
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Contact: Barbara Sanders
Gettysburg, PA – Gettysburg National Military Park will start the new year with events for all families, and especially for families with special learners.
“Our museum and our park can and should be a community resource for all families. History teaches us how to think critically, how to feel empathy, it inspires us to tackle our challenges or to right past wrongs. It helps us to grow as individuals and as a society… and besides all that, time traveling can be great fun!” explained Barbara Sanders, Supervisory Education Specialist for Gettysburg National Military Park.
All events are free of charge.
Saturday January 13 – Sensory Friendly Day
9 am to 11 am
Explore the film and Cyclorama painting and the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War in a quiet and calm way during the morning hours. Special Hands-On History Carts and other gentle surprises are in store for attending families, and a Reading & Relaxation Station will be available in the Ford Education Center.
Saturday January 20 – Join the Army with Company K for Hearing-Impaired
9 am to 11 am
Youth and families will explore the stories of Company K of the 1st Pennsylvania Reserves who joined the army in 1861 in Gettysburg, then found themselves fighting in their hometown two years later. Families will train, march, and learn all about their battle action alongside park rangers and American Sign Language interpreters. Registration preferred (but not required) for this event by emailing e-mail us with family name and number of attendees.
Saturday January 27 – Lincoln at Gettysburg for Visually-Impaired
9 am to 11 am
Youth and families will explore President Lincoln’s journey to downtown Gettysburg at the David Wills House Museum. Tour the home, wear Lincoln hats and coats, listen to the moving words of the Gettysburg Address, and more! Due to limited spacing, registration is required for this event by emailing e-mail us with family name and number of attendees.
Saturday February 3 – Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War for English Language Learners
9 am to 11 am
Come visit the museum with your family on this very special day that includes translated museum activities and vocabulary flipbooks, museum highlights tours with language interpreters, and hands-on history carts. Dress up like a soldier or townsperson, listen to the Gettysburg Address, and more. Registration preferred, but not required for this event by emailing e-mail us with family name and number of attendees.
Saturday February 10 – Sensory Friendly Day
9 am to 11 am
Explore the film and Cyclorama painting and the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War in a quiet and calm way during the morning hours. Special Hands-On History Carts and other gentle surprises are in store for attending families, and a Reading & Relaxation Station will be available in the Ford Education Center.
History Kids Reading Adventures Club
Saturday Mornings at 11 am
Participants are invited to stay for our free Saturday morning Reading Adventures program at 11 am in the Film Theater at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. The History Kids Reading Adventures Club, for families with children ages 4-10, meets each Saturday morning at 11 am in January and February. Our theme this year is “With Liberty and Justice for All”. Families join a park educator to hear a new book, with pages projected onto the movie screen, then participate in a related indoor or outdoor family-led adventure. This winter reading program teaches budding history buffs about important events, themes, and people in American history. Free of charge, and no registration needed.
Book selections include:
January 13: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca.
January 20: Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. This will also be presented in American Sign Language.
January 27: A Lady Has the Floor: Belva Lockwood Speaks Out for Women’s Rights by Kate Hannigan.
February 3: Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in Bronx by Jonah Winter.
February 10: Stolen Words by Melanie Florence.
February 17: Lincoln Clears A Path: Abraham Lincoln's Agricultural Legacy by Peggy Thomas. *PLEASE NOTE: This reading has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
February 24: I Am John Lewis by Brad Meltzer.
Time Travelers' Reading Adventure Club
Saturday Mornings at 11 am
March 2 to March 23
Ford Education Room, Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center
Join us as we explore this award-winning book based on the story of the First Minnesota Infantry Regiment, a very important unit at the battle of Gettysburg. Each week we will be reading a chapter or two, and then explore the real stories of the regiment here at Gettysburg. Program is free of charge. Recommended for families with children ages 9-14.
Our 2024 selection is: Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen.
For more information on these and other family focused programming at Gettysburg National Military Park, please visit: nps.gov/gett or email e-mail us.
Gettysburg National Military Park preserves, protects, and interprets for this and future generations the resources associated with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and their commemorations. Learn more at www.nps.gov/gett.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: March 1, 2024