Join us for our first History Happy Hour of the season!

In 2024, the Missing in America Project identified the cremated remains of more than two dozen unclaimed Civil War veterans and their spouses at a funeral home in Seattle, Washington. Working with the project, local historian Richard Heisler played a leading role in the yearslong effort to identify, memorialize, and reinter these 28 men and 31 women, eulogized by former Pulitzer Prize finalist Brian Matthew Jordan. Join Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, as he holds a conversation with Heisler and Jordan to discuss one of the largest collections of Civil War burials to have occurred in at least 150 years.

Click Here to Register

Richard Heisler is the founder of Civil War Seattle and Seattle History Tours. A resident of the Seattle area for more than three decades and a lifelong student of the Civil War era, Richard's public history work aims to bring light to the extensive and influential historical connections of the Seattle region's communities to the Civil War and other local history. Richard has presented and led tours and programs for many area historical and private organizations in Pennsylvania and Washington, and he is a contributing writer for Emerging Civil War and The Western Theater in the Civil War. Civil War Seattle has been featured widely in local Seattle media, including the Seattle Times, KOMO4 News, KIRO Radio, and Pacific NW Magazine.

Brian Matthew Jordan is Associate Professor of U.S. Civil War History and Chair of the Department of History at Sam Houston State University, where he has taught for a decade. Professor Jordan earned his undergraduate degree in Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College, and M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in History at Yale. His first book, Marching Home: Union Veterans and Their Unending Civil War, was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in History. He has authored or edited five other books on Civil War soldiers, veterans, and memory, including The War Went On: Reconsidering the Lives of Civil War Veterans (with Evan Rothera); A Thousand May Fall: An Immigrant Regiment’s Civil War, and Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves (with Jonathan W. White). Presently, he is at work on This War of Ours: A New History of the Civil War in the United States, a one-volume history of the conflict for Liveright/W.W. Norton. Brian is the founding co-editor of the series “Veterans” at the University of Massachusetts Press, and, for a decade, has served as Book Review Editor for The Civil War Monitor. He appears regularly on C-SPAN and was featured in the HISTORY Channel’s three-part documentary on the life of U.S. Grant.

Friday, November 14

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

3:30pm - Through the Eyes of Abraham Lincoln: How Authenticating His Eyeglasses Revealed a Hidden Struggle with Strabismus, Ethan Afshani

Over the past 160 years, the collectability of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia has earned prominence within the vast collecting sphere of Americana, coining the phrase "Lincolniana." Authentic artifacts from the 1930s through the 1980s often originated through the unassuming gentleman farmer, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, a man whose most notable claim to the legacy is the blood he shares as Lincoln’s great-grandson.

In this presentation, the complex provenance of one of Lincoln's most intimate artifacts, his eyeglasses, will be brought to light. This critical authentication research additionally presents us with a major discovery: scientific evidence of Lincoln’s hidden struggle with vertical strabismus (left superior oblique paresis), offering new, medically-grounded insights into the 16th President's health. 

Ethan Afshani is a historical consultant and author specializing in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War-era. He is the co-editor of AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG BY PARTICIPANT JULY 1863. The Civil War Diary of Lt. Henry J. Waltz, and has written for The Lincoln Forum Bulletin, including The Lincoln Chairs. His research article A New Discovery About Lincoln’s Ocular Health presents new insights into Lincoln’s medical history.

- FREE with Museum Admission -
Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

6:30pm - The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

Saturday, November 15

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

Sunday, November 16

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

12:30pm – The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

3:30pm – Marching Still

A collection of poems about the American Civil War set to original music composed, arranged, & performed by composer Ryan Mascilak.

FREE for all ages

Wednesday, November 19

3:30pm – ‘The Ground Around the Seminary’: President Lincoln’s Battlefield Excursion

Outdoor Walking Tour by Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation 

Hours before Abraham Lincoln delivered his iconic Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at least three eyewitnesses recalled that the president toured the battlefield, and according to one, the party “visited the ground around the Seminary, and Mr. Lincoln joined in.”

Join Codie as we use historical evidence to walk that ground and investigate Lincoln’s apparent visit.

FREE. No registration required. Meet near the Martin Luther Statue.

Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, will present “General Buford’s Signalman: Aaron Brainard Jerome at Gettysburg and Beyond,” at the Shippensburg Area Civil War Roundtable. The meeting begins at 7:00pm at Christ United Methodist Church (47 East King Street, Shippensburg, PA, 17257). For more information on the hippensburg Area Civil War Roundtable, visit https://www.facebook.com/cvcwrt/.

Many Civil War enthusiasts are aware of John Buford’s use of the Seminary Cupola at Gettysburg, an incident since popularized in literature and film, but few are familiar with First Lieutenant Aaron Brainard Jerome. As the person who likely spent the most time in that structure among any of the battle’s participants, Jerome served as an underrecognized member of the United States Signal Corps, an influencer in shaping perceptions of Buford’s legacy, and an officer who Buford praised as having been “ever on the alert.” This presentation will focus on Jerome’s life, writings, and role in shaping the Gettysburg story.

Friday, November 14

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

3:30pm - Through the Eyes of Abraham Lincoln: How Authenticating His Eyeglasses Revealed a Hidden Struggle with Strabismus, Ethan Afshani

Over the past 160 years, the collectability of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia has earned prominence within the vast collecting sphere of Americana, coining the phrase "Lincolniana." Authentic artifacts from the 1930s through the 1980s often originated through the unassuming gentleman farmer, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, a man whose most notable claim to the legacy is the blood he shares as Lincoln’s great-grandson.

In this presentation, the complex provenance of one of Lincoln's most intimate artifacts, his eyeglasses, will be brought to light. This critical authentication research additionally presents us with a major discovery: scientific evidence of Lincoln’s hidden struggle with vertical strabismus (left superior oblique paresis), offering new, medically-grounded insights into the 16th President's health. 

Ethan Afshani is a historical consultant and author specializing in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War-era. He is the co-editor of AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG BY PARTICIPANT JULY 1863. The Civil War Diary of Lt. Henry J. Waltz, and has written for The Lincoln Forum Bulletin, including The Lincoln Chairs. His research article A New Discovery About Lincoln’s Ocular Health presents new insights into Lincoln’s medical history.

- FREE with Museum Admission -
Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

6:30pm - The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

Saturday, November 15

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

Sunday, November 16

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

12:30pm – The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

3:30pm – Marching Still

A collection of poems about the American Civil War set to original music composed, arranged, & performed by composer Ryan Mascilak.

FREE for all ages

Wednesday, November 19

3:30pm – ‘The Ground Around the Seminary’: President Lincoln’s Battlefield Excursion

Outdoor Walking Tour by Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation 

Hours before Abraham Lincoln delivered his iconic Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at least three eyewitnesses recalled that the president toured the battlefield, and according to one, the party “visited the ground around the Seminary, and Mr. Lincoln joined in.”

Join Codie as we use historical evidence to walk that ground and investigate Lincoln’s apparent visit.

FREE. No registration required. Meet near the Martin Luther Statue.

Friday, November 14

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

3:30pm - Through the Eyes of Abraham Lincoln: How Authenticating His Eyeglasses Revealed a Hidden Struggle with Strabismus, Ethan Afshani

Over the past 160 years, the collectability of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia has earned prominence within the vast collecting sphere of Americana, coining the phrase "Lincolniana." Authentic artifacts from the 1930s through the 1980s often originated through the unassuming gentleman farmer, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, a man whose most notable claim to the legacy is the blood he shares as Lincoln’s great-grandson.

In this presentation, the complex provenance of one of Lincoln's most intimate artifacts, his eyeglasses, will be brought to light. This critical authentication research additionally presents us with a major discovery: scientific evidence of Lincoln’s hidden struggle with vertical strabismus (left superior oblique paresis), offering new, medically-grounded insights into the 16th President's health. 

Ethan Afshani is a historical consultant and author specializing in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War-era. He is the co-editor of AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG BY PARTICIPANT JULY 1863. The Civil War Diary of Lt. Henry J. Waltz, and has written for The Lincoln Forum Bulletin, including The Lincoln Chairs. His research article A New Discovery About Lincoln’s Ocular Health presents new insights into Lincoln’s medical history.

- FREE with Museum Admission -
Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

6:30pm - The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

Saturday, November 15

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

Sunday, November 16

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

12:30pm – The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

3:30pm – Marching Still

A collection of poems about the American Civil War set to original music composed, arranged, & performed by composer Ryan Mascilak.

FREE for all ages

Wednesday, November 19

3:30pm – ‘The Ground Around the Seminary’: President Lincoln’s Battlefield Excursion

Outdoor Walking Tour by Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation 

Hours before Abraham Lincoln delivered his iconic Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at least three eyewitnesses recalled that the president toured the battlefield, and according to one, the party “visited the ground around the Seminary, and Mr. Lincoln joined in.”

Join Codie as we use historical evidence to walk that ground and investigate Lincoln’s apparent visit.

FREE. No registration required. Meet near the Martin Luther Statue.

Friday, November 14

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

3:30pm - Through the Eyes of Abraham Lincoln: How Authenticating His Eyeglasses Revealed a Hidden Struggle with Strabismus, Ethan Afshani

Over the past 160 years, the collectability of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia has earned prominence within the vast collecting sphere of Americana, coining the phrase "Lincolniana." Authentic artifacts from the 1930s through the 1980s often originated through the unassuming gentleman farmer, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, a man whose most notable claim to the legacy is the blood he shares as Lincoln’s great-grandson.

In this presentation, the complex provenance of one of Lincoln's most intimate artifacts, his eyeglasses, will be brought to light. This critical authentication research additionally presents us with a major discovery: scientific evidence of Lincoln’s hidden struggle with vertical strabismus (left superior oblique paresis), offering new, medically-grounded insights into the 16th President's health. 

Ethan Afshani is a historical consultant and author specializing in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War-era. He is the co-editor of AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG BY PARTICIPANT JULY 1863. The Civil War Diary of Lt. Henry J. Waltz, and has written for The Lincoln Forum Bulletin, including The Lincoln Chairs. His research article A New Discovery About Lincoln’s Ocular Health presents new insights into Lincoln’s medical history.

- FREE with Museum Admission -
Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

6:30pm - The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

Saturday, November 15

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

Sunday, November 16

All visitors wearing period attire will receive an 18.63% discount on all Museum Admissions.

12:30pm – The Night Before Gettysburg, Chuck Johnson

A 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.  

35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register

He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul. 

“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson

3:30pm – Marching Still

A collection of poems about the American Civil War set to original music composed, arranged, & performed by composer Ryan Mascilak.

FREE for all ages

Wednesday, November 19

3:30pm – ‘The Ground Around the Seminary’: President Lincoln’s Battlefield Excursion

Outdoor Walking Tour by Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation 

Hours before Abraham Lincoln delivered his iconic Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at least three eyewitnesses recalled that the president toured the battlefield, and according to one, the party “visited the ground around the Seminary, and Mr. Lincoln joined in.”

Join Codie as we use historical evidence to walk that ground and investigate Lincoln’s apparent visit.

FREE. No registration required. Meet near the Martin Luther Statue.

On July 4, 1865, the first Independence Day after the conclusion of the Civil War, Maj. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard returned to Gettysburg, where, two years earlier, he commanded the United States Eleventh Corps. Now chairman of the Freedmen’s Bureau, the abolitionist Howard viewed the conflict’s immediate legacy through an emancipationist lens, recognizing that U.S. veterans played a primary role in the end of American slavery. Join Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, as he examines Howard’s complex military career, explores the Soldiers’ National Monument cornerstone dedication ceremony that brought Howard back to Cemetery Hill, and presents the entirety of Howard’s Fourth of July speech delivered amid the Battle of Gettysburg’s second anniversary.

- FREE with Museum Admission -

Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Though it is most famous for its many battle-related roles in the summer of 1863, Seminary Ridge has housed a historic Lutheran theological campus for nearly 200 years. Throughout the past two centuries, students, faculty, staff, military personnel, and visitors have accounted for their fair share of peculiar incidents, including fires, accidents, automobile crashes, and other anomalies. 

Join Kaleb Kusmierczyk, Director of Museum Operations, as he explores several of the Seminary’s strangest stories.

- FREE with Museum Admission -

Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Join us as we welcome back Tom March who will show and narrate a highly detailed animation of the fighting on East Cavalry field on the afternoon of Day 3. Using the acclaimed Gettysburg Animated Battle Map APP you will see Jeb Stuart’s Confederate cavalry face off against David Gregg’s Union troopers. See how Stuart positions the brigades of Chambliss, then Fitzhugh Lee and finally Hampton, during the late morning thru early afternoon, just northwest of the Rummel Farm. Watching his every move are the Union brigades of Custer and McIntosh to the southeast, setting the stage for the famous fight a few hours later. 

- FREE with Museum Admission-

Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

This Web-APP is sold for take-home, and free for SRM museum visitors to try out. It offers users the capability to examine animations of the entire 56-square mile battlefield, over the course of the battle from early morning on July 1st thru early evening July 3rd. Users of the APP can go anywhere on the battlefield, at any time during the three days, and view and examine anything. It’s your opportunity to view animations of the high-profile battle vignettes; Pickett’s Charge, The Wheatfield, Barlow’s Knoll, Herbst Woods; as well as lesser-known engagements such as Humphrey’s trek to Black Horse Tavern, Brinkerhoff Ridge, Neill Ave., and Longstreet’s Counter March.

Tom Marchesani (March) is an independent scholar of the battle of Gettysburg. A student of the Battle all of his life, he began this project in 2017. Now, after working over 7-years on the project, investing over 14,000 manhours, the last animation segments were completed in May 2023. There are over 400,000 moving parts and over 8,000 footnotes behind the scenes. Every military unit is shown. Infantry and cavalry regiments, and batteries are shown from the time they arrive on the battlefield’s outer boundaries until the end of Day 3’s fighting. Key infantry companies, skirmish lines; cavalry squadrons, as well as individual artillery guns and sections are depicted. We guarantee you’ve never seen a Battle animation like this one.

Through our collaboration with Adams County Library System, come join us at the Schmucker House every other month on the third Tuesday for a discussion on a selected nonfiction book.  This month we will explore the book, 1968 by Mark Kurlansky.

Registration Recommended

Of the innumerable events and proceedings that led to the American Civil War, radical abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, October 16-18, 1859, stood among the most consequential, controversial, and complex. Throughout the war from 1861 to 1865, soldiers sang, spoke, and wrote his name, mentioning such occurrences repeatedly in letters, diaries, and other correspondence. Join Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, as he examines the postwar literature of another phenomenon—that after the war concluded, veterans invoked Brown’s legacy as a central inspiring figure of their service, even in hindsight, when they crafted regimental histories, monument dedication speeches, and memoirs.

- FREE with Museum Admission -

Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, will present “‘The Grandest Ride Men Ever Took’: General Alexander Hays and the Protest after Pickett’s Charge” at the Cumberland Valley Civil War Round Table. The meeting begins at 7:00pm at the Franklin Fire Company (158 West King Street, Chambersburg, PA, 17201). For more information on the CVCWRT, visit https://www.facebook.com/cvcwrt/.

Following United States victory on July 3, 1863, division commander Alexander Hays dragged several captured Confederate battle flags across a dusty, bloody Cemetery Ridge. Despite dozens of eyewitness descriptions explaining this demonstration's symbolic importance, the event has been generally relegated to footnotes and brief remarks in battle histories. Join Codie as he examines precisely what happened that day, how it was remembered by those who observed and participated, and the ways it impacted many veterans' reflections on Gettysburg's status as a site of Rebel defeat.

Join us for a special living history event featuring the 8th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. This dedicated group of Civil War living historians, who regularly partner with the National Park Service, will present an authentic look at the life of the average Union soldier. Visitors can explore equipment displays, watch drill demonstrations, and experience an encampment that brings the realities of a soldier’s daily life on campaign to vivid life.

- Weather Permitting -

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Join us for a special living history event featuring the 8th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. This dedicated group of Civil War living historians, who regularly partner with the National Park Service, will present an authentic look at the life of the average Union soldier. Visitors can explore equipment displays, watch drill demonstrations, and experience an encampment that brings the realities of a soldier’s daily life on campaign to vivid life.

- Weather Permitting -

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Join us in welcoming Dr. Stephen A. Goldman, M.D., as he presents Fit for Duty: The Union Veteran Reserve Corps in the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Described by the Indiana Adjutant General “as unusual a fighting force as the United States ever armed and equipped for action,” the dreadfully-named, preposterously uniformed Invalid Corps come into existence in April 1863, and within a year became the Veteran Reserve Corps (VRC). Despite general derision from able-bodied field unit comrades, the VRC provided valuable garrison, guard, and other types of off-line duty, and enabled many thousands of the Union’s finest battle-hardened soldiers to continue serving their country during the Civil War, and after.

      Dr. Stephen A. Goldman will discuss the VRC’s formation, organization, responsibilities, and under-recognized contribution to the successful July 1864 defense of Washington. He will then explain how VRC soldiers played a major role in one of Reconstruction’s most vital organizations, the Freedmen’s Bureau.

Click here to register

      Stephen A. Goldman, the only physician to serve on the Abraham Lincoln Institute Board of Directors, received his B.A. from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University (Outstanding Graduate in Psychology), and his M.D. and its Alex Rosen Award for Excellence in Medicine and the Humanities from the New York University School of Medicine.

Having trained as a general adult psychiatrist at US Department of Veterans Affairs and other university-affiliated hospitals, he was a fellow/assistant attending in consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx, NY). Dr. Goldman then served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine, and Director of the Division of C-L Psychiatry, at the Indiana University School of Medicine.  

Upon completing a U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) Staff Fellowship in Clinical Pharmacology and Regulatory Drug Evaluation Sciences, he became Medical Director of MedWatch, the FDA’s medical product safety program. After federal service, Dr. Goldman has provided risk assessment, auditing, training, and other drug, biologic, and medical device safety assistance to industry and public organizations as an international consultant.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Life Fellow of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, and Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Goldman was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at USUHS for decades. Having treated and worked with those who’ve been under fire, he has studied the Civil War, Reconstruction, race, and the multi-faceted impact of combat on American veterans since Fort Sumter was fired upon.  

His unique expertise is exemplified in the groundbreaking One More War to Fight: Union Veterans’ Battle for Equality through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Lost Cause, which examines Northern soldiers’ and sailors’ unprecedented political activism, and powerful warrior identity.

A day in Gettysburg just for Girl Scouts!
Girl Scouts everywhere are encouraged to experience historic Gettysburg Pennsylvania with their troops and/or families.

This one-of-a-kind destination offers special opportunities for Girl Scouts of all levels (and leaders too.) It’s your day to choose your favorite places to visit with discounts and offers sure to make your trip the best day ever. Register your entire Girl Scout Troop or individuals. Your journey begins when you log in.

Girl Scouts and adults who purchase a minimum of three attractions receive a collectable Gettysburg patch (while supplies last).

Any Girl Scout and leader from any troop anywhere can register.

If you have questions about registration, please contact GSHPA directly at memberservices@gshpa.org.

For more information about Girl Scout Day 2025 and what to expect, click here.

Organized and Sponsored by Destination Gettysburg

Join Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center staff at the historic Mary Thompson house, which is open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center.

American Battlefield Trust may open the house at other times.
Click here to view their calendar.

Filmed in 1992 and released in 1993, director Ronald Maxwell and the cast and crew of the film Gettysburg utilized many real-world locations where the battle happened in 1863. Walk the Seminary grounds where several influential moments were filmed, including sites where actors Sam Elliott and John Rothman portrayed John Buford and John Reynolds.

- Free, donations appreciated-

Outdoors Weather Permitting - **Meet at Luther Statue**

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Join Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center staff at the historic Mary Thompson house, which is open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center.

American Battlefield Trust may open the house at other times.
Click here to view their calendar.

Join Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center staff at the historic Mary Thompson house, which is open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center.

American Battlefield Trust may open the house at other times.
Click here to view their calendar.

Join us for our second Summer Symposium, History Meets Healthcare, a thought-provoking symposium hosted by Seminary Ridge Museum. This unique event brings together distinguished speakers who have served in the field of healthcare and now explore its intersections with history. Each presenter will share insights that connect their medical expertise to compelling historical topics—from battlefield medicine to public health movements and beyond. Discover how past practices, people, and policies continue to shape today’s healthcare landscape.

Featuring:

Civil War Anesthesia: "Once wounded, pain became the enemy"
Fran Feyock, Licensed Battlefield Guide and retired nurse anesthetist

Presenting The Evolution of Military Surgical Practice
Col. Thomas Frank, M.D., retired U.S. Army Medical Corps surgeon

Civil War versus Modern Medicine: How Far Have We Advanced?
Jon Willen, M.D., retired infectious disease physician

Nursing Then and Now
Jackie Greer, nurse and women’s relief living historian

Emotional Vulnerability, Resilience, and Posttraumatic Growth in Combat Veterans: Lessons Learned Over Time
Stephen Goldman, M.D., former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist

'Contributed with a History of the Case': Medical Specimens at Seminary Ridge
Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation

Topics and titles coming soon!

Click here for in-person registration.

Included with your in-person registration, beginning at 8:00am, is light breakfast, catered lunch, book signing opportunity, admission to Seminary Ridge Museum, and a voucher for a guided tour of the historic Cupola.

Click here for virtual (livestream) registration.

Included with your virtual registration is livestream access information and other event-related materials.
Note: Livestream access will remain available indefinitely, so if you are unable to enjoy the event live, you may revisit at any time afterward.

**All proceeds support Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center.**

Join Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center staff at the historic Mary Thompson house, which is open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center.

American Battlefield Trust may open the house at other times.
Click here to view their calendar.

The Right to Secede?

Join SRMEC summer intern Teresa Carbone (Gettysburg College) for a review of the debate over the legality of Southern secession and its modern implications, investigating contemporary discussions of the right to secede as well as their applicability to modern secessionist movements.

The presentation will discuss the state of political theory regarding secessionism at the time of the Civil War, as well as the developments in said theory forced by the war.

- FREE -

Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Join Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center staff at the historic Mary Thompson house, which is open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center.

American Battlefield Trust may open the house at other times.
Click here to view their calendar.

Due to high temperatures forecast for Friday, July 25, we have made the decision to cancel this evening’s Sunset Walking Tour. Stay cool, stay safe, stay hydrated!

During the Confederate attack against Seminary Ridge on July 1, 1863, more than 20 United States cannon defended these grounds—one of the highest concentrations of artillery at Gettysburg—before at least 18 Confederate cannon occupied the Seminary campus for two days. Discover the guns used, the cannoneers who manned them, and the resulting damage.

- Free, donations appreciated-

Outdoors Weather Permitting - **Meet at Luther Statue**

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

From Famine to Freedom

Join SRMEC summer intern Jack Hales (Allegheny College) in the Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center for a review of how the Civil War changed Irish American status in society. This review encapsulates the origins of the Irish Brigade and their acts of bravery, as well as showing the impacts on society, this Brigade had on Irish Americans.

- FREE -

Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center

Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Join Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center staff at the historic Mary Thompson house, which is open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center.

American Battlefield Trust may open the house at other times.
Click here to view their calendar.

Fridays on the Ridge
Dr. Brian Matthew Jordan
July 18, 2025 - 3:30pm
Valentine Hall Auditorium (next to Museum)
-FREE, donations appreciated-

“Held in War’s Grasp”: The Ordeals of Union Veteranhood

Beginning where many histories end, Brian Matthew Jordan will reveal the desperate fate that awaited Union veterans after demobilization. While Confederate troops returned to homes that shared in a sense of defeat, Union veterans returned to a civilian population eager to put the war behind them. Based on prodigious research in a trove of veteran correspondence, medical records, and pension files, this lecture surveys the myriad ways in which the Civil War continued to annex the bodies and minds of its survivors. Further, it reveals how the protracted battles over the conflict’s memory and legacy further complicated the onerous task of reintegration for ordinary veterans.

Brian Matthew Jordan is Associate Professor of U.S. Civil War History and Chair of the Department of History at Sam Houston State University, where he has taught for a decade. Professor Jordan earned his undergraduate degree in Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College (working under the tutelage of Gabor Boritt and Allen Guelzo), and M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in History at Yale. His first book, Marching Home: Union Veterans and Their Unending Civil War, was a finalist (one of three runners- up) for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in History and, in its dissertation form, won the George Washington Egleston Prize (for Best U.S. History Dissertation at Yale) and John Addison Porter Prize. He has authored or edited five other books on Civil War soldiers, veterans, and memory, including The War Went On: Reconsidering the Lives of Civil War Veterans (with Evan Rothera); A Thousand May Fall: An Immigrant Regiment’s Civil War, and Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves (with Jonathan W. White). Presently, he is at work on This War of Ours: A New History of the Civil War in the United States, a one-volume history of the conflict for Liveright/W.W. Norton. Brian is the founding co-editor of the series “Veterans” at the University of Massachusetts Press, and, for a decade, has served as Book Review Editor for The Civil War Monitor. He appears regularly on C-SPAN and was featured in the HISTORY Channel’s three-part documentary on the life of U.S. Grant. In 2024, he delivered a eulogy at the inurnment of 28 Union veterans and their spouses in Seattle, Washington. He has addressed audiences in more than thirty states.