The 2021 World War II Weekend at Eisenhower National Historic Site will be a hybrid event that will include in-person and virtual programming. These programs will take place from Friday, September 17 through Sunday, September 19.
Due to safety measures during the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic, we will not host our traditional living history encampment on the grounds of Eisenhower National Historic Site. The Eisenhower home will not be open for tours, but park grounds will be open for on-site vehicle access. Visitors are welcome to drive to the site (250 Eisenhower Farm Lane) and follow signs to the temporary parking lot.
The virtual component of the event will feature 12 pre-recorded virtual programs that will be posted on the Eisenhower National Historic Site Facebook page throughout the three-day event. These programs will explore stories of the Homefront during World War II, accounts of some of the over 500 World War II burials in the Gettysburg National Cemetery, as well as recorded interviews with NPS staff at other World War II NPS sites.
Park staff will also conduct in-person, outdoor programming at the Eisenhower National Historic Site and Gettysburg National Military Park, covering connections between Gettysburg and the Second World War.
September 17
Walking Tours of the Eisenhower Farm—11 am and 2 pm (1 hour)
Explore the grounds of the only home that Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower ever owned. The Eisenhowers used their Gettysburg farm for relaxation and diplomacy during their time in the White House, and it served as their primary residence during their retirement in the 1960s.
Meet in front of the Eisenhower home. Park in the temporary on-site parking area.
WWII in the National Cemetery: Adams County in WWII—5 pm (1 hour)
Over 100 servicemen from Adams County, Pennsylvania were killed in action or died of their wounds during World War II. Some were ultimately brought back for final burial in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Join a park ranger for this walking tour focusing exclusively on the stories of young men from Gettysburg and Adams County who made the ultimate sacrifice during WWII.
Meet at the Taneytown Road entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Park in the National Cemetery parking lot.
September 18
WWII Leaders at the Eisenhower Farm—11 am and 3 pm (1 hour)
During President Eisenhower’s administration, he used his Gettysburg Farm to host numerous world leaders for diplomatic visits. Many of these world leaders played major roles during the Second World War, including Winston Churchill, Charles DeGaulle, Bernard Montgomery, and Nikita Khrushchev. Join a park ranger to learn the stories of these WWII leaders who later visited the Eisenhower farm in Gettysburg.
Meet in front of the Eisenhower home. Park in the temporary on-site parking area. On-site parking is limited.
Gettysburg During World War II—1 pm (1 hour)
Gettysburg National Military Park was far from the front lines of WWII, but was still impacted, nonetheless. From a German POW camp to a U.S. Army training center, Gettysburg was an active part of the Homefront during the Second World War. This ranger guided walking tour will discuss this important chapter in Gettysburg’s history.
Meet at Auto Tour Stop 4, the North Carolina Memorial, on West Confederate Avenue. Please keep all four tires on the paved roadway when parking.
WWII in the National Cemetery: The War in the European Theater—5 pm (1 hour)
Follow the Allied advance through the European Theater during World War II as seen through the stories of men who were killed in action and later buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. From North Africa and Sicily through the Battle of the Bulge, this walking tour will explore the lives of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who took part in the Great Crusade with General Eisenhower. Their sacrifices helped make Victory in Europe possible.
Meet at the Taneytown Road entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Park in the National Cemetery parking lot.
September 19
WWII Leaders at the Eisenhower Farm—11 am and 3 pm (1 hour)
During President Eisenhower’s administration, he used his Gettysburg Farm to host numerous world leaders for diplomatic visits. Many of these world leaders played major roles during the Second World War, including Winston Churchill, Charles DeGaulle, Bernard Montgomery, and Nikita Khrushchev. Join a park ranger to learn the stories of these WWII leaders who later visited the Eisenhower farm in Gettysburg.
Meet in front of the Eisenhower home. Park in the temporary on-site parking area. On-site parking is limited.
Gettysburg During World War II—1 pm (1 hour)
Gettysburg National Military Park was far from the front lines of WWII, but was still impacted, nonetheless. From a German POW camp to a U.S. Army training center, Gettysburg was an active part of the Homefront during the Second World War. This ranger guided walking tour will discuss this important chapter in Gettysburg’s history.
Meet at Auto Tour Stop 4, the North Carolina Memorial, on West Confederate Avenue. Please keep all four tires on the paved roadway when parking.
WWII in the National Cemetery: The War in the Pacific—5 pm (1 hour)
Explore the War in the Pacific—from Pearl Harbor through Okinawa—as seen through the stories of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who were killed in action during World War II and later buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. From 15-year-old Marines to Gettysburg natives who fought in the Philippines, these stories will trace the arduous road to Allied victory in the Pacific by following the stories of those who sacrificed everything to make it possible.
Meet at the Taneytown Road entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Park in the National Cemetery parking lot.
Jason Martz
Communications Specialist
Gettysburg National Military Park & Eisenhower National Historic Site
Office - 717.338.4423