Family Day at Spangler, Memorial Day Weekend
The Gettysburg Foundation will host Family Day at Spangler, a free, one-day event from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, May 28, 2022, at the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital. The event marks the first opportunity for the public to visit the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital this year.
Offering free admission and the opportunity for the Adams County community and visitors to Gettysburg to experience the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital, Family Day at Spangler provides an educational day for families to experience and learn about the history of the 80-acre historic site.
"Family Day is an excellent opportunity for families and anyone who enjoys history to explore the best surviving example of a corps-level field hospital used during the Battle of Gettysburg,” said Paul Semanek, Spangler Farm Site Coordinator. “We look forward to offering this event during the Memorial Day weekend. The community and families can enjoy a late springtime visit before we kick off the summer season beginning the weekend of June 10 to 12," added Semanek.
Living historians with Blue & Gray Hospital Association, an official living history group of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, will be on-site during the event. Guests will have the opportunity to interact with a living historian portraying Father William Corby, a Catholic Priest and chaplain of the 88th New York Infantry, who witnessed the carnage of Gettysburg and survived the battle.
Historic Gettysburg-Adams County (HGAC) will present information on historic barn preservation. HGAC interprets the design, construction and use of the iconic Pennsylvania Bank Barn.
The family-friendly programming and offerings include the opportunity to:
Hear stories about the civilian role during and after the battle and the Spangler family.
Explore Civil War era pharmaceuticals and dentistry.
Learn about the Letterman System and how it was used during the battle.
See a reproduction of a Civil War Wheeling (Rosecrans) ambulance reproduction.
Discover Civil War era games.
Treat yourself to a local favorite with Mr. G’s old-fashioned ice cream.
Visitors to the special Family Day at Spangler event may drive directly to the property and park on-site