Living History Encampment & Candlelight Talk

On select weekends, visitors to the children’s history museum can interact with living historians from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sundays. Officers for the Union and Ladies for the Union will encamp in the side yard of Children of Gettysburg 1863, 451 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Guests can learn about Civil War officers who commanded and fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, featuring first-person impressions by the Officers for the Union. The Ladies for the Union will gather in a “ladies salon” setting, demonstrating unique home craft skills of the era, such as bobbin lace, hand sewing and making bandboxes. They will display the period’s home remedies, medical practices and children’s toys. The Ladies will discuss the importance of the home front during the Civil War, support and aid for the soldiers and the effect the war had on families and communities.

Visitors are invited to join us for a special feature on select Saturday evenings, with a talk presented by candlelight from 8 until 9 p.m. in the Officers for the Union’s encampment in the side yard. The Officers encourage audience questions and will discuss their role before, during and after the Battle of Gettysburg. Living historians will provide details about military life and elements of the officer’s personal life they portray.

The living history presentations in the side yard of Children of Gettysburg 1863 are free and open to the public. Ticket holders to Children of Gettysburg 1863 can experience hands-on history through the stories of the children, teens and young adults who lived in and around Gettysburg during and after the 1863 battle. Designed for families and children in grades K-5, the interactive adventure takes families on a journey through galleries of interactive exhibits and experiences that provide a history-based setting for creativity, discovery and learning.

Children of Gettysburg 1863 is open daily through Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and offers adventures every 30 minutes, with the last daily ticket time at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for children and youth (ages 12 and younger) are free with a ticketed adult (ages 13 and older).

Visit GettysburgFoundation.org or call 717-334-2436 for information and tickets for Children of Gettysburg 1863 and the experiences, exhibits, tours and events offered by the Gettysburg Foundation.