Saws, Scalpels, and Survival: Surgical Presentation & Reenactment

***Due to content and context this presentation is strictly for ages 12 and up***

Step into the blood-soaked reality of Civil War medicine at the Historic Farnsworth House, 401 Baltimore Street.

When the cannons opened fire on July 1, 1863, the farmhouses and homes of Gettysburg were transformed in an instant. Parlors became wards. Dining tables became operating tables. And ordinary kitchens, like this one, became the last desperate hope for thousands of shattered, broken men.

Now, gathered around this very hearthside kitchen, a Union Army Surgeon and Nurse present the horrifying, and heroic, world of battlefield medicine as it truly was. Drawn directly from personal medical expertise, historical surgical texts, and the actual diaries and field notes of Civil War army surgeons and nurses, this presentation holds nothing back.

Witness the bone saw in action. Understand the brutal calculus of an amputation that had to be completed in mere minutes or the patient wouldn’t survive the blood loss. Learn which diseases killed far more men than any bullet, and how surgeons fought them with little more than desperation and instinct.

This is not a lecture. This is a living, breathing immersion into the operating theater of 1863, complete with surgical recreations and firsthand accounts. Contains graphic descriptions, and uncensored dialogue about injuries and illnesses endured by soldiers, as well as reenacted surgical procedures.

Important Notes for All Guests:

* In keeping with the decorum of the era and out of courtesy to all guests, smoking and vaping are strictly forbidden. Those appearing intoxicated shall be kindly excused from the tour.

* All participants must sign a waiver prior to embarking on the tour.

* Gratuities, though never presumed, are received with heartfelt appreciation