World War II Weekend Events, 2025

World War II Weekend runs Friday September 19 through Sunday September 21

The National Park Service and other regional attractions commemorate the events of 80 years ago during this 2025 World War II Weekend.

Eisenhower National Historic Site (ENHS) hosts its annual World War II Weekend, a living history focused event that includes guest speakers, ranger guided tours, family activities, and more. This year’s event will bring the stories of 1945 to life through three days of programming and interactive activities for visitors of all ages. Events at the Eisenhower Farm are free and, weather permitting, free on-site parking is available at ENHS throughout the weekend for passenger vehicles, including accessible parking. Bus groups should book a shuttle from the Gettysburg National Military Park visitor center. Use 250 Eisenhower Farm Road for GPS.

Beyond the Battle Museum has extensive exhibits that highlight World War II history and President Eisenhower. Gettysburg History hosts two related programs: one, focused on the game of baseball during World War II; the other, an opportunity to explore the legacy of D-Day through Dwight D. Eisenhower’s own words, alongside thoughtful reflections from one of today’s leading voices on his life and leadership, his granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower.

World War II: American Experience Museum brings the thrill of riding a real WWII tank to life. When the day is done, dance the night away at the museum’s USO Style Dance, with music from the 40s, all harkening back to the time of the Greatest Generation. Plus, don’t miss “The Longest Yarn,” a special exhibition featuring three-dimensional wool tapestry, knitted and crocheted by hundreds of volunteers worldwide.  Each scene depicts the story of D-Day and the 80 days it took for the Allies to liberate Paris in 1944. See all 80 different scenes on display in the museum lobby. Special exhibition (F) 

Majestic Theater hosts a FREE showing of Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed 2006 film, Flags of Our Fathers. Come early and tour a special exhibit about Eisenhower on display in the Majestic’s gallery and learn about the upcoming live play, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, featuring Tony-Award-winning actor John Rubinstein at the Majestic on October 3-4.

Event details scheduled in conjunction with Eisenhower National Historic Site’s 2025 World War II Weekend are shown here.

FREE EVENTS ARE MARKED WITH “(F)” FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION

Saturday, September 20

9 AM to 4:30 PM— Eisenhower National Historic Site Home Open. Eisenhower home tours are offered in an “open-house” format. Meet the ranger in front of the Eisenhower home. (F)

9 AM to 5 PM— Living History Camp Open at Eisenhower National Historic Site. Join hundreds of living history volunteers to visit the year 1945 and explore the end of World War II 80 years ago. Click here for a map of the of the camp. (F)

9 AM to 5 PM—Family Programming at ENHS World War II Weekend has fun for visitors of all ages. Kids ages 5 and up can pick up a Family Booklet at the Welcome Tent and complete special activities in the living history camp to earn their very own personalized WWII themed prize! Kids have the option of choosing a WWII victory ribbon or their very own dog tag! In addition to the Family Booklet, families are invited to visit the Family Activity Tent for activities, shade, and water. (F)

9:30 AM, 11 AM, 12:30 PM, 2 PM, 3:30 PM—Walking Tours of the Living History Camp. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp at Eisenhower National Historic Site (F)

10 AM—Rachel Thompson—George C. Marshall: Wartime General to Statesman. Join Historian Rachel Yarnell Thompson for this fascinating look at the impact of World War II on the statesmanship and leadership of George C. Marshall. ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

10:30 AM—Tank Rides. These rides are offered by World War II American Experience Museum at their 845 Crooked Creek Road location.  Subject to availability, rides are scheduled every half hour beginning at 10:30 AM with the last ride at 4:30 PM

11:30 AM—Dr. Cameron McCoy—A Contested Legacy: War and the Men of Montford Point. Join Dr. Cameron McCoy to explore the Montford Point Marines and their role in Black military service, a story that is often contested, undermined, and sidelined in the memory of the Marine Corps and in American military history. ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

1 PM—Dr. Jared Frederick—I Hiked Iwo Jima: A Virtual Tour of the Pacific Battlefield. Dr. Jared Frederick’s rare experience of exploring perhaps the most famous World War II battlefield in the Pacific: Iwo Jima. Chronicled on film, capturing the terrain, artifacts, and cultural encounters along the way, this visual presentation includes rich photos and anecdotes from an unforgettable expedition. ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

2:30 PM—Molly Sampson—“Efficiency, Skill, Spirit, and Determination:” Eisenhower and the Women’s Army Corps in World War II. Learn about the shared history of General Eisenhower and the Women’s Army Corps, exploring how their partnership shaped the wartime experience, expanded opportunities for women in the military, and left a lasting legacy on the U.S. Army and American society. ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

5 PM—The War in Europe: A Walking Tour of WWII Burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery. Meet at the Taneytown Road entrance to the cemetery, Auto Tour stop #16, Gettysburg National Military Park. (F)

6:30-10 PM—WWII USO Dance. This event takes place at World War II American Experience Museum, 845 Crooked Creek Road. Dance the night away to the swinging sounds of Generations Big Band. Come dressed for the occasion or show up in “civvies” for an evening of 40s frivolity.  

7:30 PM—Flags of Our Fathers. A free showing of this critically acclaimed film, the story of six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, directed by Clint Eastwood, at the Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle Street in downtown Gettysburg. (F)

Sunday, September 21

9 AM to 3 PM— Eisenhower National Historic Site Home Open. Eisenhower home tours are offered in an “open-house” format. Meet the ranger in front of the Eisenhower home. (F)

9 AM to 3 PM— Living History Camp Open at Eisenhower National Historic Site. Join hundreds of living history volunteers to visit the year 1945 and explore the end of World War II 80 years ago. Click here for a map of the of the camp (F)

9 AM to 3 PM—Family Programming at ENHS World War II Weekend has fun for visitors of all ages. Kids ages 5 and up can pick up a Family Booklet at the Welcome Tent and complete special activities in the living history camp to earn their very own personalized WWII themed prize! Kids have the option of choosing a WWII victory ribbon or their very own dog tag! In addition to the Family Booklet, families are invited to visit the Family Activity Tent for activities, shade, and water. (F)

10 AM—Guy Nasuti— “On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely:” Surviving the Kamikaze off Okinawa, 1945. This program explores the deadly toll exacted on American sailors by the Imperial Japanese Special Attack Corps in the final months of the war.  ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

10:30 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM— Walking Tours of the Living History Camp. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the ENHS Living History Camp. (F)

11:30 AM—Dr. Jeremy Kinney—The Flight of the Enola Gay: An End and a Beginning. On August 6, 1945, the crew of a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress named Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare, on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, ushering in the dawn of the Atomic Age and the threat of nuclear war. Learn more from Dr. Kinney at the ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

1 PM—Eisenhower in 1945 and Beyond: A Conversation with Susan Eisenhower. Join Susan Eisenhower—author, strategist, and granddaughter of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower—for an engaging conversation on Dwight Eisenhower at the end of World War II. ENHS Speakers’ Tent. (F)

5 PM—The War in 1945: A Walking Tour of WWII Burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery. Meet at the Taneytown Road entrance to the cemetery, Auto Tour stop #16, Gettysburg National Military Park. (F)