Independence Day Programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Date: June 22, 2015
Contact: Kim Coons, 423-752-5213

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will offer a full schedule of public programs at Lookout Mountain and at Chickamauga Battlefield on Saturday, July 4, 2015.

At Point Park on Lookout Mountain there will be artillery programs at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30. These programs will feature the firing of a Civil War cannon, and explore how our nation was both established and preserved through conflict. In addition, there will be 30 minute ranger guided tours of Point Park at 11:00 and 1:00. Admission to Point Park is $5.00 for adults aged 16 and over, and is valid for seven days. The Craven's House will be open from 1:00-5:00 and a park ranger will be available to answer questions and tour the house. There is no admission fee to go into the Craven's House.

At 2:00, there will be a free one hour program on the role that railroads played in the campaign for Chattanooga and throughout the Civil War. Chattanooga's importance as a rail center is a major reason for a five-month campaign for control of the "Gateway to the Deep South" in 1863, and both sides effectively utilized the rail networks to move troops into battle. This program will begin at the Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center parking lot located at 400 Garden Road, Chattanooga, TN, and will then caravan to the program location along the railroad.Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, wear clothing appropriate for the weather, and bring along a bottle of water.

At Chickamauga Battlefield, a living historian will present a "common soldier" program at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center on Lafayette Road in Fort Oglethorpe, GA at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30. These programs will explore the lives of average people who fought at Chickamauga, and will include the firing of a Civil War era musket. In addition, there will be ranger guided car caravan tours of the battlefield at 10:00 and 2:00. These tours will begin at the visitor center and last approximately two hours. Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, wear clothing appropriate for the weather, and bring along a bottle of water. There are no admission fees for programs at Chickamauga Battlefield.

Throughout the day at both Point Park and at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, park staff will conduct short programs on the establishment of the park in 1890, and work with visitors to "Find Your Park."

For more information about upcoming programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, please contact the Lookout Mountain Visitor Center at [phone], the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at [phone], or visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/chch.