Eisenhower NHS to Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day on April 28

Date: April 10, 2012
Contact: Carol Hegeman, 717-338-9114 Ext. 4411

On April 28, Eisenhower National Historic Site will celebrate National Junior Ranger Day as part of National Park Week. The Junior Secret Service Agent program is the Eisenhower Site's version of the Junior Ranger program. Designed for children aged 7-12, the Junior Secret Service Agent program allows the children to learn about President Dwight Eisenhower and how the Secret Service protected him on his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Children participating in the Junior Secret Service Agent program engage in activities such as practicing radio procedure, looking for suspicious objects using binoculars, and becoming familiar with surveillance equipment in the site's restored Secret Service office. Trainees may also have to approach a "suspicious" staff member and "interrogate" them about their activities. Parents should plan to assist their children as they complete this self-guided activity. Upon completing the program, the children will receive a Junior Secret Service Agent badge and certificate, plus a Junior Ranger patch commemorating National Junior Ranger Day. In addition to the Jr. Ranger activities, at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. park rangers will present programs on Eisenhower and the Secret Service.

Gettysburg National Military Park's popular Junior Ranger program will run as usual.

Eisenhower National Historic Site is open daily. All visits are via shuttle bus from the National Park Service Visitor Center on Baltimore Pike in Gettysburg. Shuttles depart every half-hour from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends and every hour on weekdays. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for children ages 6-12, under 6 free. The Junior Secret Service Agent program activities are included in the site admission and available daily. Families should allow at least two hours for their children to complete the program.  

For more information contact the Eisenhower National Historic Site at 717/ 338-9114 or visit the web site at www.nps.gov/eise.  To learn more about becoming a Junior Ranger, or about the National Park Service's WebRanger program, please visit the RangerZONE at https://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.cfm