Join Us For Junior Ranger Day at Eisenhower NHS on April 26

Date: April 2, 2014
Contact: Carol Hegeman, 717-338-9114 Ext. 4411

For National Junior Ranger Day on April 26 the National Park Service is inviting younger visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site for special activities.

The Junior Ranger program at Gettysburg NMP is a family activity recommended for children aged 6 to 13. The park provides an activity booklet and participants are invited to spend two to four hours exploring the park's Museum and Visitor Center, the Soldiers' National Cemetery, the David Wills House, the historic Gettysburg railroad station and other sites on the battlefield and in the town of Gettysburg. 

Gettysburg activities on April 26will include a special hands-on history cart in the park Museum and Visitor Center lobby from1 p.m. and 3 p.m.where kids can try on clothes from the civil war period, and learn more about soldier life and life in the town of Gettysburg during the war. Participating in the cart program will earn the youngsters two of the required number of points to receive a Gettysburg Junior Ranger patch and certificate from Gettysburg NMP. 

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center is at 1195 Baltimore Pike and is open daily8 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information about the Gettysburg NMP contact 717/334-1124 or go to:www.nps.gov/gett

Eisenhower National Historic Site Activities:

At Eisenhower NHS kids can practice radio procedure, invent code names for family members, or interrogate suspicious looking staff members. These are just some of the activities children ages 7-12 can do to earn their Junior Secret Service Agent badge and certificate. While Junior Secret Service Agents can qualify any day, onApril 26, the Eisenhower National Historic Site will celebrate National Junior Ranger Day and award an additional National Junior Ranger Day patch.

Children participating in the Junior Secret Service Agent program learn about President Dwight Eisenhower and how the Secret Service protected him on his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  They engage in activities such as looking for suspicious objects using binoculars, physical fitness, and becoming familiar with surveillance equipment in the site's restored Secret Service office.  Parents or guardians should plan to assist their children in this self-guided activity as they complete their Jr. Secret Service Agent training manual. When children are done, they must show their training manual to a staff member who will award them a Junior Secret Service Agent badge and certificate, and a National Junior Ranger Day patch.  Visitors are also welcome to attend programs on Eisenhower and the Secret Service presented by park rangers at11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.

Eisenhower National Historic Site is open daily.  All visits are via shuttle bus from the National Park Service Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike in Gettysburg.  Shuttles depart every half-hour from9:00 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, and under 6, free.  The Junior Secret Service Agent program activities are included in the site admission.  Families should allow at least two to three hours to take the tour and 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 https://www.nps.gov/webrangers.