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WWII veterans visiting the site during the 2024 World War II Weekend event.
NPS Photo
World War II Weekend: September 19-21, 2025
Join the National Park Service in commemorating the events of 80 years ago for Eisenhower National Historic Site’s 2025 World War II Weekend event. The 2025 event will focus on the year 1945 and the end of World War II.
Eisenhower National Historic Site's annual World War II Weekend is 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. 2025 will be the 27th year for this event, taking place the third weekend of September annually.
Weather permitting, free on-site parking will be available at Eisenhower NHS throughout the weekend for passenger vehicles. See "Plan Your Visit" below for more details.
Plan Your Visit to World War II Weekend
Weather permitting, free on-site parking for passenger vehicles only will be available at Eisenhower NHS in a farm field accessible from Emmitsburg Rd, Business Route 15. For GPS, use 250 Eisenhower Farm Rd. For directions to Eisenhower NHS, visit us here.
Accessible parking is available on-site at Eisenhower NHS throughout the weekend.
Bus groups should book a shuttle to the site from the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, located at 1195 Baltimore Pike, on both days of the event. Visit the Gettysburg Foundation website or call 877-874-2478 to make reservations.
Eisenhower NHS grounds are closed to visitation on Friday, September 19. World War II Weekend programming begins that evening with a ranger guided tour of Gettysburg National Cemetery and an evening program at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center (free tickets are required, see details below).
There is a considerable amount of walking involved in visiting the living history camp over World War II Weekend. We recommend bringing comfortable footwear, sunscreen, bug spray, and water.
Programs for the 2025 World War II Weekend are listed below.
Event schedules, camp maps, and family activity booklets will be available at the welcome tent as visitors arrive on-site.
For those visiting with children, please pick up a Family Activity Booklet at our Welcome Tent so you can enjoy activities for kids in the living history camp.
World War II Weekend is a family friendly event.
The NPS will have free water stations available throughout the living history camp and the Eisenhower site. There will also be several food and beverage vendors on-site. Be advised that the line for food may be quite long at times based on visitation and demand, so plan ahead.
2025 Program Schedule
A full schedule of programming for the 2025 World War II Weekend event is available below.
Please note this lineup is subject to change. All programs and events are free of charge. Outdoor programs are weather dependent. Any program or event changes will be posted to the Eisenhower NHS website and social media pages.
*Community Event*
Saturday, September 13
2 PM - The American Game: Baseball in World War II
This program takes place at the Beyond the Battle Museum (625 Biglerville Rd., Gettysburg, PA), and is hosted by the Adams County Historical Society, in conjunction with Eisenhower National Historic Site's 2025 World War II Weekend event.
During World War II, as Americans fought around the globe, they brought the game of baseball with them. Soldiers played baseball recreationally, within their units, with major leaguers and amateurs sharing the same diamond. After the war’s end, the game became more organized and leagues were formed. Spectators enjoyed the games as much as the players. It was so popular and important to the war effort that 80 years ago, in September 1945, American soldiers squared off in a GI World Series in France and Germany. This program will also explore the story of Gettysburg College’s own Harry O’Neill, one of two major league baseball players killed in action during World War II. To commemorate this important moment at the end of World War II, join historians Ted Herman and Dan Vermilya for this free program on baseball during World War II.
Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Rick Atkinson will speak at the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center on Friday, September 19, at 6:30 pm. Free tickets are required.
Courtesy of Rick Atkinson
Friday, September 19
5:00—The War in the Pacific: Ranger-Guided Walking Tour of Gettysburg National Cemetery
Join a park ranger for a guided-walking tour of WWII burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery, focusing on stories from the Pacific Theater of World War II. This program meets at the Taneytown Road entrance to the cemetery, Auto Tour stop #16, Gettysburg NMP.
6:30 PM—The Guns at Last Light: 1945 and Beyond with Rick Atkinson
This programprogram takes place at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center Theater. Free tickets are required. Tickets must be reserved through the Gettysburg Foundation website here, or by calling 877-874-2478.
Join Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Rick Atkinson for a conversation on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s leadership, the craft of writing military history, and the legacy of World War II. This program will cover Atkinson’s acclaimed Liberation Trilogy on the Second World War, as well as his recent work on the American Revolution, including a discussion of Dwight Eisenhower, George Washington, and their shared leadership principles. This program will be followed by a book signing event with Rick Atkinson.
World War II Weekend has educational activities for visitors of all ages
NPS Photo
Saturday, September 20
1945 Themed Living History Camp at Eisenhower National Historic Site, 9 am to 5 pm
Join hundreds of living history volunteers to visit the year 1945 and explore the end of World War II 80 years ago.
Family Programming at Eisenhower National Historic Site, 9 am to 5 pm
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.
Eisenhower Home Tours, 9 am to 4:30 pm
Eisenhower home tours are offered in an “open-house” format. Meet the ranger in front of the Eisenhower home.
Eisenhower NHS Guest Speakers and Ranger Programming
(All programs last 45-60 minutes unless otherwise noted)
10:00 AM—Rachel Thompson: George C. Marshall: Wartime General to Statesman
Discover the pivotal role of George C. Marshall in winning WWII and rebuilding Europe 80 years ago. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
11:00 AM—1945 on the Homefront: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp
How was the Homefront impacted by 1945? From POW camps to wartime rationing, explore this story on this ranger-guided walking tour. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
11:30 AM—Dr. Cameron McCoy—A Contested Legacy: War and the Men of Montford Point
Discover the stories of the Montford Point Marines and their impact on the U.S. Marine Corps and American history. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
12:30 PM— Combat in 1945: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp
Immerse yourself in the final campaigns of the War in Europe and the combat experience of 1945 with this ranger-guided walking tour. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
1:00 PM—Dr. Jared Frederick—I Hiked Iwo Jima: A Virtual Tour of the Pacific Battlefield
Join Dr. Frederick for this first-hand account of Iwo Jima as it appears today, 80 years after the battle. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
2:00 PM— Occupation to Cold War: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp
Explore the stories of occupation duty from 1945 and learn how the Cold War began as World War II ended in this ranger-guided walking tour. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
2:30 PM—Molly Sampson—“Efficiency, Skill, Spirit, and Determination:” Eisenhower and the Women’s Army Corps in World War II
Hear the stories of American women who served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, and how they played a crucial role in General Eisenhower’s Headquarters. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
3:30 PM— Taking Flight: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp
Hear pre-flight briefings from 1945 and explore the fight for freedom in the skies above Europe 80 years ago in this immersive program. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
5:00—The War in Europe: A Walking Tour of Gettysburg National Cemetery
Join a park ranger for a guided-walking tour of WWII burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery, on stories from the European Theater of World War II. This program meets at the Taneytown Road entrance to the cemetery, Auto Tour stop #16, Gettysburg NMP.
Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center Special Exhibits, 9am-3pm
Visit special exhibits by the Museum of the U.S. Navy, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and Eisenhower NHS at the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center.
*Community Event*
Saturday, September 20
7:30 PM - Flags of our Fathers
This program takes place at the Majestic Theater (25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA), and is held in conjunction with Eisenhower National Historic Site's 2025 World War II Weekend event.
Join us for a FREE screening of Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers as part of Eisenhower National Historic Site's WWII Weekend. This critically acclaimed 2006 film tells the life stories of the six men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in World War II.
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 winner John Rubinstein at the Majestic on October 3-4. For tickets and more information, click here.
Ranger guided walking tours of WWII burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery take place each evening of the event, with a different theme for each tour.
NPS Photo
Sunday September 21
1945 Living History Camp at Eisenhower NHS, 9 am to 3 pm
Join hundreds of living history volunteers to visit the year 1945 and explore the end of World War II 80 years ago.
Family Programming at Eisenhower NHS, 9 am to 3 pm
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.
Eisenhower Home Tours, 9 am to 3 pm
Eisenhower home tours are offered in an “open-house” format. Meet the ranger in front of the Eisenhower home.
Eisenhower NHS Guest Speakers and Ranger Programming
10:00 AM—Guy Nasuti: "On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely:" Surviving the Kamikaze off Okinawa, 1945
Okinawa was a pivotal and costly chapter of the war for the U.S. Navy. Explore this battle and its legacy. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
10:30 AM— Occupation to Cold War: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp
Explore the stories of occupation duty from 1945 and learn how the Cold War began as World War II ended in this ranger-guided walking tour. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
11:30 AM—Dr. Jeremy Kinney—The Flight of the Enola Gay: An End and a Beginning
80 years ago, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hirsohima, Japan, beginning the atomic age. Explore this story with Dr. Jeremy Kinney of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
12:00 PM— 1945 on the Homefront: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp How was the Homefront impacted by 1945? From POW camps to wartime rationing, explore this story on this ranger-guided walking tour. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
1:00 PM—Eisenhower in 1945 and Beyond: A Conversation with Susan Eisenhower
Join Susan Eisenhower—author and granddaughter of General Eisenhower—for a discussion of Dwight D. Eisenhower in the final year of World War II. This program takes place at the Eisenhower NHS Speakers' Tent. Click here for more on this program and speaker.
2:00 PM— Combat in 1945: A Walking Tour of the Living History Camp
Immerse yourself in the final campaigns of the War in Europe and the combat experience of 1945 with this ranger-guided walking tour. Meet at the “Ranger Program Begins Here” sign in the Living History Camp.
5:00 PM—The War in 1945: A Walking Tour of Gettysburg National Cemetery
Join a park ranger for a guided-walking tour of WWII burials in Gettysburg National Cemetery, focusing on stories from the final battles of 1945, the end of World War II, as well as veterans who survived the war. This program meets at the Taneytown Road entrance to the cemetery, Auto Tour stop #16, Gettysburg NMP.
Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center Special Exhibits, 9am-3pm
Visit special exhibits by the Museum of the U.S. Navy, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and Eisenhower NHS at the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center.
Dwight Eisenhower loved baseball. So did millions of Americans who served in World War II. Explore this story here.
Visitors interact with volunteers from the British Women's Land Army group at the 2019 WWII Weekend event.
NPS Photo
Living History Participants
Contact Us:
We are no longer accepting applications for additional living history displays this year. Living history groups or individuals who have questions regarding this year or are are interested in participating in future events can contact us here.
Living History Guidelines:
Living history groups and individuals must agree to NPS guidelines and policies and be approved by the NPS to participate in this event.
Eisenhower National Historic Site's World War II Weekend is not a World War II reenactment. For the National Park Service policy on reenactments, click here.
