Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center

Say hello to our 2026 summer interns! In the coming days, we'll be introducing each of the three students who are spending ten weeks here at Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center. First up is Jenna Rhoads!

Jenna is a junior at Gettysburg College where she is a History and German Studies double major and a Public History minor. Jenna is active on campus including working for Residential Education and the Majestic Theater, in addition to being the President of several performing arts clubs at Gettysburg College. After being inspired to teach by her high school social studies teacher, Jenna is excited to dive into the world of museum education and interpretation. When she's not working on research projects, Jenna is looking forward to meeting visitors in the museum, so be sure to stop by and say hello!

Join us June 30 - July 3 as we commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg with special programs, presentations, tours, and experiences on Seminary Ridge!
Explore the stories, people, and places that shaped one of the most pivotal moments in American history. View the full calendar below and make plans to join us on the Ridge. More details are provided on our website linked here:
https://www.seminaryridgemuseum.org/events

We can't wait for this one-of-a-kind anniversary event with our friends at the Gettysburg Foundation on the afternoon and evening of Thursday, July 2, capped off by a nighttime outdoor screening of "John Adams" in partnership with the Gettysburg Film Commission!

This Thursday, June 4, at 6:00pm in the Third Floor Meeting Room at the Gettysburg Library (140 Baltimore Street), join Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, as he presents “‘To Make True and Complete the Declaration’: Gettysburg Veterans and the Legacy of the Revolution.” Registration is required through Adams County Library System at https://www.adamslibrary.org/event/make-true-and-complete-declaration-gettysburg-veterans-and-legacy-revolution-77537.

In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln famously opened with a call back to America’s founding “four score and seven years” earlier, in 1776. Many of the “brave men, living and dead, who struggled here” likewise made similar statements of their own, during and after the Civil War. Codie will explore the meaning of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution through the writings of those who fought here in 1863.

We're thrilled to be part of this event with our friends at Bobblehead George later this year!

We are happy to announce our upcoming dinner & fundraiser. The event will be held on November 5, 2026 at John Wright Restaurant. John Wright's executive chef, Jim Switzenberger, will prepare a menu honoring the tastes of the Founders!
The evening will include an panel discussion featuring:
Jim McClure, Scott Mingus, Sr., Dominish Miller, Codie Eash, & State Representative Joe D'Orsie!
Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.universe.com/events/america-250-dinner-dialogue-tickets-N9TJZP

Join us for another "Revolution on the Ridge" program this week, as Codie Eash presents "The Captain, the Colonel, and the Culpeper Minutemen: John Buford's Family in the Revolutionary War." This program is FREE and meets outdoors at 3:30pm on Friday, May 29, at the Luther Statue. Chairs are recommended.

On July 1, 1863, Brig. Gen. John Buford had his finest hour, commanding United States cavalry in the opening hours of the Battle of Gettysburg. In serving his country amid the American Civil War, Buford carried on a military pedigree that went back to the country’s founding days, as the grandson and grandnephew of a pair of officers in the War of American Independence, amid a family tree full of martial stock. Join Codie Eash, SRMEC Director of Education and Interpretation, as he explores the Revolutionary War connections to the soldier most associated with Seminary Ridge.

Can't be here in person? Keep an eye out afterward for a recording of this program on YouTube!

On the first national Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day) three years after the Civil War, the Rev. Dr. James Allen Brown delivered Gettysburg’s keynote address at Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Brown presently served as president of the Lutheran Seminary and, during the war, previously served as a United States Army chaplain, first for the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry and subsequently at the General Hospital in nearby York.

On May 30, 1868, Brown spoke to an audience that included local citizens, dignitaries, musicians, veterans, and soldiers’ orphans. "The noble dead, who fell here and on these neighboring hills, need no eulogium from our lips," he declared. "They have secured the proudest of all earthly honors, and their tomb stones bear this inscription--THEY DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY."

To hear a recital of Brown's entire speech, which lasted roughly four minutes, view a video we produced in 2024, titled "Keynote Address at Gettysburg's First Memorial Day (1868)," on our YouTube channel, linked in the comments below.

We hope to see you there!

Mark your calendars for Friday June 19th at the Gettysburg Rec Park for a special showing of Glory! The movie begins at 8:15PM. Come out early and meet our friends at the Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. and learn about the great things they do for our community.

This is part of the larger Juneteenth Weekend in Gettysburg spearheaded by Destination Gettysburg. See all the planned events here: https://destinationgettysburg.com/juneteenth-gettysburg/

PROGRAM ALERT: As the Civil War raged into its fourth year, Americans faced a choice that would define the nation's future: re-elect Abraham Lincoln or pursue peace with the Confederacy. The presidential election of 1864 may be the most consequential in U.S. history. Join us as Codie Eash, Director of Education and Interpretation at Gettysburg's Seminary Ridge Museum, explores this pivotal moment.
For details or to register, go to yorkhistorycenter.org/CWRT1864.