Adventures in PA: National Park Service

“Ask about our Junior Ranger program,” the sign on the desk said.  Who would have known the impact of that little sign at King’s Mountain National Military Park (North Carolina)?  That Junior Ranger program (an activity booklet, a badge, a certificate, and a swearing-in ceremony) would ignite an eagerness in our family to broaden our knowledge of American history and landscapes.  My children are on a quest to become Junior Rangers at every single National Park Service (NPS) site.  There are 433 of them.

Since “Adventures in Pennsylvania” is a column about Pennsylvania, we’ll not focus on the many amazing sites we’ve seen in other states—some well known (like Shenandoah National Park) and some which are “hidden gems” (like Fort Matanzas)—instead, let’s talk about some of the options in our own great state.

The National Park Service operates 26 sites and trails in Pennsylvania, most of which are found in the southern half of the state.  We have been to seven of them as of this writing.  Here are some notes on those to help you decide which might be a good fit for your family:

• Allegheny Portage Railroad in Cambria County gives you a taste of the strategy employed to move settlers westward. It was economically desirable for those settlers to take a route through Pennsylvania rather than through New York or another state.  Canals and rivers were effective forms of transit until someone reached the Appalachian Mountains, at which point engineers decided to design a means to pull the canal boats up over the mountains via a series of steep inclines.  It’s a great stop for your aspiring engineer or out-of-the-box problem-solver.
• A visit to Eisenhower National Historic Site is like a walk back through time into a home that still boasts the original furnishings and décor. It is important to know that admission to this house is by timed entry ticket, so you may have to stop by early in the day and then wander the farm and outbuildings (including the Secret Service office) until you can see the house itself.  President Eisenhower lived in a time when presidential gifts were kept by the receiving president and they can be seen throughout this home where he entertained friends and dignitaries alike.  It is a great opportunity to reflect on how American life has changed over the years—as well as the ways in which there is nothing new under the sun.
• Fort Necessity National Battlefield illustrates the value of foreign language skills, the significance of your signature, and the blessing that the mistakes of our past do not have to define our future. Young George Washington and his men erected a makeshift fort in this southern Pennsylvanian valley to try to protect themselves against an attack by French and Indian forces.  Upon finally surrendering, he signed his name to a document claiming his culpability for the assassination of a French ensign, helping to then ignite the Seven Years War!  Washington didn’t know what he was signing because he didn’t know French!  However, as we know, his life was not defined by that battle or that signature, because he went on to command the Continental Army and be the nation’s first president.
• Friendship Hill was the country estate of Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin and is an inspiration about the breadth of experience and knowledge one person can attain. Gallatin is an example of someone who had an impact on American history far larger than I expected—and yet has remained rather unknown.  We, too, can have immense impacts on our family, community, and even country.
• Gettysburg National Military Park is a well-known and popular destination for Civil War education. You can pay for tours and admission to the affiliated Gettysburg Museum attractions (located at the park’s Visitor Center)—depending on your interests and budget—but it is important to note that you can easily spend an entire weekend here doing only the free NPS activities.  You will learn a tremendous amount either way about how artillery fires and armies organize…about the significance of geography in history…about the honor of a division over the glory of an individual…and about the impact of obedience or disobedience to your commander.  You will also learn that how some events in history (such as General James Longstreet’s slow execution of General Robert E. Lee’s orders) are open to interpretation—which may encourage your children to read first-hand accounts to decide which interpretation fits best.
• Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the 1889 tragedy that killed over 2,000 people. It is a great place to practice your debate skills and discuss personal responsibility in the face of warning or catastrophe as well as how our actions impact others.  Are the owners of the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club responsible for the deaths because they had made dam modifications that increased the likelihood of failure?  Or are the people of the Johnstown valley responsible for ignoring the Club’s repeated warnings and choosing to remain in the path of harm, leading to their deaths?  This is an unsettled argument in our family and always prompts the admonition to heed warnings (even if you’ve heard them before)!

One important thing to note about the Johnstown Flood National Memorial is that the staff will warn you about the visitor center video.  There aren’t exaggerating–it is indeed like watching a disturbing horror movie and you may want to find alternative activities for younger or sensitive family members.

• Steamtown is a great place to learn about trains. The behind-the-scenes ranger tour is a fabulous must-see experience, especially if you have a child who likes to work with his hands or has interest in manufacturing or trades work, because you can watch the workers maintaining and repairing the historic trains.  It was also here that we learned about the Traditional Trades Advancement Program, where you can combine your love of history with hands-on work and find training and employment around the country repairing and preserving our cultural resources.

Each of these sites is awesome on its own and for differing reasons.  You can pair them with the Junior Ranger program, which helps young children channel their energy to learning about the site, or you can plan your own visit to the sites so that you focus on those attractions most interesting to your family.  Homeschoolers can get free passes the school year in which they are ten years old (the “Fourth Grade Free” pass)—allowing you free admission into any NPS site.  Make sure to get your pass at the beginning of the school year so that you can maximize your use of it—it is a phenomenal opportunity!