Blog Archives
Journey to Buchanan’s 1857 White House this June during your visit to Wheatland. Meet with President Buchanan and his cabinet as they discuss a multitude of topics, from political appoints to recent Democratic victories at the polls to their concerns about troubles in Kansas. A sudden, panicked request from Washington Mayor William B. Magruder takes Buchanan by surprise. How will Buchanan respond? Experience the debate and learn about Magruder’s request in this June’s Living History at Wheatland!
The Living History at Wheatland program, Election Day Riot: 1857 Washington, takes place on Saturday, June 3, 2017 with tours on the hour starting at 12pm and the last starting at 3pm. Standard tours of Wheatland are also offered at 10am and 11am. Visit LancasterHistory.org or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets. Advanced tickets strongly recommended as Living History tours often sell out and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Your tickets also include admission to the exhibition galleries.
Join us as we transport you back to 1857 and 1858. President James Buchanan and Secretary of State Lewis Cass discuss intelligence and strategy to capture the freebooter William Walker and his private army which has invaded Nicaragua. Experience and learn of the challenges faced by United States Senate which debated the invasion, as well as the Navy’s arrest of Walker. Did his arrest violate the Neutrality Laws? Experience the debate and learn of Walker’s fate in this May’s Living History at Wheatland!
The Living History at Wheatland program, The Arrest of An American Dictator, takes place on Saturday, May 6, 2017 with tours on the hour starting at 12pm and the last starting at 3pm. Standard tours of Wheatland are also offered at 10am and 11am ONLY. Click here or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets. Advanced tickets strongly recommended as Living History tours often sell out and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Your tickets also include admission to the exhibition galleries.
Wreath Laying at Woodward Hill Cemetery at 10am. Buchanan Birthday Celebration at Wheatland at 12pm until 2pm.
The 226th anniversary of President James Buchanan’s birth will be commemorated on April 22, 2017 and will feature the annual presentation of the White House wreath for the President’s grave site at Woodward Hill Cemetery starting at 10am followed by a Birthday Celebration at Wheatland starting at 12pm and lasting till 2pm. Both events are free and open to the public.
The day’s events begin at 10am at Woodward Hill Cemetery for the Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony. The Ceremony includes remarks delivered by Brigadier General David Wood and County Commissioner Joshua G. Parsons. The James Buchanan Elementary School 5th Grade Chorus will sing the National Anthem after which two 5th Grade students, in historic costume, will assist Brigadier General Wood with the presentation of the Presidential Wreath at Buchanan’s tomb.
Following the ceremony, the public is invited by the students and PTO of James Buchanan Elementary School to President James Buchanan’s Wheatland for a 226th Birthday Celebration. Free tours of the President’s beloved home, Wheatland, are available from 12pm until 2pm with a tour beginning every 15 minutes and the last free tour beginning at 1:45. These tours will be led by the Buchanan Elementary School students as they interpret the history of Wheatland, James Buchanan, his family and his life. Enjoy a slice of James Buchanan’s birthday cake with some punch provided through the generosity of the James Buchanan Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO.)
Join us on a journey back to February 1857. During your tour you will “visit” both Wheatland and the White House in 1857. At Wheatland you will bear witness to James Buchanan’s encounter with a mysterious disease he contracted in January while staying in Washington, DC. Moving along to President Buchanan’s White House after his March 1857 inauguration, you will be party to the struggle faced by the President and his advisors as they discuss how to manage the nation’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Dred Scott case.
The Presidents Day Living History at Wheatland takes place on Monday, February 20, 2017 with tours on the hour at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. We strongly advise making reservations in advance for your tour since tours do fill up and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour so you may use the facilities and check in.
Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets. Your purchase of a ticket includes admission to the exhibition galleries.
Join us as we step back to October 1864, one month before the Presidential election. Peace Democrats were Northern Party members vehemently opposed to Lincoln’s war policy; they were advocates of restoration of the Union through a negotiated settlement. War Democrats rejected the Peace platform altogether. At this time many Americans questioned James Buchanan’s patriotism; some even sent him written threats. Here is your chance to eavesdrop on Mr. Buchanan as he and his Democratic friends enjoy a social gathering at Wheatland. As you watch and listen, try to figure out who are the Copperheads and who are War Democrats.
The Living History at Wheatland program Copperhead or War Democrat takes place on Saturday, October 1, 2016 with tours on the hour starting at 12pm and the last starting at 3pm. A standard tour of Wheatland is also offered at 10am & 11am. We strongly advise making reservations in advance for your tour since tours do fill up and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour so you may use the facilities and check in.
Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.
Lancaster is in danger of invasion! Alarming news has reached Wheatland in Lancaster that the Confederate Army has invaded Pennsylvania! The Rebels have been seen near the bridge at Wrightsville, PA. As you step back to 1863 at Wheatland, you may be stopped by a member of Masonic Lodge 43. Be sure to show him your calling card, tell him you are a friend of the former President, and find out how those at Wheatland are handling this shocking news.
Tours will be offered:
Saturday, September 24
- Standard Tour of Wheatland at 10am and 11am
- Living History Tour at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm
Sunday, September 25
- Living History Tours at 12, 1, 2, and 3pm
We strongly advise making reservations in advance for your tour since tours do fill up and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour so you may use the facilities and check in.
Visit http://www.LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.
Join us as we transport you back to September 1866 at the Wheatland Farm of James Buchanan. Desperate for good domestic help, Mr. Buchanan has hired Thomas & Rosanna Gordon, a couple who had resigned from their posts only a few months earlier. Rosanna is the best cook Wheatland has ever had; however, Thomas is, as Mr. Buchanan describes, “anything but agreeable!” When you visit, you will have a unique opportunity to eavesdrop on the arguments and drama that took place at Wheatland in 1866.
The Living History at Wheatland program Anything but Agreeable takes place on Saturday, September 3, 2016 with tours on the hour starting at 12pm and the last starting at 3pm. A standard tour of Wheatland is also offered at 10am & 11am. We strongly advise making reservations in advance for your tour since tours do fill up and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour so you may use the facilities and check in.
Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.
James (left) & Edward Buchanan (right) c. 1860s
Join us as we transport you back to the summer of 1865 at the Wheatland Farm as Mr. Buchanan welcomes his younger brother, the Reverend Edward Buchanan, and his family for a summer visit. As you tour the home, you will have a chance to eavesdrop on the Buchanan brothers as they recall their childhood in Franklin County as well as the recent tumultuous days of American Civil War.
The Living History at Wheatland program Recalling Past Ages takes place on Saturday, August 6, 2016 with tours on the hour starting at 12 noon and the last starting at 3pm. A standard tour of Wheatland is also offered at 10am & 11am. We strongly advise making reservations in advance for your tour since tours do fill up and walk-in space is not guaranteed. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour so you may use the facilities and check in.
Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.
Step back to the summer of 1867 and celebrate the 4th of July with James Buchanan, his family and friends. Raise a glass of lemonade with Mr. Buchanan and toast the Union’s 91st birthday as his niece, Miss Annie Buchanan, seeks someone to challenge her in her favorite sport of croquet.
The Living History at Wheatland program “Independence & Wickets at Wheatland” takes place on Saturday, July 2, 2016 with tours on the hour starting at 12 noon and the last starting at 3pm. A standard tour of Wheatland is also offered at 10 am & 11am. Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.
Join us we transport you back to May 1869!
Members of Harriet Lane Johnston’s family and friends join her at Wheatland where they are feeling nostalgic about moments from the past and sharing stories. They also discuss their experiences with their Uncle James Buchanan and express their deep concerns about his legacy, especially on why their plans and efforts to preserve his legacy continually face resistance.
The Living History at Wheatland program Harriet Lane Johnston takes place on Saturday, May 7, 2016 with tours on the hour starting at noon and the last starting at 3 p.m. Standard tours of Wheatland are also offered at 10am and 11am ONLY.
Visit LancasterHistory.org/events or call 717-392-4633 to purchase your tickets.
