Featuring some of the best Rangers, historians, and authors from across the country, this popular eight-week Winter Lecture Series will once again return to the Gettysburg National Military Park (NMP) Museum and Visitor Center in 2026! The Winter Lecture Series is held at 1:30 p.m. on weekends in the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center from January 10 through March 8, 2026. Seating is available on a first come – first serve basis. Free tickets are available day of at the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center. Schedule is subject to change.
This week:
Ranger Karlton Smith, Gettysburg National Military Park Join Ranger Karlton Smith as he peels back the layers of myth to explore the real man behind the lore. Through contemporary accounts and evolving historiography, this engaging talk reexamines General Joseph Hooker's controversial choices during the war and confronts the legends that have long clouded his legacy. Come ready to question what you think you know about "Fighting Joe" and discover a story as complex as the Civil War itself.

2026 Winter Lecture Series: The Legends and Lies of Joe Hooker

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion", Gettysburg was the Civil War's bloodiest battle and was also the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln's immortal "Gettysburg Address".

A canon sits in front of an equestrian statue.

The Henry Slocum Monument

The Mississippi Monument at sunrise

The Irish Brigade Monument

The Soldiers' National Cemetery during special illumination event

A ranger-led interpretive program

A rainbow over the Abraham Brian Farm on Cemetery Ridge

The Cyclorama painting

The view from Little Round Top

Gettysburg

The battlefield and roads are open thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.
Visitors can plan their visit and obtain a listing of sunrise and sunset times by day in Gettysburg, PA at: https://sunrise-sunset.org/us/gettysburg-pa.

2026 Winter Lecture Series: The Legends and Lies of Joe Hooker

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