2008 EVENTS & PROGRAMS

Jan - March	Tours of Wheatland - Available by appointment on weekdays - Call 717-392-8721
April - Oct	Gardens of the Susquehanna Tour - Experience the natural beauty of 35 private gardens through this special event sponsored by the Wheatland Garden Club to benefit the continued preservation of the historic buildings and cultivation of the grounds at President Buchanan’s Wheatland estate.  Click here for an order form.
February 18 10 am - 4 pm	Presidents' Day at Wheatland - Discover the public and private life of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States (1857-1861) through focus tours of Wheatland.  In addition to tours visitors can enjoy an exhibit on political cartoons featuring the 1856 Presidential Campaign and Mr. Buchanan's administration.  Admission by suggested donation.
March 28 6 - 9 pm Reservations required	President James Buchanan Annual Dinner - Join us for dinner at Millersville University’s Bolger Conference Center in Old Main .  Our featured speaker, Dr. Adam B. Lawrence, Assistant Professor of Government at Millersville University, will present a talk entitled, RATING THE PRESIDENT: Reconsidering James Buchanan's Place in History.  Reservations required call 717-392-8721.
April 1 - Oct 31	2008 Visitation Season - Wheatland is open six days each week, Monday - Saturday during the season. Closed on Sundays except for special event activities.  Hours of operation each day is 10 am - 4:30 pm.  We look forward to your visit!
April 19 Noon - 2 pm	President Buchanan's 217th Birthday Celebration - Come celebrate Mr. Buchanan's 217th birthday!  Enjoy a piece of birthday cake and fun times made possible by the Buchanan Elementary School's PTO.  Students from the school serve as your hosts and portray Mr. Buchanan and his niece Harriet Lane.  Free admission during the program.
April 26 11 am & 1 pm	Lecture & Recital - The Influence of Stephen Foster's Music - Dr. Christina Reitz, Professor of Music at Franklin & Marshall College will present lecture and performance, using Harriet Lane's grand piano in the Mansion, that outlines the influence of Stephen Collins Foster's music in the mid-late 19th century and his contribution to American art & popular music. Dr. Reitz will also explore Foster's focus on the plight of African-Americans in slavery and how he portrayed the African-Americans in a positive light that was much different than the minstrels that were then dominating the theatrical stage.  Cost for program included in regular admission.
May 3 & 4 10 - 4 Sat Noon - 4 Sun	President Buchanan's 2nd Annual Wheatland Garden Club Spring Plant Sale - Are you looking for some unusual new plants for your spring garden? How about some iris, unique herbs or other perennials?  Then come to President Buchanan's Second Annual Plant Sale at Wheatland.  All sale proceeds will support the gardens and grounds at historic Wheatland.
June 7 July 5 September 6 October 4 1 - 3  each month	Race for the White House 1856 - Step back in time on the First Saturday in June, July, September and October to experience the Presidential campaign of 1856.  Visitors will have opportunities to meet the three national presidential candidates:Republican candidate John C. Fremont, American candidate Millard Fillmore, and Democratic candidate James Buchanan.  Candidates will share their thoughts on the important issues during this pivotal presidential campaign.
Sept 19 5 - 9 Friday Sept 20 8:30 - 5 Sat	The President James Buchanan National Symposium - President James Buchanan’s Wheatland and the Lancaster County Historical Society present a two-day symposium using a panel/forum format to examine the political crisis of the 1850s and the presidency of James Buchanan.  Registration for the Symposium opens June 1, 2008.  Funding for the Symposium & Educators In-Service has been generously provided by the Richard C. von Hess Foundation and the Lancaster County Community Foundation. Friday Evening will feature the Keynote.  This will take place at the Campus of President James Buchanan’s Wheatland and the Lancaster County Historical Society.  "The Political Crisis of the 1850s: A Conversation with William W. Freehling and Michael F. Holt"  Moderated by John Quist   - Shippensburg University Dr. William Freehling (Emeritus, University of Kentucky) & Dr. Michael Holt (University of Virginia) the Nation's most prolific and influential scholars on antebellum politics Saturday will feature the Panelists and Forum.  This will take place at Franklin & Marshall College's Stahr Auditorium in Stager Hall.  Registration begins at 8:30 am. Panels & Themes PANEL #1  1857: A Turning Point in American History Moderated by Matthew Pinsker - Dickinson College. Panelists: Paul Finkelman - SUNY Binghamton                 The Dred Scott Case Nicole Etcheson - Ball State University             The Kansas Issue John M. Belohlavek - University of S. Florida    Buchanan's Foreign Policy PANEL #2 Before Secession: James Buchanan as a Crisis Manager Moderated by Randall Miller - St. Joseph's University. Panelists: Michael Morrison - Purdue University          Buchanan as Party Leader Maury Klein - University of Rhode Island     Buchanan & his Cabinet William P. MacKinnon – Ind. Scholar           Buchanan & the Crisis in Utah LUNCH   PANEL #3 James Buchanan and Secession: A Panel Discussion Moderated by Michael Birkner - Gettysburg College. Panelists: Jean Baker - Goucher College                     Buchanan's Management of Secession Crisis Daniel Crofts - The College of New Jersey Southern States and Secession William G. Shade - Lehigh University           Northern States and Secession PANEL #4 Educators In-Service Enrichment Workshop Scholars, Michael Birkner, Matthew Pinsker, and John Quist will lead a discussion covering the key themes raised in the earlier sessions and consider, with the registered secondary education teachers, ways in which these themes can be integrated into classroom lesson plans and curriculum.
September 27 10 - 4 Sat September 28 Noon - 4 Sun	President Buchanan's 2nd Annual Arts & Sauerkraut Festival - President Buchanan's favorite dish was "that simple German dish of sauerkraut."  Come celebrate sauerkraut and the arts at this festival on Wheatland's grounds.  A traditional Lancaster County meal of sauerkraut & mashed potatoes will be available, as well as live music by the Susquehanna Travellers, craft and artisan demonstrations, plant sales, arts and craft sales, and an Iron-Chef's Cookoff!  Admission charged & tours of Wheatland available for additional fee.
Nov 1 - Dec 20	2008 Winter Season - Wheatland is open every Friday & Saturday during the winter season.  Hours of operation each day is 10 am - 4:30 pm.  We look forward to your visit! After Christmas Wheatland will be open for tours 10 am - 4:30 on December 26-30.
Nov 1 1 - 3	Guy Fawkes Day - Celebrate Guy Fawkes Day at President Buchanan's Wheatland estate.  Enjoy traditional activities including pumpkin carving, a bon fire & snacks.  Call & reserve your place at this special celebration.  Limited to 100 participants, call 717-392-8721 ext. 0
Nov 7 - 9 Friday night Check-in begins at 5 pm	3rd Annual Webelos Civil War Camp Out - Register your Webelos Scouts for this exciting outdoor camping trip where they will discover what life was like as a soldier during the Civil War and how the War affected the life of former U.S. President James Buchanan.  A new set of Webelos advancement pins will be offered this year!  Pre- Registration is required, click here for registration form Registration fee covers activity supplies and meals.  Call 717-392-8721 ext. 225 to register by phone.
Nov 10 10 - 4	Wheatland Honors U.S. Veterans - After the British captured Washington City during the War of 1812, James Buchanan was among the first volunteers to join Judge Shippen's calvarymen on August 25, 1814.  After the British were driven out of Baltimore Buchanan and his company were dismissed.  President Buchanan's Wheatland invites all active/veteran military and their families to enjoy a special focus tour at the 15th President's estate free of charge.  Please bring your military ID.
November 15 1-3 pm	Election Day 1856 - Step back in time to take part in the 1856 Presidential election that will change the course of American History!  Visitors will have one final opportunity to meet the three Presidential candidates today, and then cast your ballot for the 15th President of the United States.  Log-on to the Wheatland website at www.wheatland.org Saturday November 22, 2008 to see the results of Election Day 1856!
Dec 6 & 7 10 - 4 Sat Noon - 4 Sun	President Buchanan's 2nd Annual Wheatland Garden Club Holiday Greens Sale - Looking for some fresh greens for the holiday season?  Then come to President Buchanan's First Annual Holiday Greens Sale at Wheatland.  All sale proceeds will support the gardens and grounds at historic Wheatland.
Dec 12 & 13 Dec 19 & 20 6 - 8 pm	Candlelight Tours & A Presidential Victory Celebration - Come by to celebrate Mr. Buchanan's last Christmas at Wheatland and congratulate him on his victory at the 1856 presidential election polls!  These special evening visits to Wheatland shouldn't be missed!  Call 717-392-8721 extension 0 for details.
Dec 26-30 10-4 Fri &Sat       Mon & Tue Noon - 4 Sun	Christmas Week - Come discover the beauty of Wheatland during the holidays.  Bring your family and friends to see the simple elegance of President Buchanan's home as it may have appeared in 1856.   Tours are available every 30 minutes; the last tour starts at 3:30 pm.

Some events and programs may have an additional charge. Contact Wheatland for more information.

President James Buchanan's Wheatland
The James Buchanan Foundation
1120 Marietta Ave.
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-392-8721
marketing@wheatland.org