Group Tours
Reservations required: All school group must be scheduled with a minimum of two weeks’ notice, and be comprised of 10 or more people; subject to staff and volunteer volunteer availability.
Tours may be scheduled in any combination. Interpretive signs throughout the grounds and Museum make for an excellent self-guided tour, allowing the visitor to experience a guided tour and then explore on their own. Better yet - combine a tour with any one of our bivouacs or encampments.
Museum Tour
View our orientation DVD, "Answering the Call: Pennsylvanians in Service to the Nation." 250 years of Pennsylvania military history are condensed into this short piece that orients the visitor to the time and place of national conflicts. From the Colonial Period to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the importance of Pennsylvanians in the armed services is examined. The exhibit, ADVANCE: The Tactics and Logistics of Warfare, shows the development, organization, and function of the armed services in the 20th century. As technology improved, tactics on the battlefield evolved as well. Discover why a tank is called a “tank” and how evacuating a patient off the battlefield changed so drastically in less than 50 years. (Approximate time allotted, 1 hour.)
Shrine Tour
Prepare for an easy ¼ mile stroll amidst the monuments of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division Shrine. Learn about the Boal Troop, the Guard’s first horse-mounted machine gun cavalry unit that trained on the grounds, and the history of the division as it fought in two World Wars. Discover the relationship between Boalsburg, the Shrine, and the Museum. (Approximate time allotted, 1 hour.)
Armor Tour
Size the group up against a World War II era tank and compare that to other armored vehicles on the grounds from the 1950s and 60s. Visitors will learn about the development, function, and design of armored vehicles as a means of protecting the troops and influencing the battlefield. Guides will interpret the many physical characteristics of the vehicles for a unique educational experience. (Approximate time allotted, 1 hour.)