How do you fit 200 candles on a birthday cake? Tomorrow – April 27, 2022 – marks the 200th anniversary of Ulysses Grant’s birth. This notable bicentennial will be commemorated with events, activities and exhibits at dozens of locations across the nation. Our partner park Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site will offer programs for all tastes and ages in the coming months. Whether you’re a history buff, a military veteran, a food lover or a kid, you’re sure to find a fun and interesting way to celebrate the former president’s 200th year.
The park is devoting the entire day and evening of April 27 to an extended birthday celebration:
- There will be presentations on Grant’s life in the visitor center theater.
- Food historian Suzanne Corbett will deliver a program on 19th century cakes and other desserts in the dining room of White Haven, the house where Ulysses lived with his wife Julia and her family.
- Visitors can make and send cards to residents of Missouri veterans’ homes letting them know about Grant’s appreciation of military veterans.
- You can pick up a “Flat Grant” handout at the park’s visitor center to color and take with you on your travels. Share your selfies with Grant on social media as you travel with #USGrant2ndWorldTour.
- Kids can explore all aspects of Grant’s life with a special Junior Ranger activity book and receive a commemorative Junior Ranger badge.
- In the evening, the Independent Silver Band will conduct a one-hour concert on the park grounds, beginning at 6:30 pm. This program is presented in partnership with the Ulysses S. Grant Association and Mississippi State University.
Other bicentennial activities planned by the park include a visit by the nation’s premiere Grant impersonator, Curt Fields, on Tuesday May 17th. Throughout the summer, park staff will offer special themed tours of the historic White Haven estate, gallery walks, touch tables, and facilitated dialogue programs inside the park’s museum. Check the park’s list of bicentennial events for more details. To learn about events elsewhere in the U.S. that will commemorate the Grant Bicentennial, visit the Ulysses S. Grant Association’s website.
Finally, if you’d like a keepsake of this important bicentennial, pick up this unique brass ornament at our bookstore when you visit the park. It features a likeness of Grant beneath his well-known saying “Let us have peace.” You can also order the ornament from our online store. Quantities are limited!
JNPA Blog 