Free Passport Stamp Book Earns Visitors Commemorative Civil War Gifts

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office and nine county tourism bureaus within Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads Region announced a new Civil War Trails Passport to History pro­gram that rewards trav­el­ers with com­mem­o­ra­tive Civil War gifts after vis­it­ing a vari­ety of attrac­tions along the recently devel­oped PA Civil War Trails (CWT).

The free Passport to History pro­gram pro­vides trav­el­ers along Pennsylvania’s CWT with an oppor­tu­nity to col­lect “pass­port stamps” at 24 par­tic­i­pat­ing attrac­tions, earn­ing them points toward com­mem­o­ra­tive Civil War gifts includ­ing: Civil War Trails Pin (4 stamps); Civil War Trails Pennant (8 stamps); Civil War Kepi cap (12 stamps).

Passports with 12 or more stamps qual­ify for the grand prize, a get­away vaca­tion pack­age that includes overnight lodg­ing for two; dis­count coupons; gift bag; two dine around coupons; museum admis­sion for two; and a trail guide. Rules require the win­ner must be 18 years old to be eli­gi­ble for the grand prizes to be drawn on Nov. 19, 2009 and July 5, 2010.

“This new pro­mo­tion adds a great incen­tive for those com­ing to this area to expe­ri­ence the PA Civil War Trails,” said Chris Barrett, Chairman of the Dutch Country Roads Regional Committee. “The pass­port book iden­ti­fies four attrac­tions in each county along the trail, giv­ing a trav­eler a clear path to expe­ri­ence some of the finest muse­ums, unique attrac­tions and his­toric places within Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads Region.”

The new incen­tive pro­gram was ini­ti­ated by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office in part­ner­ship with the fol­low­ing regional tourism bureaus:

Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau

Franklin County Visitors Bureau

Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau

PA Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau

York County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Greater Reading Visitors Center

Lebanon County Visitors Center

Redeem Prizes

Prizes can be redeemed at offi­cial vis­i­tor cen­ter loca­tions in Carlisle, Chambersburg, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, Reading, and York.  Travelers can find the spe­cific addresses for each vis­i­tor cen­ters in a down­load­able copy of the pass­port book at DutchCountryRoads.com/BrochureRequest.aspx.

Passport books can be picked up at the fol­low­ing locations

-          Visitor Centers in Participating Counties (Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York)

-       PennDOT Welcome Centers

-          24 Participating Sites (see below)

Regional attrac­tions fea­tured in the pass­port booklet

Shriver House Museum; David Wills House; American Civil War Museum; Rupp House/Friends of Gettysburg; Chambersburg Heritage Center; John Brown House/Mary Ritner’s Boarding House; Allison-Antrim Museum; Renfrew Museum; Cumberland County Historical Society; Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse; Mechanicsburg Museum Association; Civil War and More; PA National Fire House Museum; The State Museum of Pennsylvania; The National Civil War Museum; John Harris – Simon Cameron House; Strasburg Rail Road; President James Buchanan’s Wheatland; Christiana Underground Railroad Center at Historic Zercher’s Hotel & UGRR Museum; National Watch & Clock Museum; John Wright Warehouse; York County Heritage Trust; Agricultural & Industrial Museum; Hanover Junction Train Station.

About the PA Civil War Trails

Two dis­tinct trails were devel­oped in a part­ner­ship among the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission:

The Road to Gettysburg: Defending the Commonwealth tells of the Union effort to hold off approach­ing Confederate forces from over­tak­ing the north­ern state.

The Road to Harrisburg: The Pennsylvania Breadbasket looks at the Civil War from the Confederate side, detail­ing General Lee’s strat­egy and attempt to cap­ture Pennsylvania’s cap­i­tal city and the detour that led both sides to meet at Gettysburg.

About Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads Region

Welcome to Pennsylvania’s No. 1 tourist region, Dutch Country Roads! The nine coun­ties com­pris­ing the DCR region – Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York – offer vis­i­tors an invit­ing mix of urban chic and rural beauty, as well as a con­ve­nient cen­tral loca­tion for your Pennsylvania get­away. For more infor­ma­tion, visit www.dutchcountryroads.com.

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