In addition to its ongoing free exhibits, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) will host the Red Blanket Native Pride Dancers for their annual celebration of Native American Heritage Month on Thursday, Nov. 9.

According to USAHEC’s website, this year’s cultural celebration will include a wide range of ceremonial and social dancing techniques. The website further states that the free event will start at 7:00 p.m. and will “include authentic dress[es], freestyle movements, and intense music, accompanied by vocals and flutes from the Northern Plains.”

In addition to this event, USAHEC also has several ongoing indoor and outdoor exhibits and artifacts that relate to military history.

The indoor portion of the museum is filled with military memorabilia dating from World War I up to the current War on Terror. Within the museum, visitors can learn about war heroes, military strategy, weapons of different cultures among more aspects of U.S. military. There are also several interactive exhibits, including simulations of a gun range and a paratrooper landing.

The museum also includes a mile-long Heritage Trail that highlights every era of army history with 14 individual exhibits dating back to the Revolutionary War. These consist of authentic tanks, helicopters, trenches, forts, underground tunnels, memorial gardens, obstacle courses and barracks. At certain times during the year, historians dress in uniforms of former American soldiers and provide visitors with information and hands-on activities. The outside exhibit is open from dawn to dusk and visitors can either walk, run or bike.

According to Program and Education Coordinator Karl Warner III, “The USAHEC is not just about military history. The history of the U.S. Army is the history of America. Our collections, and programs, span so much more than just military history,” he explained. “We often have program[s] on the human side of being a soldier, about medicine, about STEM topics and much more. No matter your major, our collections will have material that will interact with your discipline. Our programs will interest any audience, not just military history buffs.”

Visitor Jim Meade said, “I was presently surprised. I love how interactive and nice the facility is. The details of each exhibit really helps you submerge yourself in each [war]…definitely worth a visit.”

This fall, USAHEC has already hosted several cultural events and talks such as “The Custer Conundrum: Exploring Leadership and the Contradictory Life of George Armstrong Custer” on Wednesday, Oct. 18, and “The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb” on Thursday, Nov. 2.

The center’s address is 950 Soldiers Drive, Carlisle, Pa. For more information call  (717)-245-3972.