Featuring Special Guest Doris Kearns Goodwin
Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center
An Unforgettable Evening of Vision, Purpose & Possibility
Some moments are more than events—they’re turning points. They mark a moment in time when vision meets purpose, when history speaks to the future and when a shared mission becomes a movement.
The Gettysburg Foundation invites you to be part of just such a moment.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration, connection and inspiration at our 2025 Gala—an extraordinary night set against the hallowed backdrop of Gettysburg. This cocktail attire gathering will feature presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose words have influenced leaders of many professions across the nation.
Together with leaders, friends and supporters from across the country, you will experience a powerful vision of how Gettysburg’s legacy continues to shape our shared future.
5:30 p.m. | Reception
6:30 p.m. | Dinner and Program
8:45 p.m. | Private Post-reception with Doris Kearns Goodwin
9 p.m. | Dessert Reception, Live Music and Dancing
Cocktail Attire
Doris Kearns Goodwin,
Author, Historian and Public Speaker
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned, presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author and partner in Pastimes Productions. Goodwin is often called upon by the news media and late night TV hosts as well as hundreds of companies, educational institutions, government agencies and nonprofits to share her vast knowledge of leadership and provide historical context for current day events.
Goodwin’s career as a presidential historian and author was inspired when as a 24-year-old graduate student at Harvard, Doris Kearns was selected to join the White House Fellows, one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service.
In Fall 2024, Goodwin’s first book for young readers, The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, was published. Especially tailored for educational use, Goodwin brings to middle-grade books decades of rich research combined with deep knowledge of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Adapted by Ruby Shamir from Goodwin’s seventh book, Leadership In Turbulent Times, both books provide an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field, and for all of us in our everyday lives.
Goodwin previously authored six critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books, including Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, in part the basis for Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln,” which earned 12 Academy Award® nominations, including an Academy Award for actor Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of the 16th president. Team of Rivals is often cited as an inspiration for business and political leaders and was awarded the prestigious Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History.
In 2016, Goodwin was the first historian to receive the Lincoln Leadership Prize from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. Goodwin has received numerous awards for her books and career.
Updated Nov. 6, 2025
Gala Reservations
Whether you are joining us as an individual guest or have reserved a full table for your friends, colleagues or clients—you’ll be part of a purpose-filled night supporting the ongoing work of the Gettysburg Foundation and our enduring partnership with the National Park Service.
Step into an evening where past, present and future come together—and leave with renewed purpose, new connections, and a deeper commitment to the story that still shapes and inspires our nation.
Gala reservatios have now closed. We look forward to seeing everyone who will be in attendance.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Your support as a sponsor of the Gala benefits the education and preservation mission of the Gettysburg Foundation.
Together with the National Park Service at Gettysburg, we help preserve and protect the resources associates with the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg and share its important story of conflict, courage and remembrance with the broader public.
Custom sponsorship packages are available to fit your business objectives. Select a sponsorship level or contact Brett Bernardini at 717-339-2134 or bbernardini@gettysburgfoundation.org to secure your sponsorship.
View the sponsorship opportunities.
Hotel Accommodations
For your convenience, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Gettysburg on Lincoln Square in downtown Gettysburg.
When calling the hotel, 866-378-1797 or 717-337-2000, to make your reservations, mention the Gettysburg Foundation Annual Gala to receive a special rate. Or book your room reservations at the special rate online by visiting the hotel's webpage.
Hotel reservations at a special rate were available through Oct. 10, 2025. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Gettysburg Foundation is grateful to our generous sponsors and patrons of the Gala.
Updated Nov. 6, 2025
Gettysburg Foundation Gala
Proceeds from the Gala event benefit the Gettysburg Foundation's mission of education and preservation at Gettysburg, a place that inspires every generation.
The Gettysburg Foundation Gala will feature special guest Doris Kearns Goodwin on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.
Accommodations
For your convenience, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Gettysburg on Lincoln Square in downtown Gettysburg.
When calling the hotel, 866-378-1797 or 717-337-2000, to make your reservations, mention the Gettysburg Foundation Annual Gala to receive a special rate. Or book your room reservations at the special rate online by visiting the hotel's webpage.
A special rate for hotel reservations is offered through Oct. 10, 2025.