{"id":312922,"date":"2026-10-23T20:42:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T20:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/312922\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T20:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T20:42:36","slug":"our-wwii-weekend-in-reading-pa-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/312922\/","title":{"rendered":"Our WWII Weekend In Reading, PA (With Kids)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-15\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any longtime reader of this blog (or my instagram feed, @shanachristine<\/a>) might have picked up on the fact that Raines, my oldest, is obsessed with WWII. \u00a0We don\u2019t really know where it came from. \u00a0He went from a train obsession to planes and then to\u2026.war. \u00a0WWII, specifically, with a special passion for the dogfights that happened in Pacific, and D-Day itself. \u00a0As a parent, our philosophy has always been\u00a0to support and even fuel their passions (a philosophy that was sorely tested with years of mind-numbing train facts), so when I heard that one of\u00a0the\u00a0largest WWII gatherings occurs each June, barely an hour from Philly? \u00a0Well. \u00a0Game. On.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, I had some pretty low expectations for the Mid Atlantic Air Museum\u2019s World War Two Weekend<\/a>. \u00a0I thought we\u2019d show up, see some stuff, \u00a0Raines would be mildly impressed (check the box \u2013 yay parents), go home.<\/p>\n

Instead\u2026.minds were blown that\u00a0weekend. \u00a0BLOWN.<\/p>\n

This weekend isn\u2019t just about seeing a few planes fly around and maybe a gun or two\u2026.it\u2019s a total and complete WWII experience. \u00a0Thanks to a (literal) army of dedicated re-enactors, there\u2019s entire military camps\u00a0re-created \u2013 both on the Western and Pacific fronts. \u00a0Tour the German camp (even late at night) and you\u2019ll see Nazi \u201csoldiers\u201d playing cards, smoking, and listening to German music from the 40\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Pax being helped out of a Nazi Tiger Tank<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The magic\u00a0started in the parking lot(!!), as we walked to the shuttle. \u00a0A plane flew overhead and Raines freaked out: \u00a0\u201cIT FLIES!!! MOM IT FLIES!!! I CAN\u2019T BELIEVE IT STILL FLIES\u201d he cried, falling to his knees in ecstasy. \u00a0It was a P-51 Mustang, Raines\u2019 long-time favorite WWII fighter.<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-23\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Various WWII planes fly overhead all weekend long (for $$$ I think you can even take a ride in some of them), and many of the larger bombers can be toured. \u00a0They even do mock dogfights at various times.<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-27\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-28\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-24\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-30\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-29\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of our very favorite parts was the re-created French Village (complete with family\u00a0residents \u2013 including kids! \u00a0Seriously the re-enactors make this weekend.). \u00a0During the day, Allied soldiers storm the town which is currently in German possession. \u00a0Pax was a little scared, and Raines watched every move, quietly. \u00a0After the demonstration, we moved into the faux French flea market, and found all kinds of vintage army gear\u00a0to fit the boys.<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-21\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-19\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-20\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-9\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But it was later in the night \u2013 after dinner \u2013 that the real magic happened. \u00a0That\u2019s when all the kids \u2013 all dressed in varying degrees of \u201csoldier\u201d \u2013\u00a0spontaneously came to play in the French village.<\/p>\n

The game? \u00a0War, of course. \u00a0(sigh)<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-14\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-13\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-12\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-10\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This weekend, ultimately, is so special because of the passion. \u00a0The passion of people who care about the history, about honoring the sacrifices made, and in some cases, the passion of people who actually lived through it. \u00a0It\u2019s an emotional weekend, too. \u00a0There aren\u2019t many WWII veterans still alive, and I felt lucky\u00a0watching Raines\u00a0talk about the experience of flying planes in the Pacific with someone who had actually done it.<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-16\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-tiger-tank\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-25\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Mid-Atlantic WWII Weekend<\/a> occurs over D-Day weekend in June (this year it\u2019s June 5, 6, and 7th). \u00a0You can buy tickets online until 5\/26, and then they are always available at the gate (if you do buy online, get tickets for the chicken dinner \u2013 it comes with shaded seating). \u00a0Which reminds me: \u00a0it was crazy-hot last year, and I\u2019ve been told it\u2019s hot every year. \u00a0This year we\u2019ll probably plan to get there a little later in the day (we always go on Saturday) since our favorite time to walk around is\u00a0after dinner. \u00a0At the end of the night there\u2019s a huge swing dance, preceeded by a\u00a0re-enactment of President Roosevelt\u2019s Day of Infamy\u00a0speech, and performances by The Manhattan Dolls. \u00a0You can tell which attendees come every year \u2013 they\u2019re dressed in period costume, just like the re-enactors.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m tempted.<\/p>\n

\"wwii-weekend-reading-pa-31\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.<\/p>\n

xo,<\/p>\n

S<\/p>\n