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Sites to See in Emmitsburg

Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Discover the first American born Catholic saint. Museum and Tours available.

Grotto of Lourdes

This beautiful mountain shrine features one of the oldest American replicas of the Lourdes shrine in France, built about two decades after the apparition of Mary at Lourdes in 1858, and attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year from all over the world. It offers the occasion for a deepening conversion, a step forward in the journey to God, with Mary as the model for that journey.

Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial

Constructed in 1981, the 7-foot stone monument features a sculpted Maltese Cross, the traditional symbol of the fire service. An engraved plaque on the monument bears a message from President Ronald W. Reagan. At the base of the monument an eternal flame symbolizes the spirit of all firefighters — past, present and future. Plaques encircling the monument list the names of the men and women of the fire service who have died in service to their communities since 1981. Whenever a firefighter dies i

To lift a nation2

“To Lift a Nation” is a 40-foot-tall, eight-foot-wide bronze monument that honors those who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. The sculpture was created by artist Stan Watts and is modeled after Thomas E. Franklin's "Ground Zero Spirit" photograph for the “Bergen Record” of three firefighters raising the American flag at New York’s Ground Zero. Watts states the firefighter statue and flag symbolize hope and courage despite the impact of deep tragedy.

Fire Museum Picture

The National Fire Heritage Center is committed to the preservation of ideas including: the legacy of written and original works by individual contributors within the profession; the published history and literature of the American Fire Service Industry; as well as conservation of oral histories.

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