As they begin their journey home from their student exchange term, Charlie Brown and the gang find themselves sidetracked. They have severe car trouble and more importantly, they pass by various monuments to World Wars I & II. With Linus guiding them through these memorials, they learn about the events of the wars and the sacrifices required of the troops who fought them.

Charlie Brown is having hallucinations as a result of a rash on the back of his head resembling the stitchings of a baseball, most notably seeing the rising sun as a baseball. He goes to camp to take his mind off of baseball with a paper sack on his head to cover up said rash and is suddenly elected camp president as the other kids find his appearance cool. But then he removes his sack the next morning and becomes uncool again. He watches the sun rise, fearing that it will appear as a rising baseball. Instead, the sun is replaced with MAD Magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman.

Several new different Peanuts sketches are featured in this TV special, adapted from the comic strip, including Peppermint Patty's stint at dog training school and Charlie Brown spending time in the hospital.

When Snoopy turns Charlie Brown invisible in a magic act, he has trouble changing him back.

When the circus comes to town, Snoopy naturally pays a visit. There he falls for a beautiful poodle performing there. He soon runs away to join it. While he quickly becomes a star performer, Charlie Brown is distraught by Snoopy's decision while Snoopy himself has to face some realities of show business himself.