Declare Your Independence from Boredom and Ignorance

Here’s wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and safe Independence Day weekend—may it include a stop at the historic site of your choice. Many, but not all, sites on the Trails of History will be open on July 4th from 9 am to 5 pm. Please check ahead to make sure the site you want to visit is open for business. If the hot dogs, watermelon, and fireworks keep you too occupied, there are plenty of opportunities to visit the rest of the month.

PHMC/Anthracite Heritage Museum

Anthracite Heritage Museum
July 12-15, Pieces of the Past: Our Heritage Valley—annual summer camp for kids ages 7-12; registration form is here, and the deadline is TODAY (July 1).

Brandywine Battlefield
Weekly through August 12, Summer History Camp—weeks of July 25 and August 8 are already full, but spaces may remain for the other weeks. Visit the website for details.

Bushy Run Battlefield
July 10, Bushy Run Trail Run 5K Race & Walk—this race/walk (you choose) passes through the scenic trails of Bushy Run Battlefield; contact Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission for details or to register.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
July 3, Ringgold Band Concert—this annual event honors all military veterans. Concert is at 1:30, veterans who stop by the registration table between 1 and 1:30 will receive an American flag, compliments of the Friends of Conrad Weiser Homestead. Womelsdorf Fire Company will be on hand with food sales starting at noon.

Daniel Boone Homestead
July 4, Independence Day Program—military and civilian reenactors, guided tours of the Boone House, craft demonstrations, camp cooking and more; bring a picnic and enjoy the lovely grounds.
July 19-21, History Day Camp—visit the website for more information.
July 27, Junior History Workshop—check here for more info (also offered August 10).

Drake Well Museum
July 10, Sunday Family Fun, Recycled Rockets—come for a program on water rockets; limit 20, please call 814/827-2797 to reserve your spot.
July 30, Saturday Family Fun, Old Time Tastes—try old-fashioned recipes to make and share lemonade, bake bread and cookies, and churn butter. Yum! Limit 20, call 814/827-2797 for reservations.
July 30, Oil Valley Blacksmiths will be on hand for their monthly demonstration day (included in museum admission).

PHMC/Eckley Miners' Village

Eckley Miners’ Village
July 16-17, Armed Forces Tribute Weekend—this program honors those who have served their country from the Civil War to the present day; reenactors, food, and special activities will be on hand both days. Children will have the opportunity to color drawings to be included in care packages for men and women currently serving overseas.

Graeme Park
July 16, Celtic Festival—15th annual celebration of the Scottish heritage of the Keith, Graeme, and Fergusson families connected to Graeme Park; vendors, entertainment, and food are part of the fun.
July 24, Shakespeare in the Park—Theatre Horizon of Norristown stages As You Like It on the grounds.
August 1-5, Colonial Adventure Camp—kids who will be entering 4th through 7th grade this fall can still sign up for camp, but time is running out.

Joseph Priestley House
July 27-29, Summer History Camp—students who have completed 1st through 5th grade participate in hands-on activities to learn about the life and times of Dr. Priestley and his family. Contact Cindy Inkrote, Northumberland County Historical Society, for details and registration, director@intunewireless.net.

Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
July 9, Civil War Day 1863—come see how life in a rural Pennsylvania village is affected by the presence of Union troops encamped in the area; reenactors will bring the crossroads back to 1863 for this program.

Old Economy Village
July 16, Civil War Day—encampments, programs about soldiers’ daily lives, medical demonstrations, food, and activities for children will enliven the site. You can find more info here.

PHMC/Pennsbury Manor

Pennsbury Manor
July 3, Historic Trades—meet the blacksmith and the joyner as they demonstrate their metalworking and woodworking skills.
July 10, Living History Theater—play tavern games and catch up on current events with the locals (I understand there’s news to be had about pirates).
July 11-15 and July 25-29, Colonial Camp—designed for students who have completed 1st through 6th grade, the program includes lots of hands-on activities that teach about life in the 17th century. Check here for details.
July 17, Open Hearth Cooking—the cooks are already thinking about preserving the summer’s bounty to last through the winter, and they’ll show you how they do it.
July 24, Garden Highlights—the fragrances and colors of the summer garden will delight your senses.
July 31, Animals at Pennsbury—meet the horse, oxen and sheep who call Pennsbury home.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
July 2-3, Bark Peelers’ Convention—37th annual presentation of this popular event that showcases the historic and modern skills of woodhicks and lumber camp workers; crafts, food, contests, and bingo are just part of the festivities.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
July 5, “Hoofbeats and Cold Steel, A Night with the Cavalry”—the Central PA Civil War Roundtable presents 2nd US Cavalry reenactor Charlie Doutt as he recounts the life and times of a Union cavalryman.
July 14-17, People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts—annual event showcasing arts and crafts of central PA; food and entertainment are also available; fee for parking on Museum grounds.
July 23-24, VIETNAM Revisited—living history program portraying American support and combat troops during the late 1960s; go here for more info and photos of previous years’ events.
July 27, “Deserter Country: Civil War Opposition in Pennsylvania”—speaker is Dr. Robert Sandow, Assoc. Prof. of History at Lock Haven University; his presentation is part of the Friends of PMM monthly Speaker Series.

PHMC/Railroad Museum of PA

Railroad Museum of PA
Through July 4, Reading Railroad Days (began June 29)—special tours, model railroad displays and other activities highlight one of the most important historical transportation systems in eastern Pennsylvania.
July 11-15 and July 25-29, Barons & Builders Day Camp—all spaces are filled for this summer’s camp, but you can find out more info here and plan ahead for next year.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
July 6, 13, 20, and 27, Fossil Day Camp—this new program will be repeated on Wednesday mornings in July; the program is designed for children ages 9 to 11 and explores the Museum’s new paleontology exhibits and the adjacent Dino Lab. More info is here, including details on registration.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
July 4, Independence Day Celebration—the program features crafts demonstrations, tours of historic buildings, an encampment, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence.