5 Reasons to Look Forward to Fall on the Trails of History

It's been busy here, what with Ask A Curator Day falling in the middle of the week. Whether you were able to participate or missed it this year, Storify has a recap of the Q & A with three PHMC curators, Todd Galle (Pennsbury Manor), Sarah Buffington (Old Economy Village), and Susan Beates (Drake Well Museum), moderated by PHMC's information specialist for social media, Sean Adkins.

We still have two weekends of September to go, so the program listings for this month are posted under "About Us."

Fall harvest goodies at Landis Valley via Facebook

So, it's almost officially fall, my favorite season. We had a blissfully mild summer in my part of the state, but I still welcome that almost imperceptible change in the coolness of the air, followed by the need for a jacket or sweater. And while I'm not really a big fan of pumpkin spice (fill-in-the-blank), any season that involves more apples and cinnamon has my vote.

There are many more than 5 reasons to look forward to fall at our historic sites and museums, but 5 is a good start:

• Reason #1: enjoying the smell of wood smoke without having to clean up the ashes. You can find open-hearth cooking at our sites throughout the year, but it takes on a different aspect when the weather starts to cool - Autumnfest, Old Economy Village (this weekend, Sept. 20 & 21); Harvest Days, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (Oct. 11 & 12); The 17th-century Confectioner, Pennsbury Manor (Nov. 16)
• Reason #2: seeing Trails of History sites in a new light. Generally, our sites are open during the day; in the fall (okay, and some other times too, humor me) evening programs give you another perspective - Drake Well by Moonlight, Drake Well Museum (Oct. 4); Bonfire Harvest Festival, Scranton Iron Furnaces (Oct. 18); Candlelight Tours, Conrad Weiser Homestead (Nov. 22)
• Reason #3: Halloween!! This is not an exhaustive list - Haunted Halloween Lantern Tours, Eckley Miners' Village (Oct. 10-11, 17-18, 24-25); Haunted Halloween Tours, Graeme Park (Oct. 24); Historical Halloween, Somerset Historical Center (Oct. 25)
• Reason #4: Autumn Colors. Pennsylvania is beautiful in the fall, so take a road trip or enjoy an outdoor program - Garden Railways Tour, Railroad Museum of PA (Oct. 5); Fall Antiques and Collectibles Show, PA Lumber Museum (Oct. 11-12); Heritage Day, Daniel Boone Homestead (Oct. 19)
• Reason #5: Whatever interests you most. Watch for the October program listings next week (or Oct. 3 if I don't get it pulled together in time).