April 2015 on the Trails of History

Spring is finally here and everything is gearing up on the Trails of History. Most sites are closed this Sunday (April 5) for Easter, but the Pennsylvania Military Museum, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, and Washington Crossing Historic Park will be open on their regular Sunday schedules that day. Without further ado, here's the rest of April.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
April 12: site open—self-guided tours with docents on hand to answer questions. Noon-4 pm.
April 19: Weiser Interpretive Program—enjoy an afternoon of living history. Noon-4 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
April 14: Friends Lecture Series—“The Communities of Cornwall,” with speakers Michael Trump and L. Susan Wentzel. They will focus on Book II in their series of local history profiles, which includes the Cornwall Estate (now part of Cornwall Manor). Lectures are held in Freeman Hall auditorium at Cornwall Manor. 7 pm.

Drake Well Museum
April 11: Something More Saturday—Today's focus is Drake Well's Environment; learn about the museum grounds. Included in museum admission; special family rate – up to 2 adults and 3 children for $20. 10 am-3 pm.
April 16: Heritage Lecture Series—Jan Woods of Hurry Hill Farm will present a program on maple syrup. Admission: Age 12-64, $5; Age 65+, $4; Friends of Drake Well members, free. Doors open at 6 pm, program starts at 6:30.
April 25: Oil Valley Blacksmiths—this organization meets at Drake Well on the last Saturday of every month through October, providing demonstrations for visitors. Included in museum admission. 10 am-2 pm.

Ephrata Cloister
April 1: Community Days at Ephrata Public Library—Ephrata's popular hands-on educational program goes on the road to the public library. Geared for elementary students and their families. Register through Ephrata Public Library to attend. 4:30-6 pm.
April 6: Landscapes at the Historic Ephrata Cloister—bring your own supplies and make art inspired by the historic landscape (a limited amount of art supplies will be available). Open to ages 10-18. Free program; register through Ephrata Public Library. 3:30 pm.
April 8: Storytime—Designed for preschoolers and their adults, the program pairs a story with a related craft or activity. Cost is $6 for an adult and accompanying child (age 3-5), $3 for each additional child; FREE with family-level membership in Ephrata Cloister Associates. 10-11 am.
April 9: Scherenschnitte Paper Cutting—Ephrata's Student Historians will co-teach this class at the public library for ages 10-12. Space is limited; register through Ephrata Public Library. 4 pm.
April 9 and 23: Evening Conversations—April 9 is "Introduction to Genealogy" with Mike Emery; April 23 is "Shoes and Shoemaking" with Marc Benedict. Programs are free (donations welcome). 7-8 pm.
April 13: Be an Illustrator—come to the Ephrata Public Library and be inspired by the charcoal drawings of Ephrata Cloister by Roswell Weidner. For ages 8-13. Free; register through Ephrata Public Library. Programs are at 2:30 pm for homeschoolers and 4 pm for public schoolers. These may already be booked by the time you read this.
April 18: Making History Workshop—Spinning is this month's activity; learn to use a spinning wheel and a drop spindle. Fee charged. 10 am-noon.

Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara
April 1-May 25: Exhibit on view—"Plastic Waters: from the Great Lakes to the Ocean" explores the harmful effects of plastics pollution on the Great Lakes. It is the product of a partnership between the California-based 5 Gyres Institute and the Alliance for the Great Lakes. (Info on public programs related to the exhibit.)
April 1: Day Sail Tickets on Sale to Public—4-hour and 5-hour day sails are scheduled starting in May and continuing through the summer (info and registration).
April 12: Exhibit Grand Opening and Reception—At 2:30 in Hirt Auditorium, Dr. Sherri Mason will discuss the July 2012 survey of plastics pollution in the Great Lakes that was conducted on-board Niagara. Immediately following the talk, there will be an opening reception for "Plastic Waters." Admission is free and the museum is open noon-5 pm.
April 27: Storytime at the Maritime—Kristal Ambrose from the Bahamas Plastic Movement will read Steven Kroll's Stuff! Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and then participants can tour the Plastic Waters exhibit. Program is aimed at children 3-7. Program is free. 10 am.

Graeme Park
April 8: Lunch and Learn—Colonial Women's Clothing is the topic, with speaker Kimberly Boice, museum educator at Peter Wentz Farmstead. She will discuss the many layers of clothing typical of the 1770s. Participants will have a chance to try on reproduction items. $20 includes the program, continental breakfast, and lunch. Pre-registration is requested; call 215/343-0965.

Hope Lodge
April 19: Site open—Hope Lodge will be open the 3rd Sunday of each month through October. Tours are at 1, 2, and 3 pm. Admission charged. 12:30-4 pm.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
April 11: Victorian Tea and Tour—get into the Victorian mood by visiting the new exhibit, "1865: Lancaster County at the Close of the Civil War." Attendees will then enjoy a guided walk through the village and a three-course tea at the Landis Valley House Hotel. The day will wrap up in the Firehouse with a talk on Victorian Hair Jewelry presented by Lucy Cadwallader. Reservation deadline was April 1, but call 717/581-0590 to see if space is still available. $32 per person. Starts at 10 am.
April 18: Plastic Soda Bottle Butterfly—part of the Museum Store’s “Folk Art and Friendship” series. Cost is $10. Registration is required; call 717/569-9312. 1-3 pm.
April 18: Spring Benefit Auction—there’s a silent auction and a live auction (UPDATE: more info here), plus food and beverages for sale, to benefit the museum. Doors open at 4 pm for preview, silent auction, and food sales; live auction starts at 5:30 pm.

Old Economy Village
April 1: Village reopens for the season—the visitor center has been open this winter, but not the village buildings, so it's time for a return visit. Open Tues-Sat, 10 am-5 pm, Wed & Thu until 8 pm; open 2nd Sunday each month, noon-5 pm.
April 11-12: Hands-on History Weekend—open 10 am-5 pm on Saturday, noon-5 pm on Sunday.

Pennsbury Manor
April 12: Living History Theater—The Penn Family will be taking up residence finally, and the servants are preparing for their arrival. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
April 19: Open Hearth Cooking—It's "Spring in the 17th-century Kitchen" and the cooks are using fresh greens, eggs, and milk. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
April 26: Garden Highlights and Mead Demonstration—"Get Your Buzz On" as the gardeners talk about the importance of bees to the garden and the brewers use honey to make mead. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
April 1: Site reopens for the season—come see the new visitor center and get a sneak peek at the new exhibit in progress (grand opening in May). Open Wed-Sun, 9 am-5 pm.
April 12: Spring Antique and Collectable Show—Another chance to see the new building and a wide array of vendors. Food will be available for purchase. Admission charged. 10 am-4:30 pm.
UPDATE: April 17: PA Parks and Forests Foundation Photo Showcase—winning photos from the PPFF photo contest will be on display at the museum (during regular hours) through May 2.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
April 1: Friends Richard Koontz Memorial Lecture Series—"Remembering World War II, A Pilot's Journey" features Army Air Forces pilot John Homan discussing his experiences. (Centre Daily Times featured a great article about this talk and the need to share these stories.) Donations accepted. 7:30 pm.
April 18: Lecture—Retired Air Force SGT Major Bob Baker will present "Air War: A First Hand Account of Combat and Capture," recounting his WWII experiences as a B17 flight engineer, gunner, and German POW. Included in regular admission. 1:30 pm.
April 25: Kids Day I: Dress Up and Discover!!—kids of all ages can try on field gear and head gear from the museum education collection. Photo backdrops will be set up in the museum theater and there will be learning stations throughout the galleries. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.

Pennsylvania State Archives
April 21-22 and 28-29: Archives without Tears—these popular two-day workshops provide practical advice, sample forms, and policies and discuss archival best practices so that staff can collect, preserve, and assist researchers with the archival treasures in their care. Open to anyone who works with archival materials. April 21-22 is at Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, April 28-29 is at York County Heritage Trust. Cost is $25; partial registrations available for $15. Contact Josh Stahlman for a brochure, jostahlman@pa.gov or 717/772-3257 (or you can visit the Hidden Collections Initiative Facebook page to see the brochure - thanks HCIPSAR for sharing).

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
April 9 & 11: Volunteer Training—training is open to current, active volunteers only, but it's not too late to enlist. Contact programs@rrmuseumpa.org for more information.
April 25: Exhibit opens—“Riveted Jacket of Many Colors: A Photo History of GG1 No. 4800” explores the history of "Old Rivets," an iconic electric locomotive built by GE/Baldwin in 1934. Included in museum admission during regular hours, through December 31.

Somerset Historical Center
April 6: “One Hundred Years Ago in Somerset County”—Somerset Historical Center interns will present a program based on their research. The program will be followed by the Historical & Genealogical Society of Somerset County’s Annual Meeting. Admission is free. 6 pm.
April 10-12: Annual School of Coopering—learn traditional skills using traditional tools (hand power only) at this popular workshop. Contact the site at 814/445-6077 or c-mware@pa.gov for details.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
April 9: Storytime in Curiosity Connection—author Lindsay Barrett George will read her book Maggie's Ball. The program is geared for children ages 3-5. Included in regular admission. 10 am.
April 17: 3rd in the Burg—educators Ann Devine and Jack Farster from the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection will present "Clean Watersheds, Clean Water" in the museum's Nature Lab. Included in regular admission. 10 am-noon.
April 26: Exhibits closing—Last Last day to see "National History Day in PA 2014 Winners Exhibit," “South Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Arts Exhibit,” and "UnCommon Modern: A Pennsylvania Glossary of Midcentury Architecture." Included in regular admission.
April 26: Architecture tour—the tour will cover public and behind-the-scenes areas of the State Museum and Archives Complex and focus on Midcentury Modern Architecture. Free with museum admission. Space is limited; contact Beth Hager at bhager@pa.gov.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
April 19: Big Band Concert—the Brian Pastor Big Band, a 17-piece ensemble, will perform in the Visitor Center auditorium. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Visitor Center or by searching "Washington Crossing Historic Park" on Etix. 2 pm.
April 26: Lecture—Dr. Nancy Loane will present "Wives, Widows, and Warriors: Women in the American Revolution" in the Visitor Center auditorium. Program is free. 2 pm.