Veterans Day

Trailheads is coming to you a little early this week to make sure to get all the Veterans Day info out there. Please note that due to an adjusted holiday for some state staff, several sites will be closed on Friday, Nov. 10. Some of those will also be closed on Nov. 11, but some will be open. I've indicated schedule changes and holiday openings below, to the best of my knowledge. As always, if you want to visit a specific site, it's best to check their schedule before you go. And please check the November program page for other events at sites on Sunday or the remainder of the month.

But first, a look at military history events that took place on the PA Trails of History prior to this week's holiday.

WWI trench display at PSU's Beaver Stadium (photo PA Military Museum)

The Pennsylvania Military Museum was invited by the Penn State University All Sports Museum to provide an interpretive display of WWI in support of their temporary exhibit of alumni who participated in the Great War. So outside Beaver Stadium on Oct. 21, as Penn State prepared to beat Michigan, PMM staff and volunteers in period uniforms manned a trench. Museum educator Joe Horvath reports that the tailgaters were quite enthusiastic about honoring veterans: "We were showered with hugs, kisses, high-fives, fist bumps, requests for selfies (many, many, many selfies), food and drink." Although their service post-dated World War I by quite a bit, PMM's representatives at the event were in fact all veterans of military service - Horvath served in the US Navy, volunteer Mark Roland is a US Army veteran, and volunteer Thomas Stoner served in the US Marine Corps. Thank you all for your service and for sharing history with the public.

From l to r: Joe Horvath, Mark Roland, and Thomas Stoner with PMM's WWI display at Beaver Stadium (photo PA Military Museum)

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania hosted their annual Trains and Troops event last weekend, commemorating and honoring the connections between the U.S. military and the railroads. This rich history is represented in the museum's collections; for this yearly event exhibitors, reenactors, and military honor guard members round out the experience for visitors. You can see photos of the event on Norfolk Southern's Facebook page.

A number of participants and attendees shared photos of Hope Lodge's annual Whitemarsh Encampment. The Revolutionary War reenactment commemorates the period of Nov. 2-Dec. 11, 1777, when General George Washington and the Continental Army encamped in the Whitemarsh Hills before settling in for the winter at Valley Forge. You'll find all sorts of photos on the Historic Hope Lodge Facebook page.

Official 2017 Veterans Day Poster (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Veterans Day-related activities this weekend...

Brandywine Battlefield Park
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open 9 am-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open 9 am-5 pm. Admission will be free for veterans. All other visitors will receive a $2.00 per ticket discount with the donation of a personal care item (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors, deodorant, etc.) for the Veterans Miracle Center project. Cash donations will also be gratefully accepted.

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—the museum is open 9 am-5 pm. Admission will be free for veterans and their immediate families. The museum is working with the Presque Isle Partnership to collect personal care items for military personnel; items and cash donations may be dropped off at the museum through today. Elsewhere in the Erie area, U.S. Brig Niagara’s "Ship’s Company 1813" reenactor troupe will again participate in Presque Isle State Park’s third annual Veterans Appreciation Day event, scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Park’s Rotary Pavilion.
Nov. 13: Members and Veterans Invited—to commemorate this year's Veterans Day, the museum invites members and veterans to share your stories as we honor your service and sacrifice. The morning will include light refreshments and a behind-the-scenes tour of the U.S. Brig Niagara and wood shop with Captain Sabatini and Shipwright Adam Stanisz. We encourage our members to bring any commemorative photos or memorabilia that they would like to share. Please RSVP by Sunday, November 12, to Marcus Masternak at mmasternak@flagshipniagara.org or call 814-452-2744 ext.222.

Fort Pitt Museum
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open 10 am-5 pm.

Graeme Park
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open 10 am-4 pm. Admission is free for veterans.

Joseph Priestley House
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open 1-4 pm.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
Nov. 10: Site closed in observance of Veterans Day.
Nov. 11: Site open 9 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—museum open 9 am-5 pm. Locally made, hand-crafted, and holiday-themed items will be featured by a variety of vendors in the museum program room from 10 am to 4 pm.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—the museum is open 10 am-5 pm. Admission is free for veterans and their families.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—museum open 9 am-5 pm.

Somerset Historical Center
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—museum open 9 am-5 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Nov. 10: Museum closed in observance of Veterans Day.
Nov. 11: Museum open 9 am-5 pm.—please also note that parking in downtown Harrisburg will be free on Nov. 11.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Nov. 10: Historic buildings and visitor center closed in observance of Veterans Day.
Nov. 11: Site open 10 am-4 pm—the park will offer free guided tours to all veterans and active-duty military personnel with military ID.