March 2018 on the Trails of History

Please note that some site schedules start to "expand" in March, after seasonal winter closures or reductions. Be sure to check ahead before visiting.

Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour for the start of Daylight Saving Time, March 11 at 2 am. March 11 is also Charter Day - check the Charter Day page for the list of sites open free of charge that day (info also listed below).

Anthracite Heritage Museum
March 8: Ladies Night - Sip & Paint at the Museum—learn the basics of acrylic painting as you enjoy appetizers and sample wines from Maiolatesi Wine Cellars. Please note that the Facebook event says all are welcome. Cost is $35 and includes class, art supplies (including the painted canvas you take home), and refreshments (more details). Space is limited; register online (event 2152). 5:30-8:30 pm.
March 11: Charter Day —the museum will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm.

Brandywine Battlefield Park
March 11: Charter Day —the site will be open, free of charge, noon-4 pm. Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates Annual Meeting starts at 4:30.

Bushy Run Battlefield
March 10: General Meeting and Lecture—speaker is Tom Harrold from the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society, with an illustrated talk entitled "Greensburg: Then and Now." Admission is $5, free for members of Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society. 1 pm. (A chili cook-off will take place after the lecture.)
March 11: Charter Day —the site will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm. Guides will available for tours of the battlefield from noon to 3.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
March 11: Charter Day—the site’s largest living history event of the year, with Pennsylvania Provincial and French military units, Native American interpretation, artisans, and loads of books (more info). Noon-4:30 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm. Escorted tours of the furnace will leave the visitor center every 15 minutes between noon and 4 (more info). There will be a refreshment table with hot dogs, desserts, and hot drinks for sale.
March 13: Friends Lecture Series—James McAteer will present "The Spanish American War and Lebanon County," featuring information on the training camp at Mt. Gretna and his research to compile information on over 370 Lebanon County veterans of the war. Lectures are held in Freeman Hall auditorium at Cornwall Manor. 7 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-4 pm. Activities include first floor Boone House tours, a blacksmith working in the shop, and a textile demonstration in the Visitor Center. At 2 pm in the Wayside Lodge, enjoy Fireside Tales, as Charlotte Puff compares German and English stories (refreshments will be served and a $2 per person donation is suggested).
March 31: A Homestead Easter—learn about natural egg dyeing and try your hand at making a scratched egg. 10 am-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Petroleum Program Series—explore a wide variety of topics: (3/1) "Shell Plant in Beaver County," Joe Minnitte; (3/8) "The Well Tender: A Soldier's Journey from Battlefield to Oilfield," Roxanne Hitchcock; (3/15) "Oil--It is Still God's Given Gift," Dr. Ken Baake (UPDATE 3/15: this talk will be presented live via videoconference due to travel issues); (3/22) "Titusville Victorians," William B. Moore; (3/29) "Solar Energy in NW PA," John Purvis. Admission charged. Doors open at 6 pm, programs start at 6:30.
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm. UPDATE: as of today, you can now get your National Park Service passport stamped at Drake Well and other sites within the Oil Region National Heritage Area (more info on Facebook). You can also view the documentary, Lake of Betrayal, about the Seneca Nation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the building of Kinzua Dam.
March 24: MEET-U Pancake Breakfast—enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes and support the museum's Mobile Education unit. Breakfast takes place at the YMCA Education Building in Titusville. Cost is $7 per person, ages 13 and up, $3 for 12 and under. Advance tickets available from the museum (details on the website). 7-11 am.
March 31: Something More Saturday—come celebrate Col. Edwin Drake’s 199th birthday and learn about life in the early oil boom era (and have cake). Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.

Eckley Miners’ Village
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm. Docents will be stationed in the museum buildings to add life to your self-guided tour. The Cellar Dwellarzz Jazz Band will perform starting at 2 pm.

Ephrata Cloister
March 1, 8, 15, 22: Winter History Class—class began in January, but you can still sign up for one or more of the remaining sessions.
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm. The Ephrata Cloister Chorus will perform in the Saal (meetinghouse) at 2, 3, and 4 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara
March 3: Pancake Breakfast—the Flagship Niagara League will host a pancake breakfast at Burch Farms Country Market in North East, PA. Cost is $7 per person and a portion of the proceeds supports the League's programs. Tickets are available ahead of time (see FB event page for details and menu). 7-11 am.
March 11: Charter Day—the museum will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm.
UPDATE March 12: Erie County Public Library Monday Makers Series—go behind the scenes with Niagara shipwright Adam Stanisz in a special edition of the Library Foundation's series. The evening starts in the Library's Idea Lab Makerspace and will proceed to the Erie Maritime Museum workshop where Niagara's crew works on all manner of ship maintenance. Contact the library (more info on FB) to reserve your spot. 6-8 pm.
UPDATE March 21: Storytime at the Maritime—this is the last storytime until after the sailing season. This month's story is The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Dieson. Guest reader will be Ray Bierbower, environmental education specialist with DCNR, who will compare marine life in Lake Erie with marine life in the book. Storytime is free for Little Mates Kids Club members; non-members pay $5 to attend or $12 to join the club. 10-11 am.
March 30: Little Mates Easter Egg-Stravaganza—there will be an Easter egg hunt and you may even glimpse the Easter Bunny. Event starts at 10 am.

Graeme Park
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-3 pm.

Hope Lodge
UPDATE: March 10: Tour Guide Training—this is the first of two tour guide training sessions scheduled for this spring (the second is set for April 7). If you love history and love sharing it with others, this may be just what you want/need. Attend either or both sessions. For more info, contact Kevin Horan at hopelodgepa@gmail.com or 215/646-1595. 10 am-12:30 pm.
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-3 pm.

Joseph Priestley House
March 11: Charter Day and Dr. Priestley’s Birthday—visit with costumed docents in each room (including the laboratory) and wish Dr. Priestley a happy birthday while he demonstrates the wonders of chemistry in the Pond Building. 1-4 pm (chem demos at 1:30 and 2:30).

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
March 3, 10, 18, 24: Winter Learning for Adults—Scratched Eggs, Blacksmithing (3/3); Needle Felting (3/10) is sold out; Essential Oils of the Bible (3/18); Grafting Workshop (3/24). Costs and times vary. Information and online registration are available on the website.
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm. Craft demonstrations and horse-drawn wagon rides are planned. New this year are rides on a two-wheeled horse cart, which is a different experience from a wagon ride; $1 fee benefits the Farm and Garden program. Event is rain or shine, but wagon and cart rides are weather-dependent.

Old Economy Village
March 15: Historic Fashion Show and Discussion—OEV curator Sarah Buffington will talk about women's clothing during the Harmonist period, 18th-19th century, using historic examples and high-quality reproductions (read more on the website). Program is free and takes place in the Visitor Center classroom. 7-9 pm.
March 24: Easter Egg Hunt—children age 10 and under are invited to hunt for Easter eggs, meet the Easter bunny, and enjoy a light snack in the Feast Hall building. Cost is $5 per person if you register by March 20; $7 per person after that date (see details on the website). 11 am-2 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, 1-4 pm. Living history theater presenters and colonial craft demonstrators (including the cooks) will be on hand. In addition, Pennsbury will display "the Great Law," drafted by William Penn, which will be on loan from the Pennsylvania State Archives for Charter Day only (more info on the website).

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open, free of charge, 9 am-5 pm.
March 18: 3rd Sunday Series—this month, author Michael J. Klimkos will discuss and sign copies of his book, Fires of Penn's Woods. Copies of the book (read more about it) will be available to purchase from the museum store. 1 pm.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
March 4: Friends' Lecture Series—James M. Wilson will recount his experiences in the U.S. Army in an illustrated talk entitled “Drafted into the Korean War.” 2-3 pm.
March 10: Film Screening—Frank Capra's WWII film series, Why We Fight, will be shown in the museum auditorium beginning at 10:30 am.
March 11: Charter Day—the museum will be open, free of charge, noon-5 pm.
March 17: Documentary Film—You Enter Germany: Bloody Huertgen and the Siegfried Line, a German documentary released in 2007, includes archival footage and interviews with veterans. Donation requested for admission. 1:30 pm (film runs 104 minutes).
March 25: Exploring the Armor—this behind-the-scenes tour provides a look inside some of the tracked vehicles on the museum grounds. Seating is limited and reservations are required (info on the website). Cost for the approx. two-hour tour is $15, $5 for museum members. 2-4 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
March 10: Reading on the Rails Day—enjoy stories about trains, railroads, and amazing people, places, and things, read by a host of local notables (info on readers and storytimes on FB page). Children will receive stickers at each story-reading to decorate a cardboard suitcase. The museum's mascot, Catcher, will be on hand along with teams from KPETS (Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services). All activities are included in regular admission. 9 am-5 pm.
March 11: Charter Day—the museum is open, free of charge, noon-5 pm.

Somerset Historical Center
March 10-11: Maple Taste and Tour—experience Somerset County’s maple sugar industry from the 1700s to today and try some tasty maple treats. Presented in cooperation with Somerset County Maple Producers Taste and Tour Program. Event is free. 10 am-4 pm both days.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Visit the website for a complete schedule of Planetarium shows.
March 2: Storytime—visit Village Square to learn about kitchens of the past, make pretend pancakes, and enjoy a reading of Tomie dePaola's Pancakes for Breakfast. Included in general admission. 10-11 am.
March 8: Nature Lab—learn about the eastern coyote through images and hands-on objects. Included in general admission. 11:30 am.
March 9: Learn at Lunchtime—archivist Joshua Stahlman will talk about Pennsylvania's 1681 Charter; the original charter, along with four Indian deeds, will be on display during regular hours through 1 pm on March 16 (then it's back to the vault). Included in general admission. 12:15-12:45 pm.
March 10: Special Exhibits—an exhibit of winning entries in the 2017 National History Day in PA contest will open today and continue through May 13. The winners of the 2018 Scholastic Arts Awards will be on display today through May 6.
March 11: Charter Day—the original 1681 Charter of Pennsylvania will be on display (March 9-16), and there will be loads of other activities. Admission is free. Noon-5 pm.
March 16: 3rd in the Burg—this month, the museum is partnering with the PA Parks and Forests Foundation and the PA Conservation Heritage Project to celebrate nature indoors (more info on specific activities). Refreshments will be served. Admission and program are free. 5:30-7:30 pm.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please check the website for information on events and programs.