May 2018 on the Trails of History

Many, but not all, Trails of History sites will be open May 28 for Memorial Day. Sites planning to be open on Memorial Day are noted below, but please check ahead with the site you want to visit to make sure they will be open when you want to be there.

Anthracite Heritage Museum
UPDATE May 12: 250 Years of Anthracite Mining—members of the Leadership Lackawanna Core Program Class of 2018 will join museum staff and volunteers to mark two and a half centuries of history in the anthracite region. Members of the class raised funds for a commemorative plaque, which will be unveiled at 10 am (see more info on Facebook event page). Program is free and open to the public. 9 am-noon.
May 15: Paint and Sip Night—a little paint, a little wine, a little stroll around the museum galleries. $35 per person includes light fare, wines from Maiolatesi Wine Cellars, art supplies, and entry to a drawing for tickets to Bonfire at the Iron Furnaces this fall. Space is limited - make reservations by May 1 (more info and link to online registrations). Doors open at 5:15.
UPDATE May 24: Lecture—Harold Aurand, Jr. will present "Mining Life and Culture in the Anthracite Region" (detailed description). Program is free. 7-8 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Brandywine Battlefield
May 12: Encampment Day—please check the website for updates. 10 am-4 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-4 pm.

Bushy Run Battlefield
May 12: Spring Nature Walk—this annual event takes participants on an exploration of the woods and fields around the site; cost is $5, free for members of Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society. No registration required; wear sturdy, water-resistant walking or hiking shoes and dress for the weather. 10 am.
May 16: History Speaks Series—new series starts off with Bob Oshnock presenting “Excavation of a Prehistoric Western Pennsylvania Village.” The talk will focus on archaeological studies of the Consul site, a multi-component prehistoric site with two overlapping villages with stockades. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, or $25 for the entire series of 4 programs offered May, June, Sept., and Oct. (more info on the website). 7 pm.
May 19: Spring Tea is sold out—there will be another event in the fall.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
May 5: Artisans in the Park—a wide variety of artists (including food artisans!) will be on site (detailed lists on the event website). Admission is free, and the event is rain or shine. 9 am-4 pm.
May 6: Living History Sunday—explore the history of the Weiser family and their Berks County home through tours and living history presentations. Admission is free. Noon-4 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
May 8: Friends Lecture Series—David Blackburn will present "Stories, Structures and Stewards: Iron and American Industrialization at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site." Blackburn has served as site manager at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site since 2015 and has had a 30-year career with the National Park Service. Friends Lectures are held in Freeman Auditorium at Cornwall Manor, across the road from the furnace site. Admission is free (donations are welcome). 7 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
May 12: Tavern Night—this fundraiser event will include food and beverage samples from local eateries and wineries, eighteenth-century tavern games throughout the evening, and music performed by County Line. Cost is $30 per person, $50 per couple; advance tickets only, none sold at the door (more info on website). 5-9 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
May 19: MEET-U in 5 & 1/2—enjoy a 5-mile or 13-mile (half marathon) run through the grounds of Drake Well Museum and Oil Creek State Park and help the museum’s MEET-U educational outreach program. Registration is required; registration form is on the website. You must register by May 5 to receive a race shirt.
May 26: Something More Saturday—special activities in addition to the museum's core and changing exhibits (indoor and outdoor). This month's focus is "Cooking in the Oilfield." Check Drake Well's Facebook page for details. Blacksmith demonstrations will also be offered. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Eckley Miners' Village
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Ephrata Cloister
May 20: Ephrata Cloister Chorus Spring Concert—the Chorus will perform in the Saal (meetinghouse). Admission charged (details on the website); admission includes the 2:30 pm guided tour. Site open noon-5 pm, concert is at 4.
May 27: Ephrata speaker at off-site program—museum educator Michael Showalter will be the featured speaker for the Reamstown Federation of Churches Memorial Day program. Showalter will talk about soldiers sent to temporary hospitals established in the area following the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Reinholds VFW will dedicate a memorial to the unknown Revolutionary War soldiers buried in the cemetery behind Salem Evangelical and Reformed Church (12 E. Church St. in Reamstown), where this event takes place. Refreshments will be provided. 4 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara
May 12: Little Mates Discovery Day—family-friendly hands-on maritime activities. Event is free. 10 am-2 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Fort Pitt Museum
Please visit the website for information on events and programs this month.

Graeme Park
May 13: Mother's Day Breakfast—enjoy a delicious meal and tour the Keith House. Prepaid reservations are required and can be made online (link to Eventbrite). Seatings at 10:30, 11, and 11:30 am.
May 17: Happy Hour with the Historian—spend an evening on the grounds (event will be indoors if weather doesn't cooperate) and learn from speaker Jack Washington about Irish soldiers during the Revolutionary War under Generals Wayne and Washington. $5 cover charge (free for members) with cash bar and food sales (more info on the website). Bar opens at 6 pm, lecture begins at 7.
UPDATE May 19: Colonial Beer Brewing Demo—Mike the brewer will be practicing his beer brewing skills for a larger living history program in October (Facebook event page). 9 am-2 pm (site open until 4).
May 20: Living History Sunday—see a demonstration of colonial-era open hearth cooking throughout the afternoon. Noon-3 pm (brief presentation at 2).

Hope Lodge
Sundays in May: Site open—Hope Lodge is open for tours every Sunday through October. UPDATE: There will be no tours on May 27. Admission is charged. 1-4 pm.
May 6: Historian Hour—Dr. Wayne Huss, professor of history at Gwynedd Mercy University, will present "Philadelphia Firsts, Bests, and Worsts." Admission is free. 4-5 pm.

Joseph Priestley House
May 13: Mother's Day—site closed.

Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
May 11-12: Herb & Garden Faire—so many plants, plus lectures by gardening experts, garden furniture, herbal products and baked goods, and lots of great food by local groups and caterers (details here). Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 ages 6-11 (free for ages 0-5 and Landis Valley Associates members). You can purchase advance tickets online via Brown Paper Tickets until 9 am on Thurs., May 10. 9 am-5 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Old Economy Village
May 5-6: Hands-On History Days—learn about life in the 19th century through a variety of hands-on activities throughout the site. Included in regular admission. Sat. 10 am-5 pm, Sun. noon-5 pm.
May 12: Garden Mart—the Garden Mart offers free admission to OEV’s gardens, where you can purchase heirloom varieties from the greenhouses and browse among vendors and local garden-related organizations (more info on website). 9 am-2 pm.
UPDATE May 20: Lecture—author Jay Paisley will discuss his book on the Civil War letters of William Henry Huffman. Light refreshments to follow. 2-4 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
Sundays in May—May 6, "Historic Trades and Sheep Shearing"; May 13, "Living History Theater: Tea and Gossip"; May 20, "Open Hearth Cooking"; May 27, "Beer Brewing and Garden Highlights," with the added attraction of the Bucks County Community College Artmobile exhibit, "Planting Seeds: The Art and Science of Pollination." Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
May 12: Yoga Classes—two offerings today: Shake Your Soul Yoga (10-11 am) and Shake Your Seat Yoga (noon-1 pm), which uses a chair to assist with balance. Both classes incorporate elements of movement therapy, Qi Gong, yoga, and dance; no formal dance or yoga training is required. Register online: Shake Your Soul Yoga or Shake Your Seat Yoga.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
May 5: Community Day—explore all the museum and grounds have to offer with exhibits, historic trade demonstrations, guided forestry walks, community organization displays, and more (details and schedule). Plus, there will be food and drink available for purchase. Event is free. 9 am-5 pm.
May 20: 3rd Sunday Series—UPDATE this month's program is a demonstration of traditional dutch oven cooking by John and Jan Halter (more info on Facebook event page). Museum is open 9 am-5 pm; program runs 1-3 pm.
May 28: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
May 1: Central PA Civil War Roundtable Series—Dr. Gary Gallagher, noted historian, lecturer, and author, will present "A Civil War Watershed? Assessing the Military, Political, and Social Impact of Antietam." 7 pm.
May 5: Battery B Drill Exercise—Civil War-era reenactors from the 3rd Pennsylvania Volunteers will demonstrate loading and firing artillery pieces as they conduct their annual safety training and recruitment event. 10 am-4 pm.
May 6: Friends’ Lecture Series—Judith Redline Coopey will present "World War I Through the Eyes of the Common Soldier," recounting her father, Kenneth Redline, and his experiences during and after the Great War. 2-3 pm.
May 20: A Celebration of Service—US Army reunion and memorial service sponsored by the PA National Guard and held on the museum grounds (photos of previous programs here). Museum is open 10 am-5 pm (ceremony begins at 12:30 pm, but military vehicles, helicopters, and equipment begin arriving earlier in the day).
May 26-27: World War II Revisited—Allied and Axis WWII reenactors will be bivouacked on the museum grounds portraying field life in the European Theater of Operations, 1944-45 (photos from previous programs). Grounds will be open 10 am-4 pm each day. There will be a short program followed by a tactical demo at 12:45 pm and musical entertainment at 2:30 each day.
May 28: Memorial Day—the museum will be open 10 am-5 pm.
May 28: Allegheny Mountain Region AACA Car Show—kick off summer with pre-war through modern classics on the grounds of the museum. $5 for on-site parking. 9 am-4 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
May 28: Memorial Day—the museum will be open 9 am-5 pm.

Somerset Historical Center
UPDATE May 17: Lecture—Dr. Paul Newman, Univ. of Pittsburgh - Johnstown, will present "The Other Guys: The Founding Farmers--Shays, Whiskey and Fries's Rebellions," exploring the socioeconomic and demographic factors and interrelationship of Shays, Whiskey and Fries's Rebellions. 6:30-7:30 pm.
May 19: Frosty Mugs of Thunder Brewfest—this event is named after the Frosty Sons of Thunder, a title given to the native sons and daughters of Somerset County, a place where "the frost comes early and stays late." Enjoy beer tasting, food, live music, and historical demonstrations. Event is rain or shine, and you must be at least 21 to attend. Visit the Frosty Mugs of Thunder Facebook page for details on tickets (including designated driver tickets) and participating breweries/food vendors. 4-8 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Visit the website for a complete schedule of this month's Planetarium shows.
May 4: StoryTime—this month's story is the Pennsylvania "One Book, Every Young Child" selection for 2018, My Cousin Momo by Zacharia OHora. Related hands-on activities in Curiosity Connection will be part of the program, which is designed for children 3-5 years of age with an adult. Included in regular admission. 10-11 am.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please visit the website for information on this month's events and programs.