Spring is Here!

Ducks by the backyard pond are a sure sign of spring! (photo by AKF)

The March program page has all you need to know about events between now and the end of the month. The Railroad Museum of PA will be open Sunday (3/27), but I believe all other Trails of History sites will be closed for Easter (someone please correct me if I'm wrong and I'll update this info). UPDATE: The Pennsylvania Military Museum is open this Sunday - my apologies for the omission.

Earlier this month, LancasterOnline included Ephrata Cloister in its list of "things you must see and do in Lancaster County." Folks at the site are working with the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley and other local organizations to help mark the 125th anniversary of the borough of Ephrata, which grew from its early settlement by Conrad Beissel and followers (1732) to a municipality of more than 13,000 people. The borough takes pride in its roots, featuring buildings from the early community on its website and even their sewer covers. Hey, free advertising is free advertising.

The PHMC's Commissioners, at their meeting on March 9, approved the latest round of historical markers, which cover a broad range of activities, personalities, and geographic locations. You can read more about this year's list on the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) blog. You'll find information on the historical marker program and how to submit a nomination on the PHMC website.

March 28 through April 3 is #MuseumWeek 2016, where hundreds (thousands?) of museums world-wide will be on Twitter to share their institutions with the public. The PHMC and several Trails of History sites participated last year and the public is invited to share content as well. Follow @PHMC or your favorite Trails of History site (and many others as well) to see what they're posting. There is a different theme for each day. Sean Adkins collected the PHMC-related tweets for MuseumWeek 2015 on Storify if you want to get a sense of the broad range of images people shared (some of the hashtags from 2015 are repeating in 2016 but there are also new ones). Please join in!