Welcome to 2022!

Joseph Priestley House as seen at the Twelfth Night event in 2019 (photo via JPH Facebook page)

Well, we made it through 2021 and now we're on to a new year. I sincerely hope that your outlook is upbeat and that you're ready to take on new challenges that lie ahead. (Some of them are leftover challenges, to be sure.) Our sites on the PA Trails of History continue to face whatever comes with creativity and flexibility. With winter upon us, many sites are on reduced schedules and some are closed for the next couple of months. Looking ahead, we'll see a return of more virtual programming, which works well for folks who are staying inside. Please note that Covid protocols mean that you'll find staff and volunteers masked indoors when you visit in person. We encourage visitors to mask indoors, but we don't require it.

Drake Well Museum & Park kicks off its Winter Academy virtual program series this week (photo via DWM Facebook page)

The Week To Come

Saturday, January 8

• Archeology Day (in-person): members of the Westmoreland Archeological Society will be on-site with artifacts discovered throughout the county; Bushy Run Battlefield; 10 am-4 pm; included in regular admission (Archeology Day info)

Sunday, January 9

• Twelfth Night (in-person): festive greenery, lantern light, and chemistry demos (at 4:30 and 5:30); Joseph Priestley House; 4-7 pm; admission is free (Twelfth Night info)

Tuesday, January 11

• Sensory Hours (in-person): light and noise levels will be lowered, and there will be several quiet spaces set up around the gallery; Railroad Museum of PA; 3-5 pm; advance tickets required (Sensory Hours info and tickets)

Wednesday, January 12

• Games & Puzzle Challenge (in-person): test your knowledge and skills with a variety of games and challenges in the galleries; The State Museum of PA; 11:30 am-12:30 pm; included in regular admission (Challenge info)

Thursday, January 13

• Curiosity Kids (in-person): learn about living and non-living things; The State Museum of PA; 11:30 am-12:30 pm; for kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission (Curiosity Kids info)
• Winter Academy (virtual): tonight's program is about recycling all types of materials; Drake Well Museum & Park; 6:30-7:30 pm; this program is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (1/13 Winter Academy info and registration; see below for additional events in the series)
• Ephrata Virtual Academy: answers to some of visitors' most frequently asked questions; Ephrata Cloister; 7-8 pm; program is free, but you'll need to register to get the Zoom link (Ephrata Academy registration)

Friday, January 14

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual): learn about the American eel and efforts to restore the eel population in the Susquehanna River basin; The State Museum of PA; 12:15-12:45 pm; free, but you must register to get the Zoom link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Additional Winter Academy virtual programs will be offered by Drake Well Museum & Park on Jan. 20, Feb. 10, and Feb. 17 (Drake Well Virtual Academy info)
• The next PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 7 pm. Staff from 5 Trails of History sites will present objects linked to the theme, Trades & Jobs, and the audience members will vote on what they think makes the best match. The program is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (register for Collections Showcase)
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 2022, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options, including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)