It's March Already!

Photo via Erie Maritime Museum Facebook page

Voting is still open for USA Today's Top 10 History Museums poll. Twenty museums are on the ballot, and our own Erie Maritime Museum is currently in the running to make the Top 10. You can vote once a day, with the poll closing at noon ET on March 14. Please take a few minutes to cast your vote, early and often (vote for Erie Maritime Museum). Thank you for your support.

For those of you wondering, Charter Day, a free admission day usually held in mid-March on the Trails of History, has been postponed until later in the year. Next week's post will include info on PHMC activities in celebration of Pennsylvania's 341st birthday as well as spring season kickoff events that are slated for next weekend.

Up Next

Today, March 4

• StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
• Explore our solar system and read Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess with illustrations by Annabel Tempest. For kids ages 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)

• Conservationist Gardener Workshop (in-person), 11 am-12:30 pm, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
• Staff from the Potter County Conservation District will present about garden and backyard conservation. Free rain barrels and soil test kits will be offered to attendees. The workshop is free; call 814/320-4017 to reserve your spot (Garden workshop info)

Saturday, March 5

• Kids Day: Revolution! (in-person), 10 am-3 pm, PA Military Museum
• Learn about the roles of families and kids during the American Revolution through hands-on activities. Included in regular admission (Kids Day info).

Sunday, March 6

• Closed for spring cleaning, Drake Well Museum and Park

Tuesday, March 8

• Sensory Hours (in-person), 3-5 pm, Railroad Museum of PA
• Light and noise levels will be lowered during these less-crowded hours. Several historic railcars will be open, and museum staff will be on hand to answer questions. Admission is $7 for ages 3 and up (some discounts available); reservations are required by 1 pm (Sensory Hours info and tickets).

• Iron Age Evolved (virtual), 7-8 pm, Cornwall Iron Furnace
• Mike Weber will present an overview of 5,000 years of iron-making technology that led to the Cornwall Iron Furnace. Program is free, but you must register to get the link (Lecture registration).

Wednesday, March 9

• Giant PA Map (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Test your geography skills as you explore a Giant Map of our state. Included in regular admission (Giant Map info)

Thursday, March 10

• Winter History Class (virtual), 9 am-noon, Ephrata Cloister
• Today's class is "The Martyr's Mirror: Historic Background and Contemporary Reception." If you did not register for the full 9-week course, you can attend today's session via Zoom for $10 (History Class registration for 3/10). Classes continue on Thursday mornings through March 31 (info on additional classes).

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Learn about specialized beaks birds have to eat different types of foods, make your own bird feeder to take home. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission. Space is limited; sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info)

• Wisdom & Wine Series (in-person), 6:30-8 pm, Drake Well Museum & Park
• Biologist and archaeologist Dr. Chuck Williams will present "Pipelines, Pumpjacks, and Powerhouses." Happy hour wine tasting starts at 5:30, and the lecture begins at 6:30 ($5 fee for each). Registration is required (Wisdom & Wine registration for 3/10). This series continues weekly through March 31 (Drake Well website for additional info).

• PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (virtual), 7-8 pm
• Staff from 5 Trails of History sites will present objects on the theme "Mystery/Oddities/What is It?" and then the audience will vote. Program is free, but you must register to get the link (Virtual Showcase registration)

Friday, March 11

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
• Linda Ries, retired archivist with the PA State Archives, will discuss "Pennsylvania's Birth Certificate," the 1681 Charter given to William Penn by England's King Charles II. The program is free, but you must register to get the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Somerset Historical Center is hosting a Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop on Saturday, March 12. This class is geared to beginners and the fee includes materials. Adults and kids age 12 and up welcome; ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult (Pysanky workshop info and registration).
• On Saturday, March 19, 2-4 pm, the Pennsylvania Military Museum will offer their popular history tour of the tracked vehicles on the grounds, including a look inside the crew compartments. Space is limited (in more ways than one), and reservations are required (Exploring the Armor info and registration).
• Also, on March 19, Bushy Run Battlefield will host a one-day in-person symposium on Pontiac's War. Presentations will explore causes, events, and effects from different military and cultural perspectives. Tickets are $35 for students (with ID), $60 for BRBHS members, and $75 for non-members; deadline to purchase tickets online is March 12 (Symposium info and ticket link).
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)
• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will offer living history tours on Saturday, May 21, based on the life and work of local inventor William Chester Ruth. Ruth was born in 1882 in Chester County; his father had been enslaved in South Carolina and his mother was a free woman of color. Ruth will be portrayed by actor Keith Henley of American Historical Theater. Tour times are 9:30, 12:30, and 3; advance tickets are required (William Chester Ruth Tour info and tickets)
• On May 22, Daniel Boone Homestead will host the Trails of History Run, which includes a 5K, 10K, and 1/2-mile fun run. There will be awards for 5K and 10K races, plus special awards for the best-dressed representation of the 1770s era. Advance registration is required (DBH trail runs info). Training runs for new runners start at 10:30 am every Sunday at the DeTurk House (near the front entrance gate off of Daniel Boone Rd).
• Drake Well Marathon, August 14 - this race is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Registration for a variety of categories is now open.