Trailheads to Be First Blog on Mars

Posted by Amy Killpatrick Fox on Friday, April 1, 2022
Labels: , , , , , , ,
A tree filled with small white blossoms stands on a grassy area next to a pond with 3 geese floating in it. The sun casts a shadow on the ground beneath the tree.
Spring has sprung at Conrad Weiser Homestead, which will be open from noon to 4 this Sunday, April 3 (photo via CWH Facebook page)


As of this weekend, all Trails of History sites have reopened for the season, so it must really be spring! Schedules vary, so please be sure to check websites before heading out for a visit. Guided tours are generally on a set schedule, so it's helpful to know what to expect. Enjoy!

Over the past month, we asked you to vote for Erie Maritime Museum in USA Today's Top 10 History Museums poll. The results were announced last week (after my posting deadline), and Erie came in at number 7! Thank you to everyone who voted. Congratulations to the staff and volunteers who make it a great place to visit.

Up Next

Today, April 1

  • StoryTime (in-person), 10:30-11:30 am, The State Museum of PA
    • Read Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown and plant a seed to take home and watch it grow. For kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission. Sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk (StoryTime info)

Saturday, April 2

  • Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop (in-person), 9 am-4 pm, Somerset Historical Center
    • This is a beginner-level class teaching the basic skills of Ukrainian decorated eggs. Open to anyone age 12 and up (age 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult). As of Wednesday, there appeared to still be tickets available. Cost is $45, which includes materials (Pysanky workshop info and registration)
  • National Water Dance Art Preview (in-person), 10 am-noon, Erie Maritime Museum
    • Posters and infographics by Mercyhurst Univ. artists spotlighting plastics pollution and threats to the world's coral reefs will be on display in the Orientation Theater. This is a preview for the National Water Dance event on April 23 (EMM info).
  • The Great War Remembered: World War I (in-person), 10:00 am-3 pm Saturday and Sunday, PA Military Museum
    • Lectures and temporary exhibits mark the 104th anniversary of American combat troops in France and the end of WWI. Included in regular admission (Great War info). At noon on Saturday, author Tom Schalata will present "The Bloody Bucket," detailing his grandfather's service in the 28th Division. On Sunday at 1 pm, Robert Potter will present "Discovering WWI: From Boalsburg to France and Back," based on his travels in rural regions of France. The lectures are free (donations welcome); seating is first come, first served.

Wednesday, April 6

  • Explore! (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
    • Learn about PA industries using T.M. Fowler's bird's-eye views of industrial towns. For kids in grades 3-5 and included in regular admission. Space is limited; sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Explore! info).

Thursday, April 7

  • Family Gallery Tour: Paleontology (in-person), 11:30 am-12:30 pm, The State Museum of PA
    • Museum educators will be in the gallery with hands-on fossils of plants and animals from the Carboniferous Period to the present. Included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info).

Friday, April 8

  • Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
    • Bert Myers from the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection will talk about PA's successful peregrine falcon reintroduction efforts. The program is free; register to receive the Zoom link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

  • Somerset Historical Center's Coopering School for 2022 is fully booked, but there is a waiting list for 2023, or in the event of cancellations this year (Coopering School info and waiting list).
  • 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)
  • Tickets are on sale now for Bushy Run Battlefield's Art and Wine with Henry! event on Saturday, April 23. Enjoy some history and view the work of local artists (Art and Wine info and tickets).
  • On Wednesday, April 27, Graeme Park will host a lunch and learn program, "Forgotten Heroes - Women and the Fight for the Right to Vote." The program includes continental breakfast, a lecture, and a buffet lunch; tours of the Keith House will be available after lunch. Tickets are $35; reservations are required (Forgotten Heroes info and tickets).
  • On Saturday, May 2, Old Economy Village will host "Unlock Your History," a program on researching your family history and deciphering clues in old documents. Cost is $15, which includes lunch (Unlock Your History info and registration).
  • 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.

Summer Camps & Activities on the Trails of History

I'll add to this as I get more info.
  • Bushy Run Battlefield
    • Summer History Club; activity boxes for Ages 8-12 (pick-up to use at home with an accompanying YouTube video); June 19, July 10 & 24, Aug. 7

0 comments:

Post a Comment