Summer Hours

Tall thin flower stalks (lupines) in shades of pink and purple with 19th-century brick buildings in the background
Lupines in the Rapp House Garden (photo via Old Economy Village Facebook page)

Although it's not officially summer yet, it feels and looks like summer on the Trails of History. Some hours change seasonally, so always be sure to check ahead to make sure you know the schedule. Many of our sites with gardens are coming into their peak season, such as Old Economy Village pictured above. Old Economy has multiple gardens and a greenhouse, tended by staff and volunteers. This summer, the garden behind the Rapp Houses will be the setting for an eclectic music series including classical, blues, jazz, and light opera performed by local bands, orchestras, and vocalists (if it's rainy, concerts will be held in the Feast Hall). Visit Old Economy's Facebook events page for details. And keep an eye on the Trailheads event listings or the PHMC events calendar for more outdoor music events on the Trails of History throughout the summer.

On Saturdays during the month of June, the Pennsylvania Military Museum is including a free 1 pm guided tour with regular admission. While you're on the grounds, check out (from a safe distance) the current project to remount the USS Pennsy guns or explore the military vehicles and monuments.

A midcentury modern building built into a hillside and surrounded by green grass and blue sky. The building has gray wooden siding with touches of mustard; the flat roof looks like a lopsided shallow "v" from the side.
The visitor center at Historic Pithole on a beautiful summer day (photo via Drake Well Facebook page)

The visitor center at Historic Pithole City, which is managed by Drake Well Museum & Park, is now open weekends 10 am-4 pm through August (the grounds are open dawn to dusk year-round). The midcentury modern visitor center (pictured above) contains a theater, museum store, restrooms, and exhibits that explain life in the once-thriving oil boomtown. It is well worth a visit.

What will you find to do on the Trails of History this summer?

Up Next

Today, June 10

  • Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
    • State Museum director Beth Hager will present a behind-the-scenes look at the new exhibition A Place for All: Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania, opening June 17. The program is free; please register to receive the Zoom link (Learn at Lunchtime registration).

Saturday, June 11

  • 2022 Railfest and Arts on Fire (in-person), 9 am-5 pm, Scranton Iron Furnaces
    • PA Anthracite Heritage Museum and Steamtown National Historic Site are combining two popular events. The event is free, and there will be music, an iron pour, artisans, food trucks, and a community mural project (Railfest/Arts on Fire details).
  • Cast Iron Cooking Demonstration and Band Concert (in-person), 11 am-3 pm, Cornwall Iron Furnace
    • Cast iron cooking demos will take place (with food samples) between 11 am and 3 pm, and the Keystone Band of Rehrersburg will perform an outdoor concert at 1 pm. Demos and concert are free; regular admission charged for tours of the Furnace. Seating will be limited; visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs (Demo and Concert info).
  • Log Birling Clinic (in-person), 1-3 pm, PA Lumber Museum
    • Join museum staff to learn how to stay on top of a rolling log while your opponent falls off. Registration is required (Clinic info and registration).
  • Lecture (in-person), 2-3 pm, Daniel Boone Homestead
    • Author Michael Wescott Loder will read from and discuss his historical fiction book, Taken Beyond the Ohio: The Indian Captivity of Marie LeRoy and Barbara Leininger. The program will take place in the DeTurk Education Center, near the site entrance from Daniel Boone Road (lecture info).

Sunday, June 12

  • Living History Theater (in-person), noon-4 pm, Pennsbury Manor
    • "A Garden Tour" portrays a 1940s tour of the newly reconstructed estate, with a focus on the landscapes and gardens of Thomas Sears. Tour times are 12:15, 1:45, and 3:15 pm. Included in regular admission (living history theater info).
  • Ephrata's Musical History (in-person), 1:30-2:30 (approx.), Ephrata Cloister
    • Martin Hinkley and Becky Degan, Ephrata Cloister Chorus director and accompanist respectively, will present two short discussions of Ephrata's musical history following the 12:30 and 1:30 tours (which last approx. 1 hour). The music programs are included in regular admission; if you choose not to take a guided tour, you can still join the music program in the meetinghouse (music program info).

Tuesday, June 14

  • Sensory Hours (in-person), 9-11 am, Railroad Museum of PA
    • Light, noise, and crowd levels will be reduced, and there will be some quiet spaces around the galleries. Several historic trains will be open, with staff to answer questions. Advance tickets required (Sensory Hours tickets).

Friday, June 17

  • Exhibit opening and reception (in-person), 7-9 pm, The State Museum of PA
    • Tonight's event is the debut of A Place for All: Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania, a new long-term exhibit highlighting efforts to end racial segregation in post-WWII PA. Admission is free as part of "3rd in the Burg," and there will be refreshments and music (Exhibit opening details).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

  • Colonial Cocktail Hour, Saturday, June 18, 7-10 pm, Bushy Run Battlefield
  • Sensory Friendly Visit, Sunday, June 19, 10 am-noon, PA Military Museum
    • Background sound effects in the galleries will be turned off and the volume on the orientation video will be lowered (captions always enabled). Please register in advance for a timeslot; standard admission fees apply (Sensory Friendly Visit registration).
  • Historical & Archival Records Care Grants webinar (virtual), Tues., June 21, 10 am, PA State Archives
    • Staff will provide an overview of the grant program, define eligibility, and offer suggestions for competitive applications. Offered via Zoom: register for June 21.
  • Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), Friday, June 24, 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA
    • State Museum archaeologists will highlight cultural resources impacted by Tropical Storm Agnes 50 years ago. The program is free; please register to receive the Zoom link (Learn at Lunchtime registration).
  • Brews & Bites, Saturday, June 25, 4-8 pm, Pennsbury Manor
    • This event features breweries from the Bucks County Ales Trail along with live music, food trucks, 17th-century brewing demonstrations, lawn games, and more on the banks of the Delaware River. General admission is $40 (includes beer tastings); designated driver tickets are $25 (Brews & Bites tickets).
  • "Room Enough for Them All" (virtual), Tuesday, July 12, 7-8 pm, Cornwall Iron Furnace
    • Michael Showalter, museum educator at Ephrata Cloister, will present a program on the diverse population of Lancaster County in the late 18th century. The program is free; please register to receive the link (Cornwall lecture info).
  • Drake Well Marathon and Half (in-person and virtual), Sunday, August 14, 7 am-?, Drake Well Museum & Park

Summer Camps on the Trails of History (in-person and virtual)

  • Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

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