Is It the Weekend Already?

A cold and snowy day at Drake Well last week (photo via Drake Well Museum & Park Facebook page)

As a follow-up to Groundhog Day and the prediction of six more weeks of what's pictured above, the PA Lumber Museum Curator's Blog shared a letter written by James John Welch ca. 1886 noting the tradition of the groundhog (Welch uses the word "woodchuck") venturing forth to predict the course of the winter. (If you haven't checked out other posts on the Curator's Blog, you might be interested in the "What Chainsaw Did That Movie Use?" series.)

(Photo via Railroad Museum of PA Facebook page)

The Norfolk & Western class J No. 611, part of the collection of the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, is on display for a limited time in the outdoor trainyard at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. You can view No. 611, and the other wonderful things in RMP's collection, during regular hours with regular admission (read more on RMP's Facebook page).

(Image via Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum's Facebook page)

Are you ready for some football? Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum shared this photo (FM 52.746) of a college football player taken at the Flickinger photo studio in Bethlehem, PA, sometime in 1889 or later. Written on the back in black ink is "C.H. Detriber,/Montg. Co Pa./Lehigh '90/Right-Guard on Champion/Foot-ball/the South 1889." Whatever your weekend holds, I hope it's great. And Go Eagles!!

Up Next

Today, February 10

• Family Gallery Tour: Paleontology (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• This family-friendly tour looks at life through time in Pennsylvania. Join Museum Educators to get hands-on with fossils of the plants and animals that roamed Earth during the Carboniferous Period to the present including dinosaurs and mastodons. Included in regular admission (Paleontology tour info).

• Artists Conversation (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Join fine arts curator Amy Hammond as she talks with artist Matthew Cote about his work "Full Circle," recipient of the Art of the State 2022 Purchase Award. The program will be presented via Zoom; please register to receive the link (Artists Conversation info and registration).

Saturday, February 11

• Pithole Cabin Fever Party (in-person); 10 am-2 pm; Historic Pithole City
• Drake Well Museum & Park hosts this annual event at Pithole. Shake off those winter blues with crafts, games, and fun. Sadly, there's not enough snow for sledding, but there will be storytelling, tours, and yummy cookies from Warner's Bakery. Event is free, donations are welcome. This is an outdoor event, so please check ahead if the weather is iffy (Cabin Fever info).

• Pennsylvania Rocks! (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am and 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks make up the landscape of Pennsylvania. How are they the same? How are they different? Learn more about the geology beneath your feet. Included in regular admission (PA Rocks info).

Tuesday, February 14

• Simple Machines and the Railroad (virtual); 10-10:30 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Children in grades K to 6 will learn about 6 simple machines and how they make up larger machines on the railroad. Program includes demonstrations and active participation, and there will be a Q&A session at the end. Register to receive the link; admission is by donation (Simple Machines registration).

Thursday, February 16

• Winter History Class (in-person & virtual); 9 am-noon; Ephrata Cloister
• This course runs every Thursday through March 30. Today's presentations are "Mennonites in Colonial Germantown: Newly Discovered Sources Correct Old Myths" with Edsel Burge, The Young Center at Elizabethtown College, and "The Christopher Sauers Printing Dynasty" with Dr. David Fuchs, Independent Scholar. If you have not already signed up for the full series, you can attend single sessions via Zoom only (Winter History Class registration options).

• Curiosity Kids (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Discover how people of the past traveled and had fun in the winter. Examine sleds and sleighs from the museum’s collection. Test why runners made it easier to swish through the snow by creating your own miniature sled. For grades K to 2 and included in regular admission (Curiosity Kids info).

Friday, February 17

• Snow-mobility Weekend (in-person); Friday thru Sunday, 10 am-4 pm; PA Lumber Museum
• From Friday to Sunday, you can ride your snowmobile to the museum (that is, if the weather changes and there's enough snow). On Saturday, enjoy a pancake breakfast (10:30 am-1 pm), documentary films, and learn how maple syrup is made (1:30). On Sunday at 2 pm, join us for a winter story time and craft (Snow-mobility Weekend info).

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Brant Portner, environmental education specialist with the PA Game Commission, will talk about the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, a popular spot for birds and bird watchers. The program is free and will be offered via Zoom; please register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• The Dead of Winter (in-person); Saturday, Feb. 18, 5:30 and 7 pm; Graeme Park
• This program reenacts an early 20th-century seance and explores this popular form of spiritualism/entertainment. Programs at 5:30 and 7 pm, each limited to 20 people. Light refreshments will be served. In case of bad weather, program will be held Feb. 25. Advance tickets ($20) only (Dead of Winter info and tickets).

• Sensory Hours (in-person); Tuesday, Feb. 21, 9-11 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Noise, light, and crowd levels will be lower, and there will be quiet spaces for breaks. Several historic trains will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (Feb. 21 Sensory Hours).

• The Harmonist Connection: Gardens (virtual); Wednesday, Feb. 22, 7-8 pm; Old Economy Village
• The latest in a series of virtual programs sponsored by Harmony Society sites in Pennsylvania and Indiana. Tonight, Kent Schuette from Historic New Harmony (IN) and Joe Pulgini from Old Economy Village will talk about the work both carry out to maintain modern gardens that draw on the traditions of the Harmonists. Free and offered via Zoom (Harmonist Connection info and registration).

• Revolutionary Speaker Series (in-person); Saturday, Feb. 25, Noon-2 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Wade Catts, president of South River Heritage Consulting, LLC, will present "Archaeology and the Preservation of Sites of America's War for Independence, with special focus on new studies of the Brandywine Battlefield (Rev Speaker Series info).

• Train Tour: The H6SB (virtual); Tuesday, Feb. 28, 10-10:30 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Children in grades K to 6 will investigate the inside of the historic H6sb locomotive No. 2846, virtually visiting the cab and exploring behind-the-scenes in the tender and maintenance areas. Register to receive the link; admission is by donation (Train Tour registration).

• Rails & Ales 2023 (in-person); Saturday, April 1, 5:30-9 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Taste craft beers among the museum's world-class collection of historic trains in Rolling Stock Hall. Must be age 21 or older to attend; photo ID required at the door. Advance tickets only; VIP tickets tend to sell out quickly (ticket options, including designated driver tickets).

• Colonial Camp Week (in-person); Monday-Friday, July 17-21, 9 am-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• Campers 6 to 8 years old will spend the week exploring the entire site with a talented team of living history experts. Sessions run 9 am-4 pm each day; before- and after-care are available for an additional fee (registration info).