So, This is August

Enjoy a tour of the gardens at Old Economy Village next Friday, Aug. 11 (photo via OEV Facebook page)

Welcome to August. I hope your summer is going well and that you've had time to do the things you want to do. The listings below might give you some ideas if you're looking for activities outdoors or indoors. There seems to be a garden theme going on. In the week ahead, you'll find a garden party at Joseph Priestley House (August 6), storytime in the garden at Pennsbury Manor (August 10), a garden tour at Old Economy Village (August 11), and tickets on sale for the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's garden railways tour in October. Gardens not your thing? We have lots of other stuff. Whatever you choose, I hope you have a great week.

Up Next

Today, August 4

• StoryTime (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am; The State Museum of PA
• Join us in the Life Through Time Gallery for a reading of My Mastodon by Barbara Lowell with illustrations by Antonio Marinoni. Discover the story of the Peale family living in a museum in Philadelphia. Create your own admission ticket and souvenir. Included in regular admission (State Museum StoryTime info).

• Family Gallery Tour: Paleontology (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm and 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Join us to explore the flora and fauna in Pennsylvania from the Carboniferous Period to the present. Learn about the habitats and environments that existed long ago and get hands-on with various fossils of these extinct species. Meet in Nature Lab on the 3rd floor at 11:30 am or 1:30 pm. Included in regular admission (Paleontology Tour info).

• First Fridays (in-person); 5:30-8:30 pm; Somerset Historical Center
• Enjoy an evening of music, family games, tractor rides, and food trucks. Some covered seating is provided, but feel free to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Parking is $5 per car, but there is no admission fee (First Friday program info).

Saturday, August 5

• Mastodons and Mammoths (in-person); 10 am-Noon and 1-3 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Follow the story of mastodons and mammoths and their evolution from the earliest examples to today’s modern elephants. Create your own scientific chart. Included in regular admission (Mastodon and Mammoth program info).

• Battle Reenactment (in-person); Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-4 pm; Bushy Run Battlefield
• This year marks the 260th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run (Battle reenactment program info).

• A Legacy of Service (in-person); 1-4 pm; PA Military Museum
• In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, the museum is partnering with several agencies to present programs highlighting the history of women's military service in Pennsylvania and the nation. Keynote speaker is Brigadier General Maureen Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs. A reception follows. Registration is requested due to limited seating (Women's military history program info).

Sunday, August 6

• Garden Party/Oxygen Day (in-person); Noon-4 pm; Joseph Priestley House
• Explore the gardens and the new outdoor exhibit starting at noon, with landscape architect Brehon Odronic and Master Gardeners from Northumberland County. Oxygen Day activities start at 1 when the house opens for self-guided tours. Dr. Priestley will conduct chemistry demos in the Pond Building at 1:30 and 2:30. There will be period music and light refreshments (Priestley House website).

• Historic Trades (in-person); 1-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• Our blacksmiths, joyners and spinners will be eager to talk to you about their work and its importance during Penn’s time. Included in regular admission (Historic Trades program info).

• Set the Scene (in-person); 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Join us at the Conestoga Wagon on the Second Floor to discover two 19th-century landscape artists who captured Pennsylvania transportation history in their work. Learn close- looking techniques and use your new knowledge to capture your vision by creating your own landscape. Included in regular admission (landscape painting program info).

• Patriotic Concert (in-person); 5-7 pm; Conrad Weiser Homestead
• The Ringgold Band will present a concert at the west end of Weiser Park. Please bring your own lawn chairs; water will be available. Veterans attending should register when they arrive so that they can be honored at intermission. Concert is free; donations welcome (Ringgold Band concert info).

Tuesday, August 8

• Sensory Hours (in-person); 3-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Light, sound, and crowd levels will be lower, and there will be some quiet spots in the galleries to take a break. Several historic trains will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (tickets for Aug. 8 Sensory Hours.

• The Colemans and Martic Forge (hybrid); Tuesday, Aug. 8, 7-8 pm; Cornwall Iron Furnace
• Jim Polczynski will present a program centered on the ownership of Martic Forge by three generations of the Coleman family (who also owned Cornwall Iron Furnace). You can attend the program in person at Freeman Hall, Cornwall Manor Retirement Community, or virtually via Zoom (Martic Forge lecture info and registration).

Wednesday, August 9

• Family Gallery Tour: Mammal Hall (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Touch furs, hold antlers, view skulls and ask questions during a tour of Mammal Hall. Included with general admission (Mammal Hall Tour info).

• Family Gallery Tour: Horse 2 Auto (in-person); 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Look back at the history of transitioning from horse-powered transportation to the automobile. Examine the similarities and struggles we face today as we look to transition from the internal combustion engine to a more energy-efficient system. Included in general admission (Horse 2 Auto tour info).

• Stargazing: Tonight's Sky Live Chat (in-person); 2-3 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Join the Planetarium Director for a live chat exploring what you can see in the sky tonight. Learn about the basic motions of the sky, visible constellations and planets, and any special celestial events that are coming up in the next month (Stargazing program info).

Thursday, August 10

• Storytime in the Garden (in-person); 10-11 am; Pennsbury Manor
• Enjoy a story in the garden, then stay to explore the grounds, visit the farm animals, or have a snack by the river. Admission is a $3 Grounds Pass (additional fee to tour the Manor House). Suggested for ages 4 to 8, but all are welcome (Pennsbury Storytime info).

• Seed to Bread (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Discover how a simple seed can turn into the bread we eat. Take home some historic recipes. Included in regular admission; takes place in the Transportation & Industry gallery on the Second Floor (Seed to Bread program info).

Friday, August 11

• Garden Tour (in-person); 11 am-Noon; Old Economy Village
• Enjoy a tour of OEV's extraordinary gardens, learning about how the Harmonists shaped the land around Old Economy to combine aspects of medieval cloistered gardens, Germanic traditions, and American flora. Explore George Rapp's use of biblical imagery and discover its hidden features. Included in regular admission (OEV Garden Tour info).

• Toys and Games: 1950s and '60s (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Discover and play with the toys, games and puzzles from the 1950’s and 60’s. Test your skills at the Hula Hoop, walk the Slinky down the stairs and play a round of Twister. Included in regular admission (Toys and Games program info).

• Made in PA (in-person); 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• From the practical to the tasty, discover the many revolutionary products that were made in Pennsylvania. Explore the products that are the keystone of our economy. Included in regular admission (Made in PA program info).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Captain Vicary and Life in Beaver County (in-person); Wednesday, Aug. 16, 6-7:30 pm; Old Economy Village
• Brenda Applegate, executive director of the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation, will present a program based on the journal of Captain Vicary, a transplanted Philadelphia sea captain who settled in Beaver County as a gentleman farmer. The program will provide glimpses into everyday life in the county as well as Vicary's interactions with the Harmonists. The program is free, but registration is required (Captain Vicary lecture info and registration).

• The "Dead" of Summer (in-person); Saturday, Aug. 19, 7-9 pm; Graeme Park
• Experience a reenactment of an early 20th-century seance focused on the period when many had lost loved ones to the 1918 flu pandemic or World War I and were susceptible to this form of entertainment. Tickets are limited and will be available online (Dead of Summer info and tickets).

• Sensory Hours (in-person); Tuesday, Aug. 22, 9-11 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Light, sound, and crowd levels will be lower, and there will be some quiet spots in the galleries to take a break. Several historic trains will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (tickets for Aug. 22 Sensory Hours).

• Exploring the Armor (in-person); Saturday, Aug. 26, 2-4 pm; PA Military Museum
• Take a private history tour of the outside tracked vehicles and discuss the history of armored vehicles with a preeminent local historian. Limited space, reservations are required. $15.00 or $5.00 with annual Museum membership. Please note that we will not be accessing the inside of the tracked vehicles, but we will walk outside on the grounds, so please dress for the weather with appropriate footwear (Exploring the Armor registration).

• Garden Railways Tour (in-person); Sunday, Oct. 1, 1-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Tickets are on sale now for the 16th annual tour of garden railways located at five sites in Lancaster and York Counties. Cost is $10 for ages 6 and up. Tickets available via Eventbrite or at the Whistle Stop Shop at the museum.