November 2018 on the Trails of History

Don't forget to turn your clocks (the ones that still have to be changed by hand) back one hour no later than 2 am on Nov. 4, as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end for this year.

There are several state holidays in November--Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and the day after Thanksgiving. All Trails of History sites will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. Sites open on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 23) are noted below. The info is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You may want to check with the site you plan to visit to be sure of their schedule (seasonal schedule changes may be in effect as well).

Anthracite Heritage Museum
Nov. 12: Photo Contest Deadline—"all things anthracite" are fair game for this photo contest. To complement an exhibit on photography in the anthracite region, the museum is inviting photographers to submit their photos of life in the area (info and rules on the website).

Brandywine Battlefield Park
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open noon-4 pm.
Nov. 24: Patriot’s Day—living history demonstrations, musket drills, blacksmith, house tours, and 18th-century medical "experts"--lots of activities for all ages. 10 am-4 pm.

Bushy Run Battlefield
Nov. 17: Harvest Ball—kids ages 4 to 12 are invited to dance the minuet (we'll teach you), decorate masks and hats to wear, play colonial games, and join in a storytelling session. A light snack will be served. Come in costume if you like, but you don't have to. Cost is $5 per child. Space is limited, and reservations are a must: contact Marlene Sawayda at secretary@bushyrunbattlefield.com to register. 2-4 pm.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
Nov. 4: Fall Lecture—John Moore will present "The Murder of Jack Armstrong" and explore the possible roles of Shikellamy and Conrad Weiser. Free admission; donations greatly appreciated. Site is open noon-4 pm; the lecture is at 2 pm.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site will be open noon-4 pm, with a remembrance service at 2 pm.
Nov. 17: Candlelight Tours—this annual program features living history, 18th-century music, and a chance to see the site by night. 5:30-8 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
Nov. 13: Friends Lecture Series—this is the last lecture for 2018. David Hargrove will present "John Singleton Mosby: The Gray Ghost," exploring the Civil War through the career of this well-known Confederate cavalry commander (more info on the website). Lectures are held in Freeman Hall Auditorium at the Cornwall Manor Retirement Community, across the road from the furnace site (map and directions). Lecture is free, donations are accepted. 7 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
Nov. 3: Boone Birthday Program—celebrate Daniel Boone's birthday and learn about his family. Birthday program starts at 1 pm, with cake and ice cream to follow. Included in regular admission.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site is open noon-4 pm, and Paul Trainor will present "Soldiers in the French and Indian War" at 2 pm. Suggested donation of $2 per person for talk. Regular admission applies to visit the historic area.
Nov. 18: Lecture—Les Stark will present "Hemp in the 18th Century." Suggested donation of $2 per person for talk. 2 pm.
Nov. 23: Day After Thanksgiving—site open 10 am-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
Nov. 24: Something More Saturday—members of the Venango County ARES/RACES ham radio club will be on hand to help visitors speak with Santa at the North Pole. There will also be holiday craft projects and other family-friendly activities (details on Facebook). Included in regular admission (special group admission: buy 2 full-price adult tickets and get 3 youth tickets free). Site open 9 am-5 pm; special programming, 10 am-3 pm.

Ephrata Cloister
Nov. 8: Tickets for Christmas at the Cloister—as of today, the general public can purchase tickets ($6 per person) for this limited-seating event (scheduled for Dec. 10 and 11). Details are on the website.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site will be open noon-5 pm. Ephrata Cloister will be closed on Monday, Nov. 12.
Nov. 16: Extraordinary Give—Ephrata Cloister will once again participate in the Lancaster County Community Foundation's one-day, online giving campaign. Visit their page anytime between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm to donate.
Nov. 24: Candlelight Open House—spend a lovely evening exploring the Ephrata Cloister, with music, craftspeople, and more (info on website). Cost is $6 per person. 5-8:30 pm.

Fort Pitt Museum
Please visit the Fort Pitt Museum website for information on schedules and programs.

Graeme Park
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open noon-4 pm.
Nov. 18: Colonial Beer Brewing—visit the summer kitchen, where the brewer will be making a batch of house beer and talking about 18th-century beers and brewing (more info). Beer demo is free; admission charged for tours of the Keith House. 11 am-2 pm.
Nov. 24: Christmas in the Colonies—candlelight tours of the Keith House, where the Tapestry Dancers and costumed interpreters will illustrate Christmas and other winter holidays as the Graemes might have known them. Refreshments will be served. Tours will start approximately every 20 minutes from 4 to 6:40 pm (details on the website). Cost is $5 per person, free for members. 4-7 pm.

Hope Lodge
Nov. 3: Whitemarsh Encampment Reenactment—this long-standing event commemorates the Nov. 2-Dec. 11, 1777, encampment of Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army in the Whitemarsh Hills. Program details. Admission charged: $10 (age 18-59), $5 (age 6-17 & 65+), "family" rate is $25 (1 car with 2 adults and up to 4 children). Free for Friends of Hope Lodge members and children age 5 and under. 10 am-4 pm.

Joseph Priestley House
Nov. 4: Heritage Day—costumed interpreters will be stationed in the house as you tour, Dr. Priestley will demonstrate chemical principles, and there will be games for children. Admission is free. 1-4 pm (chemistry demos at 1:30 and 2:30).
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open 1-4 pm.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
Nov. 1: Hands-On History—step back in time to learn about life as a farm child. Details and registration info (including link for online ticket purchase). Cost is $11 per person; free for LVA members and children age 5 and younger. 9 am-3 pm.
Nov. 3, 10, 11, 17, 24: Fall Workshops Continue—check the website for course descriptions and registration info.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—site open noon-5 pm.
Nov. 16: Extraordinary Give—Landis Valley will once again participate in the Lancaster County Community Foundation's one-day, online giving campaign. Visit their page anytime between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm to donate.
Nov. 24-25: Museum Store Shop Local Open House and Museum Store Sunday—shop for locally handmade art, crafts and heirloom-quality gifts and enjoy holiday decorations in the museum store. Museum Store events are free; regular rates apply for museum admission. Sat., 9 am-5 pm; Sun., noon-5 pm.

Old Economy Village
Nov. 10: Wine-Making with Mazzotta Winery—stay tuned to the website for updates on this program. 10 am-1 pm.
Nov. 10: World War I Lecture—local historian Scot Buffington will use original clothing and accoutrements to discuss soldier life during World War I (more info on website). This lecture is in conjunction with the current exhibit, “Do your Bit!”: World War I in Ambridge, which closes December 23rd. 3-4:30 pm.
Nov. 14: Behind-the-Scenes Tour—this is a chance to visit artifact storage areas not generally open to the public. Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will follow (BYOB if you like). Cost is $20, $16 for members. Space is limited, and reservations are required (details on website). Tour starts promptly at 6 pm.
Nov. 15: Lecture—researcher and writer Jeffrey Snedden, author of the weekly Beaver County Times column "Histories and Mysteries," will be the speaker. Program is free and open to the public. 7-8:30 pm.
Nov. 17: Honey Bees with BABA—watch the website for updates on this program. 10 am-1 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
Nov. 18: Cooking Demonstration—join the cooks as they revel in the extravagant use of sugar and spices, using 17th-century confectionary recipes. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
Nov. 17: Holiday Craft Faire and Cooking Demo—locally made, hand-crafted, and/or holiday-themed items will be featured by a variety of vendors in the museum program room. Out in the Lumber Camp, they'll be firing up the cook stove around 1 pm for a demonstration of how logging camp cooks met the prodigious caloric needs of woodhicks and barkpeelers. You can visit the craft fair for free; museum admission applies to view the indoor and outdoor exhibits and the cooking demo. Museum open 9 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
Nov. 4: American Revolution Roundtable Lecture—Lt. Colonel Sean Sculley will present "West Point and the American Revolution: The Great Chain and Her Fortification." 2-3 pm.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—the museum is open noon-5 pm. Admission is free for veterans and their families.
Nov. 11: Friends’ Lecture Series—Robert Franks will present "Welcome Home, Bro," based on his experiences as an Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader with the First Cavalry Division, serving in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 (details on the website). 2-3 pm.
Nov. 17: Kids Day - Dress Up and Discover!!—Kids of all ages get to try on military gear from the museum education collection. Visit the education stations in the galleries for more discoveries throughout the day. Parents must remain on-site while their kids participate in the activities. Included in regular admission. 10:00 am-3:00 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Nov. 3-4: Trains & Troops—this annual program salutes our armed forces and explores the role of the military in railroad history (and vice versa). A Swing Dance Saturday night (separate or combo ticket) lets you enjoy big band music, refreshments, and swing, swing, swing. Program details. Sat., 9 am-5 pm; Sun., noon-5 pm.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—the museum is open noon-5 pm.
Nov. 16: Extraordinary Give—the Railroad Museum is participating in the Lancaster County Community Foundation's one-day, online giving campaign. Visit their page (listed as "Friends of the Railroad Museum") anytime between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm to donate.
Nov. 23: Day After Thanksgiving—site open 9 am-5 pm.
Nov. 23: Last Day for Reservations—advance registration is required for the museum's Christmas with the Conductor parties, scheduled for Dec. 1 and 8 (see flyer for details).

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Please visit the Planetarium page for a full schedule of shows.
Nov. 2: StoryTime—this month's story is Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky. The program will take place in Mammal Hall; meet near the black bear diorama. Included in regular admission. 10-11 am.
Nov. 8: Mapping Pennsylvania—explore various maps of Pennsylvania, including one so big you can walk on it (in your socks). This Nature Lab program is designed for visitors age 7 and up. Included in regular admission. 11:30 am.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day—museum open. At 11 am, the museum's Liberty Bell replica (outdoors on the North St. side) will be rung as part of the Bells of Peace initiative, marking the centennial of the World War I armistice. At noon, the museum will open a new exhibit, Dressed for Service: Pennsylvanians in the Great War, featuring uniforms from World War I.
Nov. 15: Racing Ramps!—this "Curiosity Kids" program will explore historic road surfaces and test which one makes for the fastest travel. Meet in the Transportation and Industry Gallery (details on the museum website). Included in regular admission, but space is limited so be sure to sign up when you purchase your tickets. 11:30 am.
Nov. 15-16: Holiday Marketplace—shop the Trails of History with representatives from The State Museum of PA, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, Ephrata Cloister, Somerset Historical Center, and Daniel Boone Homestead (details). Museum admission will be free for shoppers. Hours on Thursday are 10 am-3 pm. Friday opens at 10 am and runs until 7:30 pm for 3rd in the Burg.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please visit the Washington Crossing website for details on this month's schedule and programs.