Anthracite Heritage Museum
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
Brandywine Battlefield
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
July 8 thru week of August 5: Summer History Camp—visit Brandywine's website for more info on each week and to register.
Bushy Run Battlefield
July 6: Annual Classic Car Cruise—classic and custom cars, live music, food, drink, and more. Event is free; regular admission applies to visit the exhibits. 11 am-3 pm.
July 27: Bushy Run Market—this open air market features a changing variety of vendors (last Saturday of the month, May-September). The concession stand will have drinks and light fare. Free for visitors and vendors (prospective vendors should contact market@bushyrunbattlefield.com to discuss participation). 8 am-noon.
Conrad Weiser Homestead
July 7: Living History Sunday—enjoy a summer afternoon at the homestead learning about life in the Tulpehocken. Admission is free. Noon-4 pm.
Cornwall Iron Furnace
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
July 9: Friends Lecture Series—Henry Deemer will present "Historic Sites on Cornwall Manor Campus" (more info on Facebook event page). Admission is free (donations are welcome). Lectures are held in Freeman Hall Auditorium at Cornwall Manor Retirement Community. 7 pm.
Daniel Boone Homestead
Wednesdays in July: Sawmill demonstrations—the site's water-powered up-down sawmill will be demonstrated at 11 am and 2 pm.
Drake Well Museum and Park
Saturdays and Sundays: Historic Pithole open. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
July 11, 18, 25, Aug. 1: Discovery Days—children age 8-12 will experience nature, perform experiments, discover history through artifacts and exhibits and so much more. Fees charged and registration is required (program brochure and registration form) by July 5. 9 am-4 pm.
July 13: MEET-U BBQ—St. Louis-style BBQ ribs with Drake Well's signature Sweet Crude Sauce plus sides, all to benefit the museum's mobile education unit (details on the website). 5-8 pm.
July 27: Something More Saturday—in addition to the regular indoor and outdoor exhibits, learn about and try your hand at 19th-century lawn games. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.
Eckley Miners' Village
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
July 13: Eckley Car and Bike Show—enjoy vehicles of years past, ice cream, live music, a 50/50 raffle, People’s Choice contest, and much more. If you are interested in having a car or motorcycle in the show, please complete and submit the Vehicle Registration Form. Admission charged. Noon-5 pm.
Ephrata Cloister
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara
Thursday-Saturday through August 31st: Experience History – Rolling Cart Series—the new rolling cart program presents maritime-themed activities for visitors or all ages. Find out what’s in a sailor’s seabag, learn about the busy life of a lighthouse keeper, build your own warship and more! Included with Museum admission. Stay tuned to Erie Maritime Museum’s social media accounts (such as Facebook) for more information and weekly schedules.
Through Fall 2019: New exhibit—“Ballast Technology: Saving Ships, Lives, and the Environment” features a history of materials used to ballast ships, as well as disasters resulting from improperly ballasted vessels. The traveling panels, sponsored by The Great Lakes Protection Fund, have been augmented by the museum with exhibit cases featuring Niagara’s ballast, 200 years ago and today, as well as examples of ballast water-borne invasive species, courtesy of PA Sea Grant. Along with environmental issues, invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels also pose a real threat to our underwater maritime heritage when they build colonies on shipwrecks. The exhibit displays dramatic images of the War of 1812 wrecks Hamilton and Scourge in Lake Ontario, showing damage done by these mussels over the past 30 years. Included in regular admission.
July 1-August 16: Tall Ship Summer Camp—sail on board the schooner Lettie G. Howard and learn all kinds of nautical skills. Week-long camp sessions are still booking (first week is just 3 days), geared for ages 10-14. Details and registration info are on the website.
July 3: Lights Over Lake Erie Sail—enjoy Erie's Independence Day eve fireworks from the deck of Lettie G. Howard. Tickets and details are available online. 9-11 pm.
UPDATED INFO July 4: Friends and Family Day—free admission and tours of Lettie G. Howard (Niagara will be sailing the Great Lakes). 9 am-5 pm.
Fort Pitt Museum
Please visit the Fort Pitt Museum website for information on upcoming events and programs. Fort Pitt Museum will be open on July 4.
Graeme Park
July 4: Independence Day at Graeme Park—there will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence and tours of the Keith House (more details on the website). Admission charged for tours of the Keith House. Noon-3 pm.
July 21: Living History Sunday—learn about the traditions, games, crafts, and foodways of the Lenni Lenape (more info on the website). Admission charged for tours of the Keith House. Noon-3 pm.
Hope Lodge
July 14, 21, 28—the site is open for tours every Sunday, through mid-October. Admission is charged (cash or check only). Site is open 1-4 pm, with tours at 1 and 2:30. PLEASE NOTE: be sure to follow Hope Lodge on Facebook to get updates on schedule. They expect to be open for tours on July 14, but you should check to be sure.
Joseph Priestley House
July 24-26: History Camp—this year's theme is "Dr. Priestley in Northumberland." The program offers a wide range of activities for first through sixth graders (more info and registration form). Fee charged; registration deadline is July 23. 9 am-noon.
Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
July 4: Site open—please check the website for hours.
July 9-12 and 16-19: Summer Sampler Camp—kids ages 5-11 will enjoy a variety of activities, inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. Details and instructions for registering July 9-12 or July 16-19 are on the website. 9 am-12:30 pm. July 20-21: Civil War Days—the site is transformed into a rural Pennsylvania village in 1863, with reenactors portraying soldiers and civilians (more info). The event takes place rain or shine. Admission charged; tickets are available online from Brown Paper Tickets. Food will be available for purchase. 10 am-4 pm both days.
July 27: Splint Reed Chair Caning Class—instructor Patti Erickson will teach participants how to weave a herringbone pattern seat for a small stool. Fee charged includes materials. Details and online registration on Landis Valley's website. 10 am-4 pm.
Old Economy Village
July 8-12, 15-19, 22-26: Summer Camps—retired art teacher Dee Ruckert will lead the classes. Children age 6-12 (6-year-olds must have completed kindergarten) will experience a variety of activites while exploring the historic buildings for inspiration. July 8-12 is Art Camp; July 15-19 and 22-26 are History Camp offerings (details and registration info are in the summer camp brochure). 9 am-12:30 pm.
ADDED July 13: Introduction to Wine Making—instructor Frank Mazzotta started making wine as a hobby; in 2015 he decided to do it professionally and opened Mazzotta Winery. This class will discuss various types of wines and the process for making wines. Class is free, but space is limited to 50 people. Please register by July 10 by contacting David Miller, Museum Educator at davmiller@pa.gov or 724-266-4500 ext.110. 10 am-1 pm.
July 13: Crop and Kettle—learn about a community organization whose mission is to help people gain sustainable employment in food-related fields. The program is free, but reservations are requested (details and registration info). 1-2 pm.
July 24: Culture and Foods of the Middle Eastern Immigrants—Center Township native Patrick Michael, owner of Rafka Foods and Jemila Foods, will present a program on Lebanese culture and food. The program is free, but registration is required (info on website); there will be food samples provided. 7-8 pm.
July 27: Woodworking Class: Beyond the Basics—Dave Blair will teach this class for people who have taken the Intro to Woodworking class or have a basic knowledge of 19th-century woodworking tools. Class is free, but space is limited so you must register (details on the website. 10 am-1 pm.
Pennsbury Manor
Special Sunday Programming—something different every week: meet the joyners, blacksmiths, and wool spinners (7/7); Pirates in the Tavern! (living history theater) (7/14); see what the cooks are up to in the kitchen (7/21); chat with the gardeners and the brewers (7/28). Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
July 6: Monthly Book Club—July's book is I, Eliza Hamilton (2018) by Susan Holloway Scott. Book club is free and open to the public (light refreshments served). 10-11 am.
July 8-12: History Camp—learn about life 300 years ago. Geared for kids who have completed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade. Registration is required (details on website). 10 am-3 pm.
July 13: Conversations in History—this month's program is "The Lenni Lenape of Pennsylvania" (more info on website). Fee charged (includes site admission). 10-11 am.
July 15-19: Time Traveler's Camp—this camp is for students who've finished grade 5, 6, or 7 who want to learn about life 300 years ago. Registration is required (info and online registration are on the website). 10 am-3 pm.
July 20: Paths Less Traveled—explore basements, attics, and other spaces not generally included on tours. Benefit of membership in The Pennsbury Society (joining is easy). 10-11:30 am.
July 21: Play the Past!—learn 17th-century games that families would have played during their leisure time. Fun for all ages. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
July 4: Site open—check website for hours.
July 6-7: Annual Bark Peelers’ Festival—this hugely popular event recreates the 4th of July celebrations of Pennsylvania’s early 20th-century lumber camp workers and “woodhicks.” The schedule for this year's event is now available online. Admission is charged. 9 am-5 pm (events start at 10 am).
July 20: 3rd Weekend Program—have you ever wanted to try log birling (aka log rolling)? This is your chance. Details are on the Facebook event page. Included in regular admission. 1-2 pm.
Pennsylvania Military Museum
July 4: Kids Day—kids (of all ages) can try on uniforms from the museum's education collection and learn about soldier life. Have your photo taken behind the wheel of an authentic military Jeep. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.
July 6: Documentary screening—filmed by the British War Office in 1916, The Battle of the Somme documents the first days of a battle that lasted four months. Included in regular admission. 2:30-3:30 pm.
July 11-14: Annual People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts—celebration of arts and artisans held on the museum grounds (visit the festival website for details). Festival is free, $5 charged for on-site parking at PMM; regular museum admission applies to tour the indoor exhibits. Thurs-Sat, 10 am-9 pm (museum open 10 am-5 pm); Sun., noon-5 pm.
July 20-21: VIETNAM Revisited—living historians will be on the grounds portraying American combat and support troops “in country” in the late 1960s. 10 am-5 pm (tactical demo at 1:30 pm each day).
July 25: Registration deadline for Boot Camp for Kids—this year's Boot Camp will be held Aug. 3 (more info and registration forms.
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Through July 7 (open July 4): Reading Railroad Days—offered in conjunction with the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, this program features an enormous HO-scale model railroad and highlights Reading Company rolling stock in the Museum’s collection. Included in regular museum admission during regular hours.
Somerset Historical Center
July 5: First Friday Food Fest—come down and enjoy a casual dinner, selected from a variety of local food trucks and vendors (details on website). There will be live music and tractor-drawn hay rides. This event that will take place the first Friday of August as well. Admission is free; $2 per vehicle for parking. 5-8 pm.
July 6: Family Fun 5K Run/Walk—SHC has a groomed trail that runs through woods and meadows, circling back around to the main site; once around is 5K (but you can take more than one lap). There's no admission charge, and maps are available. This event will also be offered the first Saturday of August. 8 am-noon.
July 20-Sept. 15: Traveling Exhibit—the center is hosting "We Can Do It," an exhibit from the Heinz History Center exploring Western PA's role and impact during World War II. SHC has also teamed up with the Turkeyfoot Historical Society to add a focus on Somerset County during the same period. Included in regular admission during regular operating hours.
State Museum of Pennsylvania
Please visit the State Museum website for a full schedule of Planetarium shows.
July 3, 10, 11, 24, 25, 31: Nature Lab—a wide assortment of programming is scheduled for the museum's Nature Lab area (visit the events page for details). Included in regular admission. 11:30 am.
July 5: StoryTime—this month's book, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, is Man on the Moon by Anastasia Suen. Reading time will be followed by a planetarium show about the moon, suitable for the program's audience of 3-5 year olds (with an adult). Included in regular admission. 10:30-11:30 am.
July 5, 12, 19, 26: Summer Fridays—Fridays are "Pay as You Wish" for general admission (through Aug. 23). Regular fees apply for the Planetarium, and Curiosity Connection will have timed tickets between 10 am and 3 pm. At 12:15 pm each Friday, a special "Learn at Lunchtime" will be offered (see events page for details). On July 19 (3rd in the Burg), join Harrisburg Young Professionals for "Moon Madness," with a variety of activities from 5:30 to 7:30 (details).
July 17: Moon Madness - Build and Launch a Paper Rocket—kids between the ages of 6 and 12 are invited to learn about rockets, design and build one out of paper, and test its flight-worthiness using Alka-Seltzer (more info). Included in regular admission. 11:30 am.
July 18: Curiosity Kids - Moon Making—this program, designed for ages 3 to 6, will teach about the moon and guide participants in making an image of it to take home. Included in general admission. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up at the front desk when you arrive. 11:30 am.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please visit the Washington Crossing website for a complete listing of upcoming programs and events. The site will be open on July 4.
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