May 2019 on the Trails of History

Many, but not all, Trails of History sites will be open May 27 for Memorial Day. Sites planning to be open on Memorial Day are noted below, but please check ahead with the site you want to visit to make sure they will be open when you want to be there.

Anthracite Heritage Museum
May 4: Spring Tea—this year's event is a celebration of the ethnic cultures of the Scranton region and the impact of immigration on the region's past, present, and future. Cost is $20 and includes the program, tea, savory sandwiches, and ethnic confections. Adults and youth ages 12 and up are invited. Deadline for reservations is May 1 (more info on the Facebook event page). 1-4 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.
May 31: Charity Cask for a Cause—as is their habit on the last Friday of every month, Cooper's Seafood will be tapping a firkin (small keg/about 10 gallons) of real ale for a special charity happy hour. This month, the beneficiary is the Anthracite Heritage Museum & Scranton Iron Furnaces. Raffles and other fun will benefit the museum and its programs. The firkin is tapped promptly at 5 pm; event ends at 8 (or sooner).

Brandywine Battlefield Park
May 11: Encampment Day—learn about the lives of Continental soldiers during the American Revolution (more info on website). Admission charged. Noon-4 pm.
May 12: Kid's Day—enjoy an afternoon of family fun. Kids get in free (regular admission for adults). Noon-4 pm.
May 19: History in the Neighborhood—learn about Brandywine Battlefield Park and other historic sites in the area. Included in regular admission. Noon-4 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-4 pm.

Bushy Run Battlefield
May 4: Book Tour and Signing—author Jason Cherry will be at the site to discuss and sign copies of his new book, Pittsburgh's Lost Outpost: Captain Trent's Fort. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and there will be light refreshments (more info on Facebook event page). 10 am-noon.
May 11: Spring Nature Walk—this annual event takes participants on an exploration of the woods and fields around the site; cost is $5, free for members of Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society. No registration required; wear sturdy, water-resistant walking or hiking shoes and dress for the weather. 10 am.
May 15: History Speaks Series—stay tuned for updates on topics, speakers, and future programs. 7 pm.
May 18: Spring Tea—please check the website for updates; this event usually sells out. 1 pm.
May 25: Bushy Run Market—on the fourth Saturday of each month through September, a variety of vendors and concessionaires will be on hand. There is no charge to visit the market; vendors can find info on the website. 8 am-noon.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
May 4: Artisans in the Park—a wide variety of artists (including food artisans!) will be on site (detailed lists on the event website). Admission is free, and the event is rain or shine. 9 am-4 pm.
May 5: Living History Sunday—explore the history of the Weiser family and their Berks County home through tours and living history presentations. Admission is free. Noon-4 pm.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
May 14: Friends Lecture Series—historian Irwin Richman, research associate at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, will present "Founding Gardeners," a look at gardening and botany in early America (more info). Admission is free (donations are welcome). Lectures are held in Freeman Hall Auditorium at Cornwall Manor Retirement Community. 7 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
May 11 and 26: French and Indian War Militia Drill and Instruction—learn about soldier life in the mid-1700s. Blacksmithing demonstration also offered on May 11 (more info on website). Included in regular admission. 11 am-3 pm.

Drake Well Museum and Park
May 18: MEET-U in 5 & 1/2—enjoy a 5-mile or 13-mile (half marathon) run through the grounds of Drake Well Museum and Oil Creek State Park and help the museum’s MEET-U educational outreach program. Registration is required; registration form is on the web. You must register by May 5 to guarantee a race shirt.
May 25: Something More Saturday—special activities in addition to the museum's core and changing exhibits (indoor and outdoor). This month's focus is "Cooking in the Oilfield." Blacksmith demonstrations will also be offered. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Eckley Miners' Village
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Ephrata Cloister
ADDED May 24-26: Printmaking Workshop—printmaker Dan Welden will lead a workshop on "solarplate" printing (more info, including how to register, in an article from Lancaster Farming). Fee charged. 10 am-4 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara
May 11 [date corrected]: Little Mates Discovery Day—family-friendly hands-on maritime activities. Cost is $10 per person (free for members). 10 am-noon.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Fort Pitt Museum
Please visit the website for information on events and schedules this month.

Graeme Park
May 12: Mother's Day Breakfast—enjoy a delicious meal and tour the Keith House. Prepaid reservations are required and can be made online (link to Eventbrite). Seatings at 10:30, 11, and 11:30 am.
May 19: Living History Sunday—learn what it took to keep a colonial household running. Living history demonstrations are free of charge; admission fees apply to tour the Keith House. Noon-3 pm.

Hope Lodge
Sundays in May (except May 26): Site open—Hope Lodge is open for tours most Sundays through October; they will be closed on May 26. Admission is charged. Site is open 1-4 pm; guided tours are offered at 1 and 2:30.
May 5: Historian Hour—Sarah Biehl, Friends of Hope Lodge board member and curator of Peter Wentz Farmstead, will present a program on 18th-century Quaker Hannah Callender Sansom (more info). Admission is free. Noon-1 pm.

Joseph Priestley House
May 12: Mother's Day—site closed.

Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
May 4: Tea with Nettie—Miss Landis, younger sister of museum founders Henry and George, will be receiving guests for an interactive tea and tour experience. Reservations are required, and space is limited (more info and online ticketing on the website). 11 am-3 pm.
May 10-11: Herb & Garden Faire—so many plants, plus lectures by gardening experts, garden furniture, herbal products and baked goods, and lots of great food by local groups and caterers. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 ages 6-11 (more info, vendor list, and link for online ticketing). 9 am-5 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Old Economy Village
May 4-5: Garden Mart and Hands-On History Days—purchase heirloom varieties of plants grown in Old Economy's greenhouse (Garden Mart details) and learn about life in the 19th century through hands-on activities (Hands-On History Days info). Garden Mart is free, Hands-on History Days activities are included in regular admission. Sat. 10 am-5 pm, Sun. noon-5 pm.
ADDED May 16: Lecture—Jeffrey Snedden, freelance writer and historical researcher, will present "Streetcar History of Beaver County" in the Visitor Center (more info). Presentation is free. 6-7:30 pm.
May 25: Blacksmithing Class - Beyond the Basics—this class is for you if you've taken OEV's intro to blacksmithing or already have basic blacksmithing skills and want to move on to an intermediate level (more details). Class is free, but space is limited; please register by May 15 by calling David Miller, 724/266-4500 x110. 10 am-1 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
Sundays in May—May 5, "Historic Trades and Sheep Shearing"; May 12, "Living History Theater: Women's Monthly Meeting"; May 19, "Open Hearth Cooking: Old Recipes and Old Friends"; May 26, "Beer Brewing and Garden Highlights." Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
May 4: Monthly Book Club—this month's selection is Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth (more info). 10-11 am.
May 11: Conversations in History—this month's topic is "Quaker Women in the 17th Century" (more info). 10-11:30 am.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
May 2: Potter County Envirothon—local high school students test their knowledge of ecology, conservation, and the care and management of our natural world during this annual event presented in cooperation with the Potter County Conservation District. 9 am.
May 18: Third Weekend Program—Dan Smith, a Fire Forester with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will discuss the history of Smokey the Bear and his role in raising public awareness relative to fire prevention (see Facebook event page). Included in regular admission. 1 pm.
May 25: Community Yard Sale—yard sale will be set up near the Route 6 entrance to the museum grounds. Call Bob at 814/435-2652 to register for a space. 9 am-5 pm.
May 27: Memorial Day—open 9 am-5 pm.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
May 4-5: Civil War Encampment—Civil War-era reenactors will be encamped on the grounds. Members of the 3rd Pennsylvania Volunteers will demonstrate loading and firing artillery pieces as they conduct their annual safety training and recruitment event. 10 am-4 pm.
May 5: Friends’ Lecture Series—CDR Richard L. Bigelow, USNR (ret.) will lead a discussion of the Korean War and how it has shaped modern North and South Korea, including a discussion of the current nuclear crisis with North Korea. 2-3 pm.
May 16: Presentation—historian Jared Frederick will present his new book, "Dispatches of D-Day: A People's History of the Normandy Invasion." Event is free. 7-9 pm.
May 19: A Celebration of Service—US Army reunion and memorial service sponsored by the PA National Guard and held on the museum grounds (photos of previous programs). Museum is open 10 am-5 pm (ceremony begins at 12:30 pm, but military vehicles, helicopters, and equipment begin arriving earlier in the day).
May 25: Military Museum Murph—the "Murph" is a Crossfit workout named for Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL killed in action in 2005. This is the Military Museum's first Murph event. Online registration and more info can be found on the museum website. There is a cost to participate but parking for athletes is free. Spectators are welcome ($5 charge for parking). 9 am-3 pm.
May 25-26: World War II Revisited—Allied and Axis WWII reenactors will be bivouacked on the museum grounds portraying field life in the European Theater of Operations, 1944-45. Grounds will be open 10 am-4 pm each day. There will be a short program followed by a tactical demo at 12:45 pm each day.
May 27: Memorial Day—the museum will be open 10 am-5 pm.
May 27: Allegheny Mountain Region AACA Car Show—kick off summer with pre-war through modern classics on the grounds of the museum. $5 for on-site parking. 9 am-4 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
May 27: Memorial Day—the museum will be open 9 am-5 pm.

Somerset Historical Center
May 11: Fraktur Fest—this is an opportunity to learn more about your Pennsylvania German fraktur pieces and have them documented. Art consultant Jean Woods will present a brief lecture at 10 am. Museum staff will scan fraktur for further study and possible exhibition (more info). You may bring fraktur for documentation anytime between 10 am and 2 pm.
May 11: Baseball Lecture—a speaker from the Heinz History Center will present "Growing Up with Baseball in Pittsburgh." 2-4 pm.
May 18: Frosty Mugs of Thunder Brewfest—this event is named after the Frosty Sons of Thunder, a title given to the native sons and daughters of Somerset County, a place where "the frost comes early and stays late." Enjoy beer tasting, food, live music, and historical demonstrations. Event is rain or shine, and you must be at least 21 to attend. Visit the website for details on tickets (including designated driver tickets) and participating breweries/food vendors. 4-8 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Visit the website for a complete schedule of this month's Planetarium shows.
May 3: StoryTime—this month's story is Showtime for Flip-Flop by Janice Levy (more info). The program is designed for children 3-5 years of age with an adult. Included in regular admission. 10:30 am.
May 29: Documentary—the WITF documentary "Penn's Woods: Cradle of Conservation" will be screened, followed by a panel discussion on Pennsylvania's environmental history (more info on the website). 5-7 pm (reception at 5, screening starts at 5:30).

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please visit the website for information on this month's events and schedules.