October 2020 on the Trails of History

PHMC's Trails of History sites remain closed until further notice. Where applicable, grounds are open to visitors during posted hours and in accordance with guidance from the CDC and PA Dept. of Health. Stay tuned to PHMC's website and social media for updates (or Trailheads, of course). The list below includes links to Facebook pages for the Trails of History and individual sites (please note that Fort Pitt Museum is on a different schedule than other sites and that Washington Crossing Historic Park is under the jurisdiction of PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources). Online events are listed as we get info. This page will be updated as new info becomes available.

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Pennsylvania Trails of History on Facebook
Oct. 7: 2020 Archives and Records Management Seminar--this year's seminar is 100% online. The seminar is free of charge, but you must register by 5 pm on Oct. 5. Session descriptions and registration form are available on the PHMC website. Two sessions: 10:30-11:45 am and 1:30-2:45 pm.

Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces on Facebook
Oct. 13: Beyond Black Lung: Managing Healthcare and Pandemics in Pennsylvania's Anthracite Region--this online program features presentations and discussions on the history of healthcare in the region from the 19th century to today. Presenters are John Fielding and Sarah Sporko, Anthracite Heritage Museum and Eckley Miners' Village; Sarah Piccini, Lackawanna Historical Society; and Kyla Cools, Univ. of Maryland. Cynthia Drazenovich and Harold Aurand, Penn State Schuylkill, will serve as moderators and commentators, and Anthracite/Eckley site administrator Bode Morin will host the program. Check out the Facebook post for the program for details and Zoom link. 7 pm.

Brandywine Battlefield Park on Facebook

Bushy Run Battlefield on Facebook

Conrad Weiser Homestead on Facebook

Cornwall Iron Furnace on Facebook
Oct. 13: Online Lecture--Craig Benner will present "Roads, Canals, and Trains," an overview of transportation in early America. Site administrator Michael Emery will moderate a brief Q&A session. The program is free (donations appreciated) and will be offered via Zoom (link for registration). 7-8 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead on Facebook

Drake Well Museum and Park on Facebook
Oct. 21: Pithole Person of the Year--a panel of Drake Well staff will explore the people who inhabited the oil boomtown at Pithole, discussing their significance and the roles they played in establishing the short-lived community. This virtual program will include some first-person interpretation. Check back here or follow Drake Well on Facebook for details. 7 pm.

Eckley Miners' Village on Facebook

Ephrata Cloister on Facebook
Oct. 8: Ephrata Academy--this month's program is "'Room Enough for Them All': The People of Lancaster County in the 18th Century." Museum educator Michael Showalter will explore the diversity of early residents, based on tax records, church histories, travel accounts, local histories, and family traditions. The program is free, but you must register to get the Zoom link to watch it live (it will be recorded and available on YouTube later). Check the website for details. 7-8 pm.
Oct. 9-10: Apple Dumpling Sales--this annual event is happening a little differently this year. Achenbach's Bakery is still supplying the apple dumplings, but they'll be available only by pre-order for drive-through pickup. Proceeds benefit the site's educational programming. Check out the Facebook event for details and TicketLeap link (order for whichever day you want to pick them up). Friday pickup, 10 am-3 pm; Saturday, 10 am-2 pm.

Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara on Facebook

Fort Pitt Museum on Facebook

Graeme Park on Facebook

Hope Lodge on Facebook

Joseph Priestley House on Facebook

Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum on Facebook
Through Oct. 5: Online Auction--since this spring's onsite benefit auction had to be canceled, Landis Valley has moved online for this fundraiser that supports the Farm Program and Heirloom Seed Project (animals and gardens need ongoing care even if the site is closed to the public). Online bidding opened Sept. 28 and continues through Oct. 5. Visit the Facebook event for details.

Old Economy Village on Facebook

Pennsbury Manor on Facebook
Oct. 6: Field Trip Orientation--Pennsbury will host a live orientation via Zoom for educators (including parents) interested in learning more about virtual field trips. Contact museum educator Mary Ellyn Kunz, mkunz@pa.gov, to sign up. 7 pm.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum on Facebook

Pennsylvania Military Museum on Facebook
Oct. 10: Virtual Armor Tour--join Mike Siggins for a virtual tour of the tracked vehicles on display at the museum. The program is free (donations appreciated), but you must register to get the Zoom link (registration page). 2-3 pm.
Oct. 11: Online Lecture--Capt. James Bloom, USN, will present "The Evolution of Naval Warfare," exploring three major eras of naval history. Museum director Tyler Gum will moderate and there will be a brief Q&A session. Registration is required to get the Zoom link (registration page). 2-3 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on Facebook
Oct. 3: Model Railroading Day--this year's program will take place online. Ryan Kunkle, director of production for Lionel (and former museum staffer), will tell you what you need in your model railroader's toolkit. Museum volunteer Doug O'Brien will talk about the museum's Pennsylvania Railroad Middle Division HO scale layout and what it takes to maintain this complex display (Doug was honored as Volunteer of the Year several years ago for his work with the Middle Division layout). Tickets are by donation; you must register to get the Zoom link. 1-3:30 pm.
Oct. 13, 20, 27: STEAM on the Rails Virtual Education Program--three days with four 30-minute presentations each day means 12 opportunities for students to learn how STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) affects our everyday lives. In addition to the Railroad Museum, program partners include Anthracite Heritage Museum/Eckley Miners' Village, Cornwall Iron Furnace, Drake Well Museum, and PA Lumber Museum, plus blacksmith Frank Gillespie and Operation Lifesaver. Designed for grades K-6, the program makes use of the industrial history sites on the PA Trails of History to tell a broad story. Registration is by donation and entitles you to all 12 presentations. The Facebook event has the registration link and session times.

Somerset Historical Center on Facebook

The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Facebook
Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23: Virtual Workshops in Archaeology--in lieu of the annual Workshops in Archaeology, the museum's Archaeology Section will present a speaker series focused on "The Delaware Indians: Then and Now." The series is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (Facebook event has details. Noon-1 pm.

Washington Crossing Historic Park (DCNR) on Facebook