Watch This!

Shop for all kinds of heirloom varieties at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum today and Saturday (photo via LVVFM Facebook page)

Over the past month or so, I've run across some Trails of History videos that I'd like to share. But first, I want to be sure you know about our PA History 2 Go project, which was funded through an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) federal grant under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The series includes all Trails of History sites and provides overviews of site history and visitor experiences at each. The videos can help you prepare for an in-person visit or experience a site that isn't convenient for you. You'll find links to all the videos on PHMC's PA History 2 Go page.

You may (depending on how "online" you are) have seen a trend of people doing videos in the style of filmmaker Wes Anderson (Grand Hotel Budapest, The Life Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums and many others). At Old Economy Village, they got in on the trend.



On a very different note, the Railroad Museum of PA posted a time lapse video of their recent Rails & Ales craft beer event. Whether you're curious about this specific event or want a behind-the-scenes view of the work involved in an event like this from set-up to tear-down, you may enjoy this.



The exhibits at Drake Well Museum & Park were featured in an episode of WQLN's Chronicles series earlier this year, Pithole City: The Ghost of America's Black Gold, Part I. Drake Well curator Susan Beates shares her considerable knowledge of Pithole, as well as images and objects from Drake Well's collection. The Visitor Center at Historic Pithole City is open on Saturdays and Sundays from June through August.

Up Next

Today, May 12

• Herb & Garden Faire (in-person); Friday and Saturday, 9 am-5 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• The Faire, featuring plants from Landis Valley Museum’s Heirloom Seed Project, will also offer heirlooms, natives, and other hard-to-find varieties to purchase from vendors spread out over the historic village area of the site. The 2023 Herb & Garden Faire is the 35th year of this high-profile regional event. Food and drink will be available onsite. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online (Herb & Garden Faire online tickets).

Saturday, May 13

• Mapping Mammal Hall (in-person); 10 am-Noon; The State Museum of PA
• Did you know that the dioramas in Mammal Hall are based on real locations in Pennsylvania? Locate each of these spots on the giant map of Pennsylvania and discover some interesting facts about our state mammals. Included in regular admission (Mammal Hall program info).

• Mother's Day Weekend Celebration (in-person); 10 am-3 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Learn about the roles of women in the American Revolution and try some hands-on activities, see the colonial cook at work, and make a craft. Included in regular admission (Brandywine Mother's Day program info).

• Book Talk & Signing (in-person); 1-2 pm; PA Lumber Museum
• Robert Lynn Steiner will talk about his book, River Boots: A Fish Warden's Tales of Pennsylvania Fish and Game Law Enforcement. Steiner worked for the PA Fish and Boat Commission for a quarter century. Copies of the book will be available for purchase in the museum shop and can be signed after the talk (PLM Book Talk info).

Sunday, May 14

• Mother's Day Breakfast and Cake Walk (in-person); 10 am-Noon; Graeme Park
• Treat Mom to a Mother’s Day breakfast in the large event tent at Graeme Park! After your meal, enjoy a tour of the Keith House or participate in our cake walk (separate $10 ticket to be sold on site) to win a cake to take home with you. Tickets must be purchased in advance (tickets for Graeme Park Mother's Day breakfast).

• Living History Theater (in-person); 1-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• As the Lady of the Manor, Hannah Penn tended to everyone when they were sick, including her husband. Come and talk with Hannah and the people at Pennsbury about their experiences being ill and the remedies that where available. Included in regular admission (Living History Theater info).

Tuesday, May 16

• Sensory Hours (in-person); 9-11 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Light, sound, and crowd levels will be lower, and there will be some quiet spaces in the galleries to take a break. Several historic trains will be open with staff on hand to answer questions. Advance tickets required (May 16 Sensory Hours tickets).

• PHMC Archival Grant Webinars (virtual); 10 am; PA State Archives
• Learn more about the Historical and Archival Records Care (HARC) grant program, determine your eligibility, and get suggestions for a successful application. Webinars are free, but you must register to receive the link (register for May 16 webinar).

Wednesday, May 17

• History Speaks Series (in-person); 7-8:30 pm; Bushy Run Battlefield
• Wayne Marshall will present "Beer Making through the Ages" followed by a question and answer session. He will discuss the history of beer, ingredients used, and the process involved (History Speaks tickets via Eventbrite).

Friday, May 19

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Lindsay A. Byron, environmental group manager for the Department of Environmental Protection, will talk about climate projections for Pennsylvania, the impacts of those changes for the Commonwealth and its residents, and the action being taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency. Program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Learn at Lunchtime registration).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• PHMC Archival Grant Webinars (virtual); Thursday, May 25, 2 pm; PA State Archives
• Learn more about the Historical and Archival Records Care (HARC) grant program, determine your eligibility, and get suggestions for a successful application. Webinars are free, but you must register to receive the link (register for May 25 webinar).

• Behind the Scenes Tour (in-person); Thursday, May 25, 6-9 pm; Old Economy Village
• Explore attics and basements of Harmonist buildings and visit collections storage areas during this behind-the-scenes peek. Light hors-d'oeuvres will be served after the tour. Space is limited. Contact Sarah Buffington (sbuffingto@pa.gov) to register.

• Ales & Petals/Cars & Motorcycles of England Car Show (in-person); Saturday, June 3, 10 am-4 pm; Hope Lodge
• Enjoy food, live music and craft beers (age 21+ with valid ID) for a tour of one of the largest British motoring shows on the East Coast with over 250 classic British cars and motorcycles. This event will also feature tours of the Hope Lodge mansion and celebration of 275th anniversary. Admission is $10 (Hope Lodge event info and ticket link).

• Brews at the Battlefield (in-person); Saturday, June 17, 5-8 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Taste beers from local and regional breweries, listen to music, and enjoy food from Burgers by Wildwich (separate purchase from event tickets). You must be at least age 21 to attend, and photo ID will be required at the door. All tickets must be purchased in advance; designated driver tickets available (Brews at the Battlefield tickets).

• OEV Music Weekend (in-person); Saturday and Sunday, June 17-18, Noon-8 pm both days; Old Economy Village
• Enjoy a wide array of bands at a beautiful historic site. Event is rain or shine (will move indoors if the weather is bad); bring chairs and blankets for outdoor seating. There will be a variety of food trucks onsite (separate purchase). Advance tickets only; choose one day or the whole weekend (OEV Music Weekend line-up and tickets).

• Brews & Bites (in-person); Saturday, June 24, 4-8 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• This event features local breweries, live music, food trucks, 17th-century brewing demonstrations and more, in a lovely setting along the Delaware River. Must be at least 21 years old to attend (photo ID required at the door). Tickets are limited; advance purchase recommended (Brews & Bites tickets).

Summer Camp Programs (camps are in-person unless marked otherwise)

• Brandywine Battlefield Park (Brandywine camp info)
• Live the Battle Week (grades 3-4), June 27-30, 9 am-2 pm
• Step Into the Past Week (grades 3-4), July 11-14, 9 am-2 pm
• Live the Battle Week (grades 5-6), July 18-21, 9 am-2 pm
• Step Into the Past Week (grades 5-6), July 25-28, 9 am-2 pm

• Bushy Run Battlefield (Bushy Run camp info)
• Colonial Life (grades 1-5), June 19-21, 10 am-3 pm

• Drake Well Museum & Park (Drake Well camp info)
• Discovery Days Camp (ages 8-12), July 6, 13, 20 & 27, 9 am-4 pm

• Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum (LVVFM camp info)
• A Child's Life in the Civil War (ages 5-11), July 18-21, 9 am-12:30 pm

• Old Economy Village (OEV camp info)
• July 17-21, Summer History Camp (ages 6-12), 9 am-Noon, and Summer Art Camp (ages 6-12), 12:30-3:30 pm
• July 24-28, Summer Art Camp (ages 6-12), 9 am-Noon, and Summer History Camp (ages 6-12), 12:30-3:30 pm

• Pennsbury Manor (Pennsbury camp info)
• Colonial Camp Week (ages 6-8), July 17-21, 9 am-4 pm

• PA Lumber Museum (Lumber Museum camp info)
• History Camp (ages 10-18), August 4-5, 9 am-2 pm

• Railroad Museum of PA (RMP camp info)
• Barons & Builders Summer Day Camp (ages 9-10), July 11-14
• SOLD OUT Barons & Builders Summer Day Camp (ages 11-12), July 25-28

Trailheads on Hiatus

Fall colors are starting to show in the Rapp House Garden at Old Economy Village (via OEV Facebook page)

Trailheads is on a short break and will return with fresh posts starting Oct. 21.

Please note that most Trails of History sites will be closed for the holiday on October 10.

The list below was accurate as of late September, but as you know, things can change. Please check with sites via website or social media to be sure of details and ticket availability.

Up Next

Friday, October 7

• Apple Dumpling Sales (in-person); Friday & Saturday, times vary; Ephrata Cloister
• Purchase delicious locally made apple dumplings and support the Back to the Cloister Fund. Dumplings are $5 each; in-person sales are Friday from 10 am to 3 pm and Saturday from 9 am until dumplings are sold out. Prepaid orders of 10 or more dumplings can be placed online for pickup at the site, and delivery is available within 10 miles of Ephrata Cloister for orders of 20 or more dumplings (Ephrata website for details).

• StoryTime (in-person); 10:30-11:30 am; The State Museum of PA
• Read Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton and learn how scientists get fossils to a museum, then make an imprint fossil to take home. For kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission. Please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (StoryTime info).

Saturday, October 8

• Fall Antique Show & Sawmill Run (in-person); Saturday & Sunday, 9 am-5 pm; PA Lumber Museum
• A selection of historic trade demonstrations, including a run of the museum's birch still, will take place both days. On Saturday only, the museum's recreated 19th-century steam-powered circular sawmill will be operating. Vendors will be on hand with a variety of wares, and food and drink will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youth (Antique Show & Sawmill Run info).

• Harvest Days (in-person); Saturday & Sunday, 11 am-5 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Demonstrations, exhibits, live music, and activities, as well as horse-drawn wagon rides and a children's discovery tent. Taste heirloom varieties of apples, watch wool go from sheep to shawl, pick and decorate your own pumpkin. Admission charged (Harvest Days info).

• Battle of Huertgen Forest (in-person); 2-3:30 pm; PA Military Museum
• Maj. Gen. John Gronski (retired) will present "The Battle of Huertgen Forest: The Attack on Schmidt" using primary source research and his perspective as a former combat commander. The lecture is free; donations appreciated. Seating is first come, first served (Huertgen Forest lecture info).

• Haunted History Hayride (in-person); 7-10 pm; Bushy Run Battlefield
• Visitors will tour the battlefield on hay wagons, with stops along the way where reenactors portray 18th-century characters. There may be ghosts and goblins lurking, so this tour may be too scary for children under the age of 4. Admission is $10 for age 13 and up, $5 for age 4-12, and includes entry to the Visitor Center and Museum; concessions will be available in the Stone Room. Rain date for this event is Oct. 22; in the event of inclement weather on the 22nd, there will be a Haunted History Tour through the museum (Haunted Hayride tickets).

Sunday, October 9

• Living History Theatre (in-person); noon-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• You are invited to witness the marriage of John Sotcher, Pennsbury's steward, and Mary Lofty, the Penns' housekeeper. Observe the late 17th-century Quaker customs, sign the wedding certificate, and chat with wedding guests. Presented at 12:15, 1:45, and 3:15. Included in regular admission (Living History Theatre info).

• Garden Railway Tours (in-person); 1-5 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• Enjoy a self-guided tour of operating model trains in various outdoor and garden settings at 7 stops around Lancaster County. Masking and social distancing may be required or requested a venues. Tickets are $10 for ages 6 and up, available only via Eventbrite. Location info will be sent after you purchase your ticket (Garden Railway Tour tickets).

Tuesday, October 11

• The Farms of the Gettysburg Battlefield (virtual); 7-8 pm; Cornwall Iron Furnace
• Tom Lehman will explore the stories of civilians in and around Gettysburg and how their lives were changed the Civil War battle on their doorsteps. Site administrator Mike Emery will moderate a brief discussion. The program is free, but you must register to receive the link (Gettysburg lecture registration).

Wednesday, October 12

• Lunch & Learn (in-person); 10 am-2 pm; Graeme Park
• Jim Miller, retired professor of biology at Delaware Valley Univ., will present "Typhoid Mary, Irish Immigrant," exploring the misunderstood history of Mary Mallon and the social policies that resulted from the typhoid outbreak. Cost is $35 per person, which includes continental breakfast, lecture, lunch, and a tour of the Keith House (Lunch & Learn tickets).

• Sensory Friendly Visit (in-person); 10 am-3 pm; PA Military Museum
• Background sound effects in the gallery will be turned off and volume on the orientation video will be reduced (captions always enabled). Standard admission rates apply. Register in advance for a timeslot; you can pay when you arrive (visit PMM website and select Oct. 12 on calendar).

• Life Through Time Gallery Tour (in-person); 1:30-2:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Museum educators will be on hand to help visitors learn about life on Earth from the Pre-Cambrian to the present. The program is geared for adults and is included in regular admission. Please check in at the Ground Floor Info Desk to confirm tour start location (Life Through Time tour info).

Thursday, October 13

• Curiosity Kids (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Learn about colors and shapes in Fall leaves, the difference between evergreen and decidious trees, and different types of trees found in PA. For kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission. Space is limited, so please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info).

Friday, October 14

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual); 12:15-12:45 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Maria Gorgo-Gourovitch, Penn State Extension educator, will talk about the history of mushroom farms in PA, their economic impact, current production data, crop production cycle, sustainability, and nutrition facts. The program is free, but you must register to get the link (Learn at Lunchtime registration).

Saturday, October 15

• Great Pumpkin (in-person); 10 am-1 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Come dressed as your favorite animal, superhero, ghost, or museum icon (if you want to) and play holiday games, make crafts, and more. Included in regular admission. Limited timed tickets will be available at the front desk for Curiosity Connection, and Planetarium tickets will be $3 (Great Pumpkin info).

• Architecture Day (in-person); 10 am-4 pm; Ephrata Cloister
• Special tours highlighting distinctive architectural features, an exhibit on the site's restoration, and limited tours of the unrestored upper floors of the Sisters' House (Saron). Check the website for updates on admission fees and registration (Architecture Day info).

• Patriots Day (in-person); 11 am-3 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Rev War era military and civilian reenactors will be on site, there will be colonial trades and cooking demonstrations, and tours of the Ring House and Gilpin House will be offered. Tickets are $12 for adults (age 12+), $10 for seniors/AAA/AARP, $8 for youth age 3-11 (Patriots Day info).

• George "Nessmuk" Sears Documentary (in-person); 1-3 pm; PA Lumber Museum
• The museum will screen the documentary Nessmuk: In Defense of Nature in the Pennsylvania Wilds, which explores the life and ideas of outdoorsman and early conservationist George "Nessmuk" Sers. Writer, director, and producer Gale Langley will be on hand to introduce the film and answer questions after the screening (Nessmuk documentary info).

• Mapping Technology Goes to War (in-person); 2-3:30 pm; PA Military Museum
• Dr. Fritz Kessler, PSU Geography Dept., will present a lecture about mapping technology and its use in combat, drawing on examples such as GIS, cartography, remote sensing, GPS, and coordinate systems. The lecture is free; donations appreciated (Mapping lecture info).

• Bonfire Fall Festival (in-person); 6-10 pm; Scranton Iron Furnaces
• Please check the Scranton Iron Furnaces Facebook page for details and updates.

Sunday, October 16

• Sensory Friendly Visit (in-person); 10 am-noon; PA Military Museum
• Background sound effects in the gallery will be turned off and volume on the orientation video will be reduced (captions always enabled). Standard admission rates apply. Register in advance for a timeslot; you can pay when you arrive (visit PMM website and select Oct. 16).

• Open Hearth Cooking Demo (in-person); 1-4 pm; Pennsbury Manor
• The cooks will prepare and present a complete seasonal dinner as it would have been served to William Penn. Included in regular admission (Open Hearth Cooking info).

Tuesday, October 18

• Sensory Hours (in-person); 9-11 am; Railroad Museum of PA
• Reduced noise, light, and attendance plus quiet spaces when you want a break. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about several of the historic trains open for visitors. Advance tickets required (RMP Sensory Hours Oct. 18 tickets).

• Revolutionary Speaker Series (in-person); 7-9 pm; Brandywine Battlefield Park
• Historian, author, and teacher Michael C. Harris will present "Germantown: A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia," which occurred on October 4, 1777. Tickets are $20 (Rev Speaker Series info and tickets).

Wednesday, October 19

• Explore! (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• Learn about artifacts from the archaeological dig at Fort Hunter and what they tell us about hundreds of years of occupation at the site. For kids in grades 3-5 and included in regular admission. Space is limited, so please sign up at the Ground Floor Info Desk (Explore! info).

Thursday, October 20

• Family Gallery Tour: Transportation (in-person); 11:30 am-12:30 pm; The State Museum of PA
• This family-friendly tour looks at transportation changes throughout PA's history. Included in regular admission (Transportation Gallery Tour info).

Friday, October 21

• SOLD OUT Harvest, Death & Renewal (in-person); 6:30-8:30 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• This program explores traditions of the PA Germans, including funeral and burial customs, powwowing, healing, and hexes. Recommended for adults and older teens, the event involves two hours of walking around a cemetery and the Museum grounds. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and shoes and bring a flashlight. Tickets are $28 per person; reservations are required (Harvest, Death & Renewal info and tickets).

• Haunted Lantern Tours (in-person); 7-10 pm; Graeme Park
• Tour the Keith House by lantern light and learn the ghost stories. Tours last approximately 40 minutes. Tickets are available online at $10, with option for a mini-paranormal investigation for an additional $15. Event also takes place Oct. 28 (Graeme Park Lantern Tours info and tickets).

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Halloween Lantern Tours (in-person); Saturday, Oct. 22, 6:30-9:30 pm; Hope Lodge
• This immersive tour investigates a claim of witchcraft, which was outlawed in Pennsylvania from 1718 until the 1750s. Tours are outdoors, rain or shine, and are recommended for ages 7 and up. Please be prepared for uneven ground and bring a flashlight. Tours will be limited to 10 guests at a time and will run every half hour from 6:30 to 9:30 (Hope Lodge Lantern Tours info and tickets).

• Quarterly Lecture Series (in-person); Thursday, Oct. 27, 7-9 pm; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
• Site administrator David Blackburn will present "Memorializing Martin Luther in his Hometown," exploring a brief history of Wittenberg, Germany, and the way the complex story of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation are shared with the public. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (free for members), and are available online (Landis Valley lecture info and tickets).

• Workshops in Archaeology (in-person); Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 am-5 pm; The State Museum of PA
• This year's program centers around archaeology as a tool for discovering a pathway to the past. Sessions include Indigenous pathways, the Underground Railroad, and African American Civilian Conservation Corps camps. There will also be presentations on flintknapping and the Cultural Resources Geographic Information System (CRGIS). Early bird registration by Oct. 24 is $25 with an option to pre-order a bagged lunch; discounts for students and members of PA Heritage Foundation, Soc. for PA Archaeology, and PA Archaeological Council (Workshop info and registration).

• 1940s Swing Dance (in-person); Saturday, Nov. 5, 7-10 pm; Railroad Museum of PA
• The Moonlighters big band will play live among the historic trains. Dress in vintage 1940s attire, military uniform, or modern party clothes. Light refreshments will be served. Advance tickets available online and highly recommended; a limited number of tickets will be sold at the door (Swing Dance tickets).

Museum Selfie Day 2022

Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums curator Rachel takes a selfie to document some exhibit upgrades at the Erie Maritime Museum

As mentioned in last week's post, January 19 was Museum Selfie Day. Folks on the Trails of History took the opportunity to show the variety of exhibits and spaces we take care of and the settings for many of our sites. January is usually pretty quiet, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of activity behind the scenes. Here are just a few of the images that were posted. Visit each site's Facebook page to see more selfies. Also, since they are closed during the week this time of year, Bushy Run Battlefield has declared this Saturday and Sunday "Museum Selfie Days" (see below for info).

Old Economy Village curator Sarah with the elk from the recreated Harmonist museum in the Feast Hall building (photo via OEV Facebook page)

Drake Well Museum & Park's communications coordinator Heather snapped this selfie on a walk around the grounds (photo via DWM's Facebook page)

Cornwall Iron Furnace site administrator Mike took this selfie while he was clearing snow in the museum's parking lot (photo via Cornwall Facebook page)

Jeni, chief of education and outreach at The State Museum of PA, with a brown bear specimen on display in the main hallway of the museum's ground floor (photo via SMP Facebook page)

Up Next

Saturday, January 22

• Winter in the Lumber Camp (in-person): outdoor winter fun with sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and (conditions permitting) ice skating; Pennsylvania Lumber Museum; 10 am-3 pm (Winter in the Lumber Camp info)
• Museum Selfie Days (in-person): today and tomorrow tag your on-site selfies with #SelfieDay and #BushyRun; Bushy Run Battlefield; 10 am-4 pm (Museum Selfie Days info)
• StoryTime (in-person): read "The Mitten" by Jan Brett and learn about Pennsylvania animals in the winter; The State Museum of PA; 10:30-11:30 am; for kids age 2 to pre-K and included in regular admission (StoryTime info)
• Annual Knox Mine Disaster Commemoration (in-person and virtual): an afternoon of art, music, and history to mark the 63rd anniversary; Anthracite Heritage Museum; noon-3:30 pm (museum opens at noon, there's an exhibit opening at 1, and the main program starts at 2); this event will be held in-person at the museum and also livestreamed on Facebook (Knox Mine Disaster program info)

Tuesday, January 25

• Sensory Hours (in-person): museum lighting, sounds, and activity will be at lower levels, and there will be several quiet spaces created in the galleries; Railroad Museum of PA; 3-5 pm; cost is $7 for age 3 and up; advance tickets are required (Sensory Hours info and tickets)

Wednesday, January 26

• Family Gallery Tour of Mammal Hall (in-person): museum educators will use hands-on objects to help families explore Mammal Hall's dioramas; The State Museum of PA; 11:30 am-12:30 pm; included in regular admission (Gallery Tour info)
• PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (virtual): tonight's theme is Trades & Jobs, panelists will present their objects and the audience will vote on the best fit; 7-8 pm; the program is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (Collections Showcase registration)

Thursday, January 27

• Curiosity Kids (in-person): learn about the development of flight in Pennsylvania and the state aircraft, the Piper Cub; The State Museum of PA; 11:30 am-12:30 pm; for kids in grades K-2 and included in regular admission, be sure to register at the Ground Floor Info Desk when you arrive (Curiosity Kids info)
• Virtual Program Series: tonight's program features Peter Wentz Farmstead, a historic PA German farm in Montgomery County; Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum; 7-8 pm; the program is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (Virtual Program Series info and registration)

Friday, January 28

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual): archaeology curator Janet Johnson will talk about an artifact of Rev War-era naval defenses recovered from the Delaware River in 2012; The State Museum of PA; 12:15-12:45 pm; the event is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link (Learn at Lunchtime info and registration)

Advance Tickets or Registrations

• Ephrata Cloister's popular Winter History Class will be hybrid this year (with limited in-person spots), running Thursday mornings from Feb. 3 through the end of March. Watch this space or keep an eye on Ephrata Cloister's website for details and registration.
• Winter Academy virtual programs will be offered by Drake Well Museum & Park on Feb. 10 and 17 (Drake Well Virtual Academy info)
• Rails and Ales: enjoy an evening of craft beer among the museum's historic trains at the Railroad Museum of PA, April 9, 5:30-9 pm; must be 21 or older to attend; variety of ticket options (VIP tickets are sold out), including designated driver tickets (Rails and Ales tickets)

Bring on 2021!

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings, available whenever you need a taste of the Trails of History.

This will be the last Trailheads post for 2020, as we take a little break until after the new year. However you're celebrating in the coming week, I hope that you are safe, warm, have plenty of good food, and get to spend time with people you love, be it in person or remotely. As we wave goodbye to this unexpectedly awful year, I want to thank my colleagues for their inspiring and resilient work to keep history alive and well and in front of the public. And as we ring in 2021 with as much optimism as we can muster, I hope that we will soon be welcoming people back on site in person, while continuing to use all these new skills. Watch for news of new virtual events and tours coming in 2021.

Speaking of virtual programs, PHMC's first Virtual Collections Showcase went off without a hitch this past Saturday. Hosted by Josh Roth, site administrator at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, the program featured presentations by staff at Eckley Miners' Village, Old Economy Village, Pennsbury Manor, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, and Pennsylvania Military Museum. Each site chose an object from their collection to illustrate this month's theme, food, and had five minutes to highlight their choice.

Screenshot of Eckley Miners' Village still with gallery of presenters

Objects included a homemade still, cookie cutters, a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (living collections are part of what we do), a 1941 Christmas dinner menu from the Civilian Conservation Corps, and military rations. Several presenters shared recipes (check out boilo, gingerbread cookie, and pumpkin pie recipes, plus some bonus material). We had some lively back and forth among the staff, answering audience questions and building on each other's presentations. Near the end of the showcase, audience members had a chance to vote on their favorite object via a Zoom poll. The Eckley Miners' Village still and the Pennsylvania Military Museum's rations tied for first place and will share the PHMC championship belt until the next showcase.

We recorded the program and hope to have it available soon on PHMC's YouTube channel. We plan to offer these programs monthly and are finalizing plans for January. Keep an eye on the PHMC Calendar of Events for details.

You thought I was joking about the championship belt, didn't you? Kudos to Josh Roth.

Christmas Programming

There's still time to get your tickets for "Witness to History," this year's online version of Ephrata Cloister's popular Lantern Tours. Student historians will fill the roles of residents and field reporters on scene of the Revolutionary War hospital at Ephrata in the winter of 1777-78. WGAL 8's Jere Gish will anchor the broadcast, and there may be some breaking news. The program premieres Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7 pm, but ticketholders will have access to the recording until the end of the month. Purchase tickets via Ticketleap for $10 per viewing screen.

Pennsbury Manor has been counting down to Christmas on its Facebook page by exploring the "history of Christmas in William Penn's life and legacy." You can learn about how Chrismas was (and wasn't) celebrated in the 17th-century. You can also enjoy some modern celebration, such as this Christmas greeting from the Pennsbury Manor stables.

Selected Greetings from the Pennsylvania Trails of History

Starting today everyday has a little bit more of Light!

Posted by Conrad Weiser Homestead on Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Christmas is right around the corner. This is a piece from the Landis Family Collection....

Posted by Landis Valley Museum on Monday, December 21, 2020

It’s a silent night at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. https://rrmuseumpa.org @rrmuseumpa #rrmuseumofpa...

Posted by Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on Thursday, December 24, 2020

From the Museum Educator: For my final post of 2020, I share with you a photograph I took of one of the front doors of...

Posted by Old Economy Village on Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Click here to watch the videos and to see other great videos! https://www.youtube.com/c/LandisValleyVillageFarmMuseum/videos

Posted by Landis Valley Museum on Wednesday, December 23, 2020

These are just a few of the friendly faces you might see at Historic Hope Lodge. As an all volunteer nonprofit...

Posted by Historic Hope Lodge on Monday, December 21, 2020

Throwback Thursday features Christmas Past at the Homestead! Most of our current traditions can be traced directly to...

Posted by Daniel Boone Homestead on Thursday, December 24, 2020

Wrapping Up the Month of June

Please check the June program page for info on virtual programs happening this weekend, including Pennsbury Manor's online version of their popular Brews & Bites food and beverage event. The July program page is also available, with a preview of online programs, including virtual summer camp programs at Erie Maritime Museum and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Looking for other at-home activities? Visit the Trailheads Rec Room for ideas (links are to the right of your screen).

The Manor House at Pennsbury (left) with outbuildings (photo via Facebook, credit Leah Jeffers)

Last Friday's post shared info on numerous programs and activities scheduled to mark Juneteenth 2020. Pennsbury Manor partnered with the African American Museum of Bucks County to present an online program focused on the history of Juneteenth, the Emancipation Proclamation, and interpreting the stories of enslaved people at Pennsbury in the 17th and 18th centuries. If you missed it, the recording is available on Pennsbury's Facebook page.

Screenshot of performer and playwright Marissa Kennedy, who explained and presented a first-person interpretation of Susannah Warder, an enslaved woman born and raised at Pennsbury during the Juneteenth virtual program.

If you're interested in learning more about the history of slavery in colonial Pennsylvania, Graeme Park shared their research in a series of posts on Friday (first post is below - check Graeme Park's Facebook page for the additional posts).



June is Pride Month, and recently the PA Trails of History Facebook page shared a 2019 post from the State Historic Preservation blog looking at the history of the Stonewall Uprising (last year was the 50th anniversary), the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Pennsylvania, and several Pennsylvania sites associated with LGBTQ+ history (read the blog post). Readers might also be interested in a new book, Out in Central Pennsylvania: The History of an LGBTQ Community, by William Burton with Barry Loveland (our former PHMC colleague). The book was published by Penn State University Press, but check with the LGBT Center of Central PA for a copy.

Text reads: Hidden Knowledge at Ephrata. Special thanks to Dr. Jeff Bach for his assistance in preparing this virtual exhibit (photo via Facebook)

The staff at Ephrata Cloister have launched Hidden Knowledge at Ephrata, a new virtual exhibit exploring the multifaceted religious world view of the Ephrata community. It includes numerous sources of knowledge and philosophy and shares their impact on the belief systems of the Conrad Beissel and those who followed him. You can find the exhibit on Ephrata Cloister's website (link to exhibit).

As part of their deeper dives into Harmonist history, Old Economy Village staff recently shared a series of posts exploring literary figures who wrote about the Harmonists. While first debunking an old story that Charles Dickens had visited Economy during his American travels, they shared literary works and letters from Rudyard Kipling, Lord Byron, and Nikolaus Niembsch von Strehlenau (an Austrian poet). The Dickens post is below; visit Old Economy's Facebook page to see the others.

It's Not All Fun and Games

There is a lot still to be determined about what the next months will look like on the Trails of History. Governor Wolf's phased plan to ease the stay-at-home orders officially kicks in next Friday, although some recreational and construction activities start to open up today. We'll do our best to keep you posted on site schedules. The May program page lists no programs at this point, but it does contain a full list of links to Trails of History Facebook pages so that you can continue to enjoy our online offerings and get the latest info on reopening plans.

Some Trails of History sites are participating in an event called "Giving Tuesday Now" on May 5, which is an adjunct to the annual Giving Tuesday event the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. If you're able, this might be a great time to help your favorite Trails of History site with a donation.

So you're telling me it's May already? Wild. March went on forever, but April whizzed past me. I hope everyone out there is doing okay. As we've been noting over the past weeks, sites and museums on the Trails of History have stepped up on social media to provide entertainment and behind-the-scenes experiences during this very difficult time. I've shared samples of some of those social media offerings (see last week's post, for example).

To help myself keep track and to help show how much is going on, I've created "Trailheads Rec Room," which lives on the sidebar to the right of your screen in the "About Us" section. In the Rec Room you'll find a link for "Coloring Pages and Games," one for "Crafts and Activities" (be sure to check out the Morse Code posts between Erie Maritime Museum, PA Military Museum, and Railroad Museum of PA), and a third for "Jigsaw Puzzles and BINGO." The BINGO page includes three Trails of History bingo cards that you might want to take a look at, in addition to Bushy Run Battlefield's Bingo card. In coming weeks, my plan is to add a page for "Videos and Virtual Tours."

In addition to all this, many sites have also shared posts that delved into relevant historical themes and connected to our current concerns and situations. Here are some of my favorites.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum provided a little something for those of us who miss baseball

Joseph Priestley House helped focus attention on scientists with a series of #SundayScientist posts

Graeme Park shared info about epidemics and quarantines in colonial Philadelphia

Pennsylvania Military Museum's blog has posted lots of military history topics, including an exploration of Metallica lyrics

Pennsbury Manor provided historical insights on Passover, Easter, and Ramadan traditions

And Drake Well Museum & Park started a conversation about oil prices

National Volunteer Week 2020, #MuseumSunshine, and Earth Day

PHMC's offices and Trails of History sites are currently closed to the public through May 8. Governor Wolf has announced a phased reopening plan; as we learn more about how the Trails of History sites fit that plan, we will keep you posted. The best way to stay up-to-date on site activities and plans is via social media. The April program page has a list of Facebook links for each site; you can find their other social media platforms that way. For up-to-date information on Pennsylvania's response to COVID-19, please visit the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health website.

It has been a busy week on social media for Pennsylvania Trails of History sites. I'm trying my best to keep up with all the activity, but it's impossible. I'm providing a few examples below, but to really get the full picture you'll be best served by following Pennsylvania Trails of History and/or your favorite sites on Facebook (try 'em all - their Facebook links are on the April program page).

National Volunteer Week 2020

Part of the graphic design of PHMC's Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony booklet (design by Lauren Bennett)

In last week's post, we gave you info on this year's PHMC Outstanding Service Award recipients and the Volunteer of the Year honorees for the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania State Archives. We had planned to celebrate with our honorees in person, but well, you know. We still hope to reschedule that event. As is true for much of what we're doing on the Trails of History right now, we managed lots of online "thank you" posts. As National Volunteer Week draws to a close, here are a few examples (you can find many more on the Facebook pages of our Trails of History sites - links are on the April program page).



PHMC's executive director, Andrea Lowery, (above) provided a heartfelt #ThankYouFromHome to all of our honorees, which PHMC's digital director posted to the Pennsylvania Trails of History Facebook page. Video "thank yous" were also recorded by Brenda Reigle, director of the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums (her video); Beth Hager, director of The State Museum of Pennsylvania (her video); and David Carmicheal, director of the Pennsylvania State Archives (his video).

Other sites posting "thank you" videos included Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara (for Outstanding Service Award winners Jack (in memoriam) and Maxine Gold, and the museum's co-honorees for Volunteer of the Year), Drake Well Museum and Park, and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

#MuseumSunshine

On Tuesday, April 21, museum social media accounts were bright and shiny, sharing artwork, objects, and images evoking sunlight. As you can see above, Bushy Run Battlefield took part with an array of images from the site. Daniel Boone Homestead posted a sunny shot of budding spring greenery, and Ephrata Cloister highlighted images of the sun in two fraktur letters in the Christian ABC book in their collection.

Earth Day

Wednesday, April 22, was the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Although the need for distancing certainly torpedoed lots of plans for events to mark the day, social media proved to be up to the challenge of keeping it on people's minds. Pennsbury Manor (above) shared a beautiful photo of a blossoming apple tree in their garden (noting that their tree is a descendant of Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree - you think you know a site). The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum's Facebook cover photo proclaimed that "Every Day is Earth Day," and the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum posted photos and info noting that the museum was built as part of a mine reclamation project - the before and after photos are striking.

Week 3 (I Think)

For information on PHMC's response to COVID-19, please see the April program page, which also has links to Trails of History sites' Facebook pages. The March program page has link to Trails of History websites.

So this is week 3 of PHMC's Trails of History sites being closed to the public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. I hope this finds all our Trailheads readers doing well, safely at home if at all possible. I know I speak for all of us when I say "thank you" to those who are not able to stay home.
Our March 27 post. "A Glimpse Into Our Collections," featured early 20th-century badminton and croquet equipment in the collection at Hope Lodge. Earlier this week, we added an embedded Facebook post from Hope Lodge with photos of the site during the same time period. Worth checking out and/or revisiting.

On March 20, "The New Normal (for Now)," provided a preliminary look at how Trails of History sites were responding on social media (not to mention images of my home "office" location, which has migrated now). Below are a few examples of what's developed in the past week or so (check the April program page for a list of Trails of History sites with links to their Facebook pages.)

Ephrata Cloister posted about its well-known fraktur alphabet, included a downloadable frame, and invited readers to do their own sketch and submit it for an online exhibit.


Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara and the Flagship Niagara League, following up on their Maritime Art Challenge, launched (ahem) a Lego boat building challenge.




The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania posted a 5-minute video that includes photos documenting the history of the museum as well as glimpses of the newest exhibits and additions.


Old Economy Village posted a link to their cellphone tour so that visitors can enjoy a virtual ramble around the site (they have also posted a call for volunteers to help with a data entry project and footage of early-to-mid 20th-century reunions of descendants of workers and members of the community - great for students of Harmonist history or 20th-century fashions).


Joseph Priestley House posted about JoAnne Stubbe, winner of the 2020 Priestley Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Chemical Society (the photo shows Stubbe receiving the 2008 National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama).


And Drake Well Museum and Park has morphed their 2020 Lecture Series onto Facebook, so viewers can enjoy their favorite beverages and snacks while they learn about a variety of interesting topics.

A Glimpse Into Our Collections

We received word yesterday, March 26, on March 30 that all PHMC offices and facilities will remain closed to the public through Friday, April 3 Thursday, April 30. All programs and events are canceled through the end of April, but schedule changes will likely continue for programs in May and beyond. We will update schedule info as we are able. For ongoing updates, visit PHMC's homepage or the official Commonwealth of PA COVID-19 info page.

During this time, staff are taking care of buildings, grounds, and animals or teleworking on site projects and providing digital access to our history and collections. PHMC's Facebook page, Pennsylvania Trails of History, is a good place to start looking for resources to #LearnInPlace or #MuseumFromHome. If you're not already following your favorite site on Facebook, drop me a note in the comments and I'll send you a link.

So while we're here, how about a little of that historical content? In this week's post, curator Rachel Yerger, one of my colleagues in the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums, highlights some of our "outdoor recreational collections that also promote responsible social distancing."

Historic Hope Lodge, located in Montgomery County, PA (photo via Facebook)

First up is a 1940s badminton set catalogued to the Degn Collection at Historic Hope Lodge. Hope Lodge, built between 1743 and 1748, is located in Montgomery County and is a prime example of Georgian architecture. The house was saved from demolition in 1922 by William and Alice Degn, who restored and lived at Hope Lodge until 1957, when the property was turned over to the state. (You can read more about Hope Lodge's two time periods on the website. Update 3/30: you can read about Susanna Heath Morris, mother of original owner Samuel Morris, on the Hope Lodge Facebook page. UPDATE 3/31: Be sure to see the embedded post from Hope Lodge at the bottom of this post with photos from the Degn period of residency.)

Top photo: remnants of two badminton shuttlecocks (HL76.1.1409 G-H)
Bottom photo: badminton rackets are measured and photographed as part of the cataloguing process (HL76.1.1409 A-F)

The game of badminton likely evolved from games played in ancient Europe and Asia. What we know today as badminton was modernized in British-occupied India during the mid-1800s. By the late 1930s, the game had become popularized in the United States. It became an Olympic event in 1992 and with the right equipment, it can also be played in the backyard! To comply with the current protocol on social distancing, I suggest a singles game. [Editor's note: it looks like two racquets' length apart should do it.]

Top photo: croquet mallets lined up for measuring (HL76.1.1360.2-9)
Bottom photo: close-up of croquet balls - you can still see a little of their original paint (HL76.1.1360.10-17)

Next is a croquet set from the first half of the 20th century. This set is also attributed to the Degn collection at Hope Lodge. The modern game of croquet originated in the 1850s in England and by the 1870s it had reached the U.S. It waned in popularity during the turn of the century but had a resurgence in the 1920s and 30s and then again in the 1960s and 70s. This set is likely from that first resurgence period.

What kind of activities are you doing to beat cabin fever?

The New Normal (for Now)

For information on closures and other schedule changes on the PA Trails of History, please see last week's post (it will also give you an idea of how rapidly things were changing late last week and over the weekend.) For ongoing updates, visit PHMC's homepage or the official Commonwealth of PA COVID-19 info page.

My home "office" on Monday morning

For now, we're settling in for site closures through the end of March and event cancellations through the end of April (we'll post updates as we get them). It's tremendously disruptive to site programming and operations (and we've had to postpone our annual Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony), but it's where we are. Those of us who can work remotely from home are teleworking, rapidly improving our Skype and other online meeting skills. Other staff are checking on buildings and tending to animals and plants, working one-at-a-time. We're doing our part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 by social distancing and "flattening the curve" (I found this Washington Post simulation to be a useful illustration).

My home "office" Thursday afternoon

Site personnel and social media folks are quickly exploring ways to share interesting historical content with the public (beyond what they normally do, of course, which is a lot). Here are a few examples. If you aren't already following your favorite sites on social media, now is a good time to check them out.


Image description: black and white photo of two men in shirt sleeves and hats, standing on either side of a large tree with a notch cut out. They are each holding one end of a two-man crosscut saw. Text reads, "Woodhick Social Distancing...keep one crosscut saw's length apart."

The Pennsylvania Military Museum blog is sharing information about items in their collection and the personal stories they represent. Stories include that of a US Army private in France during World War I and that of an American sailor from Erie who took part in the nuclear tests known as "Operation Crossroads" (the Flagship Niagara Facebook page shared the post to their followers as well). New content will be posted as staff continues to gather and share information.

Speaking of Erie, the Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara issued a "Marine Art Challenge," sharing paintings of ships and other maritime scenes and inviting families (and anyone else) to create their own art and post it.

Miners lamp from the collection of Anthracite Heritage Museum (via Facebook)

Expect to see lots of photos of our collections in the coming weeks. The Anthracite Heritage Museum posted the image above and invited followers to answer a question about what the letters stand for (and a bonus question about where the lamp was made). You can find the answers in the comments on this Facebook post.


Pennsbury Manor used their Facebook page to ask readers what kinds of content they want to see.


And I will leave you with these lovely photos from Graeme Park's Facebook page. Please be safe, be calm, and visit the Trails of History virtually during this time. And support your local businesses if you can.