The following It's History! programs are available to stream On Demand with PCN Select.
Eliot Ness Museum (2023): Located in Coudersport, the Eliot Ness Museum celebrates the life and career of Eliot Ness, an American Prohibition agent best known for sending mobster Al Capone to Alcatraz. The museum showcases antique cars and trucks, as well as exhibits of historical items from Ness’ lifetime such as pictures, documents, letters, badges, furniture, empty bottles of authentic 1930s alcohol, and more.
Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum (2023): The Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum exhibits stories of local eyewitness accounts and their experiences before, during, and after the Civil War. The museum has twelve exhibits, each interactive and showcasing artifacts authentic to the time period of the Battle of Gettysburg, and is located inside the Adams County Historical Society house. One particular exhibit offers visitors an immersive experience inside a reconstructed farmhouse as lights, sound, and visual technology simulates what citizens experienced during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Old Swedish Burial Ground (2023): Also known as the Saint Paul’s Burial Ground, the Old Swedish Burial Ground was established in 1643 by Swedish settlers and is located at Route 291 and Welsh Street. The burial ground is also the site of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church built in 1702 and the grave of John Morton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It is also located alongside the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, the trail George Washington and French General Jean Rochambeau took when joining forces to fight the battle that won America its independence from the British.
Railroaders Memorial Museum (2023): Located in Altoona, the Railroaders Memorial Museum focuses on the history of railroad communities and workers in Altoona, the Altoona Works railroad complex, and the larger Pittsburgh area. The museum has operated since 1998 inside the Master Mechanics Building, which was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1882. The museum also operates a separate museum, observatory, and visitor center at the Horseshoe Curve in Blair County.
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center (2023): The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center began in 1890 as an informal book collection inside a private Berks County home. Two years later, the collection was moved to Pennburg where it serves as a nonprofit historical library, archive, and museum. The museum aims to preserve, protect, and interpret written text and artifacts of the Perkiomen Valley and is known for its collection of Schwenkfelder fraktur, a type of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art consisting of documents written in black-letter type and decorated with many different symbols and colors.
The Old Jail: Franklin County Historical Society (2023): The Franklin County Historical Society is based in Chambersburg and focuses on preserving Cumberland Valley history through its museum and genealogy library. The society also promotes the preservation of historic sites and oversees property, such as the Old Jail. The Old Jail was built in 1818 and operated as such for 150 years, surviving the Confederates’ burning of Chambersburg in 1864 and usage as a way-station on the Underground Railroad. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1970 and now serves as a museum.
Thomas Taber Museum (2023): The Thomas Taber Museum, located in Lycoming County, preserves and exhibits historical artifacts and art of north-central Pennsylvania. Its historical showcasing ranges from American Indian occupation to the 21st century, including an American Indian gallery, a Fine and Decorative Arts gallery, the Shempp Model Train exhibit with over 300 toy trains, and period rooms modeling life from the 18th-20th centuries.
West Overton Village - Scottdale, PA (2023): West Overton Village, established in 1803 by the Overholt family and preserved in 1928, is a village in southern Westmoreland County that became an industrial powerhouse during the 19th century. Henry Overholt founded a rye whiskey distillery in the village, which accrued popularity and fortune for the community. The village was also home to Henry Clay Frick, Overholt’s great-grandson and one of the most well-known industrialists in Western Pennsylvanian history.
Berks History Center - Reading, PA (2022): Founded in 1869, the Berks History Center is a research library and museum that aims to preserve Berks County’s culture and heritage. The center began collecting artifacts in June 1898, and its building was dedicated on October 1, 1929, where the history center resides today. Some of the Berks History Center’s exhibits include a Pennsylvania German gallery and a photography collection of Dr. William A. Haman, a prominent physician in Reading during the early 20th century.
Berwick Historical Society - Berwick, PA (2022): Incorporated in 1940, the Berwick Historical Society is a society headquartered in Berwick that was founded by 15 people in 1938. The society aims to preserve historical sites and buildings, collect and preserve documents significant to Berwick genealogy, maintain a library and museum of Berwick history and artifacts, and collect artifacts relevant to local history. The Berwick Historical Society’s logo - the American Car and Foundry (ACF) surrounded by an Indian teepee, a log cabin, and the profiles of a pioneer settler and Susquehannock Indian - was designed by Russel Fahringer, a commercial artist and World War II veteran.
Bloomsburg Children’s Museum - Bloomsburg, PA (2022): The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum was opened in 1985 and is a non-profit organization run by local volunteers, staffing, committees, and a board of directors. The museum houses more than 50 interactive exhibits, as well as activities, classes, and educational/working programs for all ages. The facility aims to take local artifacts and historical records, and provide hands-on educational services for the Bloomsburg area. The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum also has space available to rent for events and parties, honoring its dedication to the community.
Catawissa Railroad - Philadelphia, PA (2022): Operating from 1860 to 1953, the Catawissa Railroad was a Pennsylvania railroad leased by the Reading Company and ran approximately 99 miles long. Catawissa was headquartered in Philadelphia and started construction in 1835, but was eventually merged with the Reading Company in 1953 and fully abandoned in 1976. The railroad ran from Ringtown to the Susquehanna Bridge, where the bridge sits abandoned but still intact to this day.
Donora Smog Museum and Historical Society - Donora, PA (2022): The Donora Historical Society was established in 1946 and remains the oldest community historical society in Washington County. The museum aims to restore, preserve, and research Donora’s extensive local history, especially focusing on artifacts from the 1948 Donora smog that affected and claimed the lives of many local citizens and animals. On the week of October 24, 1948, a three-day smog claimed 26 lives, and thousands of people fell ill and were impacted as far as the neighboring communities of Webster and Sunnyside across the river. The Donora Smog museum was opened in 2008 in conjunction with the Donora Historical Society, where visitors can observe exhibits of the town’s foundings, historic steel mills, the tragedy of the 1948 Donora smog, and local organizations/clubs.
Henry Antes House - Perkiomenville, PA (2022): The Henry Antes House is a historic house and now-museum built in 1736 by its original owner and namesake, Henry Antes. The house is a modern-day example and exhibition of Moravian-style settlement architecture, and is deemed an oddity due to its original interior partition walls and ceilings having survived to this day. The house served as headquarters for former President George Washington during the Philadelphia Campaign of the Revolutionary War in September 1777. The Henry Antes House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992 and now operates as a museum.
The Jackson Mansion (2022): Based in Berwick, the Jackson Mansion was built in 1878 for Colonel Clarence G. Jackson, a Civil War veteran, and his family. The mansion has a separate building, initially built for the parlor maids to live in, located on the street over. After Colonel Jackson’s sudden passing, the mansion was repurposed into Berwick City Hall but now is home to the Berwick Historical Society and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Lincoln Highway Experience - Latrobe, PA (2022): The Lincoln Highway Experience is a historical museum located on the Lincoln Highway between Latrobe and Ligonier, PA. The museum’s mission is to preserve Lincoln Highway artifacts, records, and any other historical memorabilia related to the Lincoln Highway. The museum has rotating exhibits that showcase restored 1930s Lincoln Highway items inside the Gantz Gallery and offers coffee and pie at the end of each tour.
The National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum - Coatesville, PA (2022): The National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum is a museum in Coatesville operated by the Graystone Society, a public charity registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations. The museum’s objective is to promote understanding of Pennsylvania’s history with iron and steel, and offers virtual exhibits that show the timeline history of iron & steel, how steel is made, and World War I’s impact on the production of iron and steel on a global scale.
National Pike Steam, Gas & Horse Association - Centerville, PA (2022): The National Pike Steam, Gas & Horse Association is a heritage museum located in Centerville that was opened in 1980. The association is best known for its show that takes place on the museum’s 100 acres of land, showcasing tractors, sawmill machinery and equipment, small engines, arts and crafts, flea markets, and live entertainment.
Pittsburgh Tattoo Art Museum - Pittsburgh, PA (2022): Opened in March 2022, the Pittsburgh Tattoo Art Museum is a tattoo museum that showcases artifacts belonging to famed tattoo artists like Percy Waters, Bert Grimm, and Lew Alberts. The museum features exhibits of different tattoo art throughout the course of American history, but it also splits its space with an actual tattoo shop that specializes in American traditional style tattooing.
Stuart Tank Memorial Museum - Berwick, PA (2022): The Stuart Tank Memorial Museum is a historical museum that showcases the Stuart M3 Light Tank, a tank manufactured during World War II in Berwick. Opened in April 2022, the museum also provides a history of Pennsylvania’s involvement in the tank production process during World War II. Approximately 15,000 Stuart tanks were made in Berwick, 10,000 of which were used by allies during the war, and were made inside the American Car and Foundry Factory from 1941 to 1944. Over 9,000 employees worked at this factory, the majority of which were women. The museum has three small rooms, but the museum occupies an old synagogue.
American Swedish Historical Museum - Philadelphia, PA (2021): The American Swedish Historical Museum is a museum in Philadelphia located in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park. The museum sits on land that is part of a historic land grant made in the 17th century by Queen Christina of Sweden for settlers of New Sweden. Founded in 1926 by Dr. Amandus Johnson, the museum currently sits as the oldest Swedish museum in the United States and is approximately 20,000 square feet. There are twelve exhibition galleries inside the American Swedish Historical Museum, which features artifacts like John Ericsson’s Solar Model, the Sinnickson Chest, and authentic Viking swords.
Antique Automobile Club of America Museum - Hershey, PA (2021): Incorporated as a Pennsylvania nonprofit education institution in 1993, the Antique Automobile Club of America museum is a motor vehicle history museum. The museum’s objective is to preserve and present historical motor vehicles, as well as provide educational exhibits for visitors on the history of motor manufacturing and innovation. It is 71,000 square feet and is officially called the AACA Museum at Hershey, and officially opened in June 2003. The displays offered at the AACA Museum rotate but have featured vintage vehicles with makes Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Maserati.
Boalsburg Heritage Museum - Boalsburg, PA (2021): The Boalsburg Heritage Museum is a museum with an educational and preservational commitment to Boalsburg history. The museum opened in 1984 and is open for visitors from April through December. The Boalsburg Heritage Museum was once a house built by William Murray in 1825 on a plot of land that housed a tannery operation. William M. Myers then bought the farm in 1902 where electricity was produced for Boalsburg until his death. In 1983, the Boalsburg Heritage Museum Association purchased the property and repurposed it into the local museum it stands as today.
Cambridge Springs Trolley Station - Cambridge Springs, PA (2021): The Cambridge Springs Trolley Station was built by the Erie Traction Company and was dedicated on November 29, 1910. It remains today as the last trolley station that stands between Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, but it also functions as an active museum and venue for events like meetings, bridal/baby showers, parties, reunions, and even weddings. The station was active from 1910-1928, and has been used by notable people like former President William Howard Taft.
Conneaut Lake Historical Society - Conneaut Lake, PA (2021): The Conneaut Lake Historical Society was established in 1999 by Gail Fales, Bobbie Moyers, and George Rutherford who all three became charter members of the organization. The Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that has been headquartered in the old Community Hall since 2003, and aims to preserve local history. Some of the exhibits include showcases of Conneaut Lake’s boats, schools, military, sports, parks, Barber Cemetery, and Woolly Mammoth bones found at the site of Nye’s Marina.
Conococheague Institute - Mercersburg, PA (2021): The Conococheague Institute is a historical organization registered as a charity in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and was initially founded to preserve an 18th and 19th-century homestead. Since then, the facility has evolved to a specialized focus on educating the youth about the area; the land on which the institute sits was the territory of the Massawomeck tribe, part of the Iroquois Nation, and the oldest buildings there are the Davis-Chambers house (used from 1740-1880) and the Eliab Negley House (used in the 1830s). These buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Electric City Trolley Museum - Scranton, PA (2021): Established 1999, the Electric City Trolley Museum is a transport museum located next to the Steamtown National Historic Site. The museum displays restored trolleys and electric railways like interurbans on former lines of the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad. The Electric City Trolley Museum Association owns the museum and began as the Metropolitan Philadelphia Railway Association in the 1960s, where its first car site was in New Jersey. In 1996, the museum was relocated to Scranton, and in 2006, the museum opened a 2,000-foot extension to a new station and trolley restoration facility in Moosic that simulates a typical interurban ride during the 1920s.
Laurel Hill State Park - Somerset, PA (2021): Laurel Hill State Park is a 3,900-acre state park in Somerset County home to the 63-acre man-made Laurel Hill Lake. In the 1880s, the Laurel Hill area saw a lumber boom but the area was abandoned after it was stripped by lumbermen and left to waste. In 1935, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration bought the then-wasteland and began revitalizing the area by clearing paths, planting trees, and building several facilities still in use at the park today. The state park was opened in October 1945 after the Department of the Interior transferred ownership of the project to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Laurel Hill RDA was registered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum - Allentown, PA (2021): The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is a museum and the headquarters of the Lehigh County Historical Society. The Lehigh County Historical Society is one of the largest historical societies in America, approximately 30,000 square feet. The museum is a climate-controlled facility home to one of the most notable historical research libraries in Pennsylvania, along with 6 galleries and over 13,000 square feet of exhibits. Some of the rotating exhibits include Native American artifacts, Presidential memorabilia, and the Lehigh Valley Trolley Service.
Meyersdale Historical Society - Meyersdale, PA (2021): The Meyersdale Historical Society was incorporated into the Western Maryland Railway Station Committee in September 1993 following the start of the Western Maryland Railway restoration project. The society continued even after the railway station was restored and has since expanded their objective to preserving buildings, personal property, landmarks, and historical artifacts of socioeconomic value.
Mount Davis - Somerset County, PA (2021): Mount Davis is the tallest mountain in Pennsylvania located in Somerset County. The mountain rests at approximately 3,210 feet above sea level and its peak is located in Forbes State Forest. Mount Davis is 4.5 miles from the Mason-Dixon Line, 10 miles from Meyersdale, and sits along a 30-mile ridgeline. The mountain is also home to 10 miles of hiking trails, including a 5-mile loop that is a popular tourist attraction.
PA Lumber Museum - Ulysses, PA (2021): Opened in 1972, the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is an educational museum located in wooded mountains in Potter County. The museum provides exhibits and educational showcasing of Pennsylvania’s lumber history, as well as general wilderness and forest care. A few of the interactive exhibits offered includes sawing a tree, piloting log rafts, and axe-swinging. The outdoor exhibits also display a historic log cabin built in 1936 and another log cabin built in the 1960s.
Quecreek Mine Rescue Site - Somerset, PA (2021): The Quecreek Mine Rescue Site is a historical site commemorating the Quecreek Mine Rescue that took place from July 24-28, 2002. On July 24, eighteen coal miners at the Quecreek Mine accidentally mined into the abandoned Saxman Coal / Harrison #2 Mine. The room and pillar mine were flooded with approximately 75 million gallons of water, trapping nine miners 240 feet underground for 77 hours. The nine miners - Randall Fogle, Harry “Blaine” Mayhugh, Jr., Thomas “Tucker” Foy, John Unger, John Phillippi, Ron Hileman, Dennis J. Hall, Robert Pugh, Jr., and Mark Popernack - were finally rescued at 2:45 AM on July 28.
Saegertown Heritage Society - Saegertown, PA (2021): The Saegertown Heritage Society is a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve historical artifacts, landmarks, and documents of Saegertown. The society exhibits these artifacts at their museum, the Saegertown Heritage Museum, and is headquartered in the McGill House. Currently standing as the oldest original structure in the United States, the McGill House was built in 1802 by Patrick McGill who helped found the first school in the area, farmed, and served in the War of 1812. Saegertown was once named McGill’s Settlement in honor of him and his contributions to the community.
Grove City Area Historical Society & Museum - Grove City, PA (2020): The Grove City Area Historical Society was incorporated in December 1998, the 200th year anniversary of Grove City’s founding. The society has been headquartered in the Traveler’s Hotel since 2000. The hotel was once full-functioning and now serves as a “certified haunting” building and visitor center exhibiting Grove City history. The society and museum is run by unpaid volunteers, and is a nonprofit organization.
The Library Company of Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA (2020): The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library that was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin. It is America’s first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution, and has functioned as a subscription library supported by shareholders since its founding. The Library Company of Philadelphia once served as the Library of Congress, and currently focuses its book collection on American culture/society spanning the 17th-19th centuries.
Mechanicsburg Museum Association - Mechanicsburg, PA (2020): Founded in 1975, the Mechanicsburg Museum Association was initially formed in a community effort to preserve the historic Stationmaster’s House from destruction. Since its founding, the organization has expanded to preserve and exhibit Mechanisburg’s history through galleries, acquisitions of historical buildings, and educational programs. Its historic buildings are the 1801 Frankenberger Tavern, 1886 CVRR Freight Station, 1867 CVRR Passenger Station, 1866 Stationmaster’s House, and 1899 Washington Street Station.
Nemacolin Castle - Brownsville, PA (2020): Also known as Bowman’s Castle, Nemacolin Castle was built in 1786 as a trading post shortly after the Revolutionary War and eventually developed into a castle. The castle was named after the founder of Brownsville, Thomas Brown, and its second name was derived from Nemacolin’s Trail, which was named after the Shawnee chief who once led a tribe that owned the property. In 1975, the castle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was run by the Daughters of the American Revolution before being acquired by the Brownsville Historical Society.
Winters Heritage House Museum - Elizabethtown, PA (2020): The Winters Heritage House Museum is a museum that was once two structures initially built in 1760 with Scots-Irish and German influence in its architecture. The houses were prepared for demolition in the late 1980s, but the Elizabethtown Preservation Associates acquired and repurposed them as a museum. These buildings are the community’s earliest structures and include the Seibert Genealogy Library and Resource Center, which exhibits ancestral records, recorded memories, maps, deeds, photographs, and family/tax & business records.
Brinton 1704 House - West Chester, PA (2019): Built in 1704, the William Brinton 1704 House is a historic museum in Delaware County. The house was built by William Brinton, Jr. and served as the residence of the Brinton family for more than 150 years until it was sold in 1860. This house was also one of the fourteen houses that stood within the battlefield area of the Battle of Brandywine during the Revolutionary War. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967.
Clemente Museum - Pittsburgh, PA (2019): The Roberto Clemente Museum is a museum dedicated to Roberto “The Great One” Clemente, a Puerto-Rican baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1950s-1970s who was considered one of the greatest players of his time. The museum is headquartered in a former firehouse, Engine House 25, and showcases historical artifacts like baseball art, photographs, memorabilia, literature, and other items related to Roberto Clemente.
Cumberland County Historical Society - Carlisle, PA (2019): Founded in 1874, the Cumberland County Historical Society is a historical organization that aims to preserve and exhibit Cumberland County’s history. The society was formed after the death of James Hamilton, Jr., an accredited lawyer, whose will bequeathed $2,000 and a 60-square-foot lot in Carlisle for the establishment of a library. Hamilton, Jr. requested that this library advance literature and showcase/preserve Cumberland County’s history, which has remained the historical society’s objective to this day.
DeBence Antique Music World - Franklin, PA (2019): The DeBence Antique Music World is a museum in Franklin that is home to over 200 antique musical instruments dating from the 1800s to the 1950s. The museum was opened by Jake and Elizabeth DeBence in the 1940s, and after their retirement in the 1960s, the town formed a non-profit corporation to purchase, preserve, and expand the collection. The corporation moved the collection out of the DeBence farmhouse into the G.C. Murphy 5 & 10 store, where it is still housed today. Many antiques at DeBence Antique Music World are rare; it is home to the 1927 Artizan Air-Calio, for example, which is the last of its kind in the world.
Hadden Stone House Museum - Saltsburg, PA (2019): Located in a historic stone house, the Rebecca B. Hadden Stone House Museum is a museum operated by the Saltsburg Area Historical Society. The museum details how the area grew from the first settlement to a canal and railroad stop, to a regional trade center. The Hadden Stone House Museum also features personal connections and artifacts of the town's past residents, industries that helped define the area from oil production, glass works, and the salt wells from which the town is named.
Independence Seaport Museum - Philadelphia, PA (2019): Opened in 1961 by J. Welles Henderson, the Independence Seaport Museum was initially opened as the Philadelphia Maritime Musem that aimed to collect, preserve, display, and study Philadelphia’s maritime history. In 1966, the museum organized its first major art exhibit that featured artwork with Delaware Valley maritime tradition/subject matter. The museum houses over 10,000 historical artifacts and art, including the oldest floating steel warship in the world, the Cruiser Olympia.
Mack Trucks Historical Museum - Allentown, PA (2019): Opened in 1984, the Mack Trucks Historical Museum is a non-profit museum that commemorates Mack Trucks’ history in the United States. The museum’s archives include truck build records, engineering drawings, memorabilia, service and parts information, photos, and a vintage Mack truck model collection. The museum also exhibits Mack Trucks and stores information on the truck manufacturer that is at least 25 years old.
Old Economy Village - Ambridge, PA (2019): The Old Economy Village is a historic settlement administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission along the banks of the Ohio River. The village is one of three remaining settlements established by the Harmony Society, a Christian theosophy and pietist society, and was founded in 1824. The society was officially dissolved in 1906 due to dwindling membership and bankruptcy. The village was named “Economy” after the spiritual notion of the Divine Economy, and was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1966 under the name of “Old Economy.”
Pennsylvania State Archives - Harrisburg, PA (2019): The Pennsylvania State Archives is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s official archive center and is administered as part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The center is a part of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex and functions to preserve, make available, and acquire valuable public records of Pennsylvania, specifically records of state government. The archives also acquire private papers related to the history of Pennsylvania and were created in 1903 as the Division of Public Records in the State Library.
American Helicopter Museum - West Chester, PA (2018): Founded in October 1996, the American Helicopter Museum & Education Center is a transport museum that concentrates on the history, science, and technology of rotary wing aviation. The museum was opened by Peter Wright, who served in the First American Volunteer Group (AVG), founded Keystone Helicopter Corporation, and was a sales manager of Helicopter Air Transport, Inc. Some of the aircrafts on display at the American Helicopter Museum are the Bell 47 (the first helicopter ever certified for civilian use), the V-22 Osprey prototype (an American military aircraft), and the Boeing MH-6J Little Bird (a United States Army special operations helicopter).
Fort Pitt Museum - Pittsburgh, PA (2018): The Fort Pitt Museum is a historical museum that is administered by the Senator John Heinz History Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The museum functions both indoors and outdoors and is located on land that was key to the control of the Ohio River Valley and western Pennsylvania in both the American Revolution and the French-Indian War. Fort Pitt Museum was built as a recreation of the British’s original Fort Pitt, which was built in 1758 during the French-Indian next to the French’s Fort Duquesne. The museum also exhibits the history of Fort Pitt’s role in Pittsburgh’s founding and the Whiskey Rebellion.
Gettysburg Dime Museum - Gettysburg, PA (2018): Opened in May 2016, the Gettysburg Dime Museum was an oddity museum that showcased the collection of founder Mark Kosh, who spent 20 years collecting sideshow items, wax figures, taxidermy, and other odd artifacts. The museum’s name is inspired by the dime museums that were popular during the 19th and 20th centuries, where admission only cost ten cents. Some of the most famous items displayed at the museum were the World’s Largest (and only) Ball of Ties and a room filled with artifacts left by serial killers like John Wayne Gacy. The Gettysburg Dime Museum closed two years after it opened in 2018.
J. Howard Wert Collection - Gettysburg, PA (2018): The J. Howard Wert Gettysburg Collection is a private collection of relics and artifacts from the Civil War. Wert was a native of the Gettysburg area, and after the Civil War, he was the first principal at Harrisburg High School. As Union and Confederate troops converged on the town, Wert served as a guide to the local area for Union Gen. George Meade. Beginning during the battle, Wert spent decades collecting artifacts from the fight. Join us as we explore a selection of swords, pistols, uniforms, spurs, bugles, and more used by soldiers of both sides during the battle.
National Watch & Clock Museum - Columbia, PA (2018): The National Watch & Clock Museum was opened in 1977 by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), a horology association founded in 1943 by clock/watch enthusiasts. The museum features the largest collection of timepieces from across the globe in North America, as well as the largest horological research institution in the world. Exhibits include non-mechanical timepieces like sundials and hourglasses, as well as the most modern devices like the atomic clock and wristwatches. 3,000 of these are on display, but the museum houses approximately 12,000 clocks and watches total.
PA German Cultural Heritage Center - Kutztown, PA (2018): Established in 1992, the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center is a folklife heritage museum and research facility in Berks County. The Heritage Center was developed to preserve, gather, and distribute history and knowledge of Pennsylvania German rural life in the southeast region of Pennsylvania. The facility is housed in the historic Sharadin Farmstead, spanning across 30 acres of farmland, and works closely with Kutztown University to engage the community with programming, exhibitions, lectures/conferences, and Pennsylvania-Dutch language classes.
PA State Police Museum - Hershey, PA (2018): The Pennsylvania State Police Historical, Educational, and Memorial Center is a museum in Hershey dedicated to exhibiting historic artifacts and memorabilia of the PA State Police. The facility also functions as a memorial honoring State Police, both living and deceased, and their service to the Commonwealth with a Remembrance Wall and garden. The museum also has a memorial library that houses records, official records, photographic records, and other documents that provide a historical perspective on the State Police force.
Rolls-Royce Foundation - Mechanicsburg, PA (2018): The Rolls-Royce Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission to operate as the only research and educational facility in the country dedicated to the history of Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles. The foundation is one of only two in the world and preserves, displays, and records historical motor cars and engines produced as early as 1905. The foundation directly oversees the Rolls-Royce Museum, America’s largest research facility and museum for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars located in Cumberland County, housing over 24 motorcars and an art gallery.
Senator John Heinz History Center - Pittsburgh, PA (2018): Opened in 1914, the Senator John Heinz History Center is the largest history museum in Pennsylvania and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is dedicated to preserving, storing, and showcasing Western Pennsylvania history and heritage, and houses the Thomas & Katherine Detre Library and Archives. The history center dates back to 1879 when the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania was founded, deeming it the oldest cultural/historical institution in the Western part of Pennsylvania. Some of its exhibits include a sports museum, traveling exhibitions, a Civil War exhibit, and vintage toys dating as far back as the 1950s.