The State Museum of Pennsylvania

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The State Museum of Pennsylvania We are The State Museum of Pennsylvania history, science and art. Originally located next to the Capitol, the museum moved to its current location in 1964.
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Since its creation in 1905, The State Museum of Pennsylvania has collected, preserved, researched, and interpreted the cultural and natural history of the state. It became a bureau of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in 1945.

Meet us at the library! Join The State Museum of Pennsylvania's educators each month for a program at the George & Hetti...
10/20/2026

Meet us at the library! Join The State Museum of Pennsylvania's educators each month for a program at the George & Hettie Love Memorial Library in Harrisburg. Designed primarily for children in pre-K through Grade 2, these 45-minute program will pair direct instruction with experiential activities…and of course there will be fun!

On Wednesday, November 18, bring the kids to learn about Eastern wild turkey in Pennsylvania. Participants will have a chance to get hands-on with a turkey tail, wing, feet, and skull. Registration is required for each program and space is limited - https://statemuseumpa.org/calendar/

Programs are presented in partnership with Dauphin County Library System.

Sign up for the November Learn at Lunchtime program, “Death in the Geologic Record.” Aaron Bierly, senior geoscientist w...
10/19/2026

Sign up for the November Learn at Lunchtime program, “Death in the Geologic Record.” Aaron Bierly, senior geoscientist with the Bureau of Geological Survey Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will share how scientists learn about ancient environments, as well as how the corpses of prehistoric life are utilized in our society today.

Sign up - https://statemuseumpa.org/events/virtual-nov/

The Hubble Space Telescope is shedding new light on the Andromeda Galaxy, a.k.a. Messier 31 (M31). This is the nearest m...
10/17/2026

The Hubble Space Telescope is shedding new light on the Andromeda Galaxy, a.k.a. Messier 31 (M31). This is the nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Andromeda is larger and holds more stars than the Milky Way. Andromeda is located about 2.5 million light-years away. Although small to our eyes, Andromeda roughly measures 200,000 light-years across and contains 1 trillion stars. Try spotting Andromeda in the fall night sky.

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-31/

10/15/2026

NFL player, coach and Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, a Pennsylvania native, was a star on his Aliquippa High School football 🏈 team. In 1955, playing as tight end and defensive end, he helped the Quips achieve their come-from-behind victory over Mt. Lebanon, clinching their second WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Association League Class AA) championship. After the game, the team cut down this section of a goal post, painted it, and kept it in their locker room to commemorate the win. Aliquippa’s longtime coach, Michael Zmijanac, later donated the piece to The State Museum of Pennsylvania.

Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, , Pro Football Hall of Fame

Do you know what Pennsylvania’s state fossil is? Maybe you didn’t know we had one! On December 5, 1988, an extinct sea ...
10/14/2026

Do you know what Pennsylvania’s state fossil is? Maybe you didn’t know we had one!

On December 5, 1988, an extinct sea dwelling creature was designated as the official state fossil of Pennsylvania. The bill declared that “Phacops rana” was a ruler of the seas that covered Pennsylvania during the Cambrian period and was found in many parts of the state.

“Phacops rana” has been re-classified as the species “Eldredgeops rana”, although from a legislative standpoint the state fossil still remains as “Phacops rana”.

Learn more - http://bit.ly/3IZVjWv

Happy Birthday 382nd birthday, William Penn! Rendering of Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Chamber Mural "Law of Reason: Pen...
10/14/2026

Happy Birthday 382nd birthday, William Penn!

Rendering of Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Chamber Mural "Law of Reason: Penn the Law-Giver" by artist Violet Oakley installed at the Pennsylvania State Capitol. View this artifact in the museum's online collection - https://bit.ly/46CY4VW

Are you ready for a party? Celebrate William Penn’s 382nd birthday. Learn about Pennsylvania’s founder, discover what fe...
10/13/2026

Are you ready for a party? Celebrate William Penn’s 382nd birthday. Learn about Pennsylvania’s founder, discover what festivities looked like in the 1640s and make a period toy. Join The State Museum of Pennsylvania's educators tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14 at 12:00 PM at the George & Hettie Love Memorial Library in Harrisburg.

Five spots remain! Registration is required - https://statemuseumpa.org/events/oct-dcls/

Programs are presented in partnership with Dauphin County Library System.

How do scientists learn about ancient environments? The death of prehistoric organisms is captured in the geologic recor...
10/11/2026

How do scientists learn about ancient environments? The death of prehistoric organisms is captured in the geologic record and these remains play an important role in geology.

Sign up for the November Learn at Lunchtime program - “Death in the Geologic Record” - with Aaron Bierly, senior geoscientist with the Bureau of Geological Survey Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Learn about fossilization, the types of rocks that hold fossil remains, fossils that capture the exact moment of death, and how those fossiliferous rocks are utilized in our society. Sign up and learn more - https://statemuseumpa.org/events/virtual-nov/

Spend your lunchtime with us! It is not too late to sign up for today’s virtual Learn at Lunchtime program with Matt Whi...
10/09/2026

Spend your lunchtime with us! It is not too late to sign up for today’s virtual Learn at Lunchtime program with Matt White, Historian and Research Fellow for the Friends of Washington Crossing Park.

https://statemuseumpa.org/events/virtual-oct/

This free virtual program is presented via Zoom. Registration is required. Can't attend live? Register to receive a direct link to watch the recorded webinar.

Half of the major meteor showers occur in fall night skies, meaning you can probably spot a meteor on any night. However...
10/07/2026

Half of the major meteor showers occur in fall night skies, meaning you can probably spot a meteor on any night.

However, you have a better chance of seeing them using the following schedule:
Draconids (Oct. 6-10, peak Oct. 8–9)
Orionids (Oct. 2-Nov. 7, peak Oct. 21–22)
Southern Taurids (Sept. 20-Nov. 20, peak Nov. 4-5)
Northern Taurids (Oct. 20-Dec.10, peak Nov. 8-9)
Leonids (Nov. 6-Nov. 30, peak Nov. 17-18)
Geminids (Dec. 4-20, peak Dec. 13-14)
Ursids (Dec. 13-24, peak Dec. 21-22)

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/seasonal/autumn-the-season-of-meteor-showers-is-about-to-begin-for-2026

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300 North Street
Harrisburg, PA
17120

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