The State Museum of Pennsylvania

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.

Sign up for the next Learn at Lunchtime program from The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 12:15...
05/30/2026

Sign up for the next Learn at Lunchtime program from The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 12:15 P.M.

Pymatuning State Park is one of the largest state parks in Pennsylvania with a rich and interesting history. Join Jared McGary, Environmental Education Specialist with Pennsylvania State Parks and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, to learn more about a unique historical event that helped change naval warfare during World War II – torpedo testing at Pymatuning State Park.

Presentations begin at 12:15 PM and are followed by a question-and-answer session. Registration is required to attend the free, virtual program - https://statemuseumpa.org/events/virtual-pymatuning/

Making your Saturday plans? Spend some time at Artsfest at Riverfront Park in Harrisburg and then bring the kids to visi...
05/30/2026

Making your Saturday plans? Spend some time at Artsfest at Riverfront Park in Harrisburg and then bring the kids to visit the museum and play in Curiosity Connection. Kids ages 1-5 can nurture their imaginations in the State Museum’s hands-on space. Pick carrots with a piglet, shop at the farmer’s market and say hello to the big chick!

Included with museum admission. Plan your visit https://statemuseumpa.org/

Join us on Flag Day, Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 P.M. for “Crafting the Myth: Betsy Ross and the Flag” as Dr. Aimee Newell d...
05/29/2026

Join us on Flag Day, Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 P.M. for “Crafting the Myth: Betsy Ross and the Flag” as Dr. Aimee Newell dives into the origin story of one of the American Revolution’s long held and most beloved tales. Learn about the real Betsy Ross and how the mythology around the creation of the nation’s first flag grew to what it is today.

The 45-minute presentation will take place near the changing exhibit gallery on Floor 1. Museum admission is free for guests registered for the lectures.

https://statemuseumpa.org/events/rlmay/

In 1957, William Myers, his wife Daisy, and their children became the first black family to move into Levittown, a subur...
05/29/2026

In 1957, William Myers, his wife Daisy, and their children became the first black family to move into Levittown, a suburban housing development in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The family was met with pushback and the protests that resulted in the neighborhood made national news. This image of the Myers family in their home was taken by a Look Magazine photographer in 1958.

Discover the story of the Myers family and how their resolve helped advance further integration efforts as part of three stories of integration in Pennsylvania during the Civil Right movement. Visit “A Place for All: Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania” on Floor 1.

Plan your visit - https://statemuseumpa.org/

Oology is the branch of ornithology focused on the study of bird eggs. Researchers gather data about the size, shape, co...
05/28/2026

Oology is the branch of ornithology focused on the study of bird eggs. Researchers gather data about the size, shape, coloration, and structural composition of eggs. But not only do the eggs have scientific value, historically they have an aesthetic value as well.

Egg collecting was a popular hobby in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Naturalists and bird hobbyists collected eggs in the wild of various sizes, shapes or colors that were sold, traded and displayed. This mass removal of eggs eventually threatened local bird populations. The passage of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act made it illegal to collect, possess, or trade the eggs of most wild birds in the United States without a federal permit. Later, many of these egg collections were donated to museums or other types of research institutions.

Take a closer look at the oology collection in the museum’s online collection - https://bit.ly/42D82ET

Did your Memorial Day weekend plans take you travelling across the Commonwealth along the Pennsylvania Turnpike? “Americ...
05/28/2026

Did your Memorial Day weekend plans take you travelling across the Commonwealth along the Pennsylvania Turnpike?

“America’s First Superhighway” opened in October 1940 and was considered an engineering marvel. At that time, drivers stopped at a tollbooth to pay a fee to a collector for using the road which stretched 160 miles from Carlisle to Irwin. Today, the Pennsylvania Turnpike includes over 550 miles of road and, since 2020, uses electronic toll collection including E-Z pass and toll by plate.

Visit the Pennsylvania Turnpike exhibit on Floor 2 in the Transportation and Industry Gallery.

Plan your visit https://statemuseumpa.org/

Otter-ly adorable! Otters are semi-aquatic mammals found living near rivers and streams across Pennsylvania, including t...
05/27/2026

Otter-ly adorable! Otters are semi-aquatic mammals found living near rivers and streams across Pennsylvania, including the Susquehanna River. These mustelids are curious, playful and graceful swimmers. They obtain most of their food from the water including fish, frogs, shellfish, crayfish and turtles.

View the river otter in the Mammal Hall 360 online exhibit - https://www.exhibitstudiosmedia.com/tours/21471_mammal_hall/

Nature writer and marine biologist Rachel Carson helped launch the modern environmental movement with her 1962 book, “Si...
05/27/2026

Nature writer and marine biologist Rachel Carson helped launch the modern environmental movement with her 1962 book, “Silent Spring.” Carson’s book brought attention to the harmful effects of pesticides, stressed the importance of conserving all living things and highlighted the concerns that Americans had about their health and the environment.

Born on this day in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson is one of the Pennsylvania women featured in the Game Changers: PA Women Who Made History exhibit located on the Floor 1.

Plan your visit - https://statemuseumpa.org/

Are you keeping up with the peregrine falcons nesting on the Rachel Carson State Office Building using the FalconCam? https://bit.ly/3KYJ0Vh

Do you know where in the museum this artifact can be found?Pennsylvania German ArtsQuilting was a pastime among Amish an...
05/26/2026

Do you know where in the museum this artifact can be found?

Pennsylvania German Arts

Quilting was a pastime among Amish and Mennonite women that provided an opportunity for socializing with friends, neighbors and family members. Pennsylvania Germans or Pennsylvania Dutch have long been distinguished by their unique decorative arts, which feature traditional folk motifs such as hearts, tulips, birds, and stars.

View more examples of Pennsylvania German decorative arts in the Pennsylvania Icons exhibit on Floor 1.

Plan your visit https://statemuseumpa.org

Address

300 North Street
Harrisburg, PA
17120

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