LancasterHistory

LancasterHistory LancasterHistory is a non-profit history organization in Lancaster, PA. We're also known as LancasterHistory.org though the ".org" was dropped in 2019.
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Also developing the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, set to open Spring 2026. This is the official page of LancasterHistory, formerly known as Lancaster County's Historical Society.

There’s more to Wheatland than what’s inside the house. 🌳James Buchanan is best known as our nation’s 15th President, bu...
09/02/2026

There’s more to Wheatland than what’s inside the house. 🌳

James Buchanan is best known as our nation’s 15th President, but at Wheatland, he was also the owner of a 22.5-acre gentleman’s farm - complete with meadows, orchards, gardens, and working grounds.

On Saturday, September 12, join Stephanie Celiberti, Manager of President James Buchanan’s Wheatland, for “Gardens, Grounds, & a Gentleman’s Farm: A Walk Around Wheatland.”

Explore the property beyond the mansion and discover how Wheatland functioned as both a working farm and green space during Buchanan’s twenty years here.

Two outdoor walking tours will be offered at 10am and 1pm. 🌿 Comfortable walking shoes are encouraged!

🎟️ Advance reservations are highly recommended, as tours may sell out. LancasterHistory Members receive complimentary admission, and Museums for All pricing is available.

Reserve your spot at the link in our bio or on our website!

On Thursday, September 10, LancasterHistory welcomes Michael Clemmons, former Vice President of the Mother Bethel AME Ch...
08/25/2026

On Thursday, September 10, LancasterHistory welcomes Michael Clemmons, former Vice President of the Mother Bethel AME Church Historical Society, for a lecture: Entrepreneur, Reverend, Abolitionist: Stephen Smith’s Journey From Columbia to Philadelphia.

Born into slavery in Dauphin County, Smith came to Columbia, Pennsylvania, as a young man and went on to become a successful businessman, minister, and powerful voice in the abolitionist movement. His life and work would eventually take him from Columbia to Philadelphia, where he became an influential leader in the city’s Black community.

Clemmons will explore Smith’s extraordinary life and his connections to the Black communities of both Columbia and Philadelphia - and the legacy he left behind.

📍 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center
🥂 Reception | 5:00 PM
🎤 Lecture | 5:30 PM
💻 In person and streaming online

08/25/2026

"History Lives Here" 🏛️

Our new promotional film for The Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, created in partnership with LancasterHistory.

After encountering an invitation to "write yourself into the story," a young man moves through present-day Lancaster as the city transforms into animated visions of the world Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith once knew, inspiring another young person to discover that history isn't only something to learn, it's something they're invited to step into and make happen.

This film was written, shot, and edited by students alongside Lead facilitators Yaselyn Perez + Dakarai Daniels in our Ripple Creators Media Camp this summer, under the theme "History Lives Here." Made possible with funding from Lancaster County STEM Alliance and support from PCA&D - Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.

August is American Artist Appreciation Month!🎨 This week, we're celebrating Florence Starr Taylor (1904-1991), a trailb...
08/19/2026

August is American Artist Appreciation Month!🎨

This week, we're celebrating Florence Starr Taylor (1904-1991), a trailblazing Lancaster artist, illustrator, and reporter. She was the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal's first female reporter and artist. From sketching local homes and landmarks to becoming PBS's first staff artist, her 70-year career left a lasting impact on Lancaster and beyond!

➡️ Swipe through to learn more about Florence's remarkable legacy, then stop by LancasterHistory's Museum Store to take home a copy of her work!

08/19/2026

What an evening on the lawn! 🎶🌿

Thank you to Untethered, featuring Paul Giess and jazz trio, Jam, for filling James Buchanan’s backyard with music this past Saturday - and to everyone who joined us for another beautiful summer evening at LancasterHistory.

There’s something special about gathering together on the lawn at Wheatland, settling into a chair or blanket, and enjoying live music beneath the trees of the Tanger Arboretum.

And we’re not finished yet! 🎸

Our 2026 Music on the Lawn series returns on September 19 with Matt Hostetter, a Lancaster-based singer and guitarist whose music draws from American roots traditions including folk, blues, and jazz.

Bring a blanket or chair, pack a picnic, and join us for one more evening of live music on the lawn!

🎶 LancasterHistory members: FREE
🎶 Kids: FREE
🎶 Adults: $10 suggested donation

A special thank you to our 2026 Music on the Lawn sponsors for helping us bring live music to the LancasterHistory campus: Mosaic Lancaster • Ville Painters • and EHD Insurance.

🎶 TOMORROW! Music on the Lawn returns! 🎶Philadelphia-based collective Untethered will perform on the Wheatland lawn at L...
08/14/2026

🎶 TOMORROW! Music on the Lawn returns! 🎶

Philadelphia-based collective Untethered will perform on the Wheatland lawn at LancasterHistory tomorrow, August 15, from 5–7pm!

Led by Paul Giess and featuring Lee Clarke, Timothy Ragsdale, and Mazae, Untethered brings its jazzy sound to James Buchanan’s backyard for a summer evening of music, community, and good company.

Bring your family and friends, grab a spot on the lawn, and join us! ☀️🎺

🎟️ $10 for adults (18+)
✨ FREE for LancasterHistory members and children

Get your tickets today at the link in our bio!

We are grateful to our 2026 Music on the Lawn season sponsors: Mosaic Lancaster • Ville Painters • and EHD Insurance!

Music on the Lawn continues on August 15 with Philadelphia-based collective Untethered, led by Paul Giess with Lee Clark...
08/06/2026

Music on the Lawn continues on August 15 with Philadelphia-based collective Untethered, led by Paul Giess with Lee Clarke, Timothy Ragsdale, and Mazae.🎶Bring your family and friends and enjoy this jazzy band in James Buchanan’s backyard. We'll also welcome the local ice cream shop, Splits & Giggles, who will serve delicious scoops while you enjoy the music!🍨

Come connect with the community under the open sky. Get your ticket today by visiting our website https://buff.ly/EyJeu7j

We are thankful to our 2026 Music on the Lawn season sponsors: , , EHD Insurance

08/04/2026

Looking for something to do this August!?📆

Explore a wide range of events all month long with LancasterHistory and The Stevens & Smith Center! This First Friday, stop by the Stevens & Smith Center during special after-hours “Pay What You Wish” admission from 5-8pm. Journey through Lancaster’s newest museum and discover the extraordinary lives of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith.📜 This is perfect for families and after-work visitors!

On August 15, be sure to bring a blanket and tasty bites for LancasterHistory’s Music on the Lawn, featuring Paul Gesis’s Untethered. Then see us again on August 22 for a special nighttime presentation: “The Nocturnal World of Moths.”🦋 Get the chance to observe moths up close, learn about nocturnal insects, and enjoy an outdoor family experience guided by Lancaster Conservancy Naturalist Keith Williams.

You don’t want to miss out on all this fun and so much more! Visit the link in our bio for more information on August events.

If you’ve spent any time on the LancasterHistory campus this summer, you’ve likely heard the unmistakable hum of a hummi...
08/03/2026

If you’ve spent any time on the LancasterHistory campus this summer, you’ve likely heard the unmistakable hum of a hummingbird before you ever spotted one.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are among the Arboretum’s most captivating summer residents. For several weeks, a vibrant crocosmia (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora) along the footpath near the Wheatland Carriage House became a beacon for every hummingbird in the neighborhood. If you stood quietly for just a few minutes, you were almost guaranteed to see one dart in to sip nectar before vanishing again.

Now those fiery blooms have faded - but the hummingbirds haven’t gone far.

Instead, they’ve simply followed the flowers. Recently, several hummingbirds have been staking out the colorful planter boxes in front of the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. From dawn to dusk, tiny aerial dogfights erupt as rivals chase one another through the Tanger Arboretum, fiercely defending their favorite flowers. For birds that weigh little more than a penny, they have no shortage of moxie!

Those beautiful seasonal planters, generously designed and maintained by our friends at The Gilded Lily, have become more than a welcoming splash of color for visitors - they’ve become a favorite source of food for the pollinators on campus.

Whether you’re exploring the Tanger Arboretum, wandering the grounds of Wheatland, or simply visiting the Museum & Research Center, take a moment to slow down and look closely. The wildlife is all around you - you just have to know where to look.

Photos by LancasterHistory’s own Director of Marketing and Communications, Jason Traverse. Hummingbirds are his favorite photography subject!

Address

230 N President Avenue
Lancaster, PA
17603

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+17173924633

Website

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