LancasterHistory

05/21/2026

On Thursday, May 28, LancasterHistory will welcome Penn State University Professor Dr. John R. Haddad to discuss "Thrill Ride: The Transformation of Hersheypark." Dr. Haddad will explore how Hersheypark transformed from an old-fashioned amusement park into a modern entertainment complex modeled after Disneyland, answering the question of when and how the park discovered its magic formula of thrill rides and chocolate theming.

A reception will precede the lecture at 5pm, followed by the main event at 5:30pm. The lecture will be available via livestream but will not be publicly available after the event concludes. This lecture is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. To register for this event, please click the link in our bio, or call 717.392.4633 to register over the phone.

05/19/2026

Have you taken a DNA test and want to use it to grow your family tree? This is the workshop for you! Join genealogist Donna Backus on Saturday, May 23, 10am–12pm at LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center for "Make Sense of Your DNA Matches: A Genealogy Workshop." Participants will learn to identify unknown matches, recognize matches already in their tree, add matches to their family tree, and sort and group DNA results. Register here https://buff.ly/oaXtj4j or call 717-392-4633. Please have already taken a DNA test, preferably through Ancestry.com.

05/08/2026

Lancaster, you came to party!

What started as a vision has now opened its doors, and last weekend, you helped us celebrate in a big way. Music. Movement. Community. History in motion. This was certainly a block party for the history books.

Another big thank you is due to our grand opening weekend sponsors, and

The Stevens & Smith Center is here! For tickets, visit stevensandsmith.org or click the link in our bio.

05/06/2026

Join LancasterHistory for the special guided tour, Harriet Lane: America's Fair First Lady of the Land, on Saturday, May 9, with tours from 10am-3pm. Harriet Lane was the first hostess of the White House to be publicly referred to as the “First Lady.” Although she was not the president's wife, she flourished in the role and helped define it for future First Ladies. In celebration of Harriet Lane's 196th birthday, visitors will explore Harriet Lane’s life from her childhood with her uncle James Buchanan and her role in the White House, to the personal losses she endured and the legacy she left behind. To register, please visit https://buff.ly/Ayu41ds

05/02/2026

The Block Party is underway - we’re rocking until 6pm! Come on down to Vine Street and join the fun!

04/30/2026

It’s happening, Lancaster - The Grand Opening of the Stevens & Smith Center is this weekend!

Visit stevensandsmith.org or click the link in our bio for full information on the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on May 1, and the Community Block Party on May 2.

04/28/2026

We are thrilled to welcome award-winning poet Evita Colon as a featured performer for the Stevens & Smith Center Grand Opening Weekend! Evita will be performing her music and spoken-word poetry throughout this exciting weekend. Also known as PoeticSoulQueen, Evita is a published poet, recording artist, playwright, director, and founder of Speak to My Soul LLC

She is a Grammy-nominated spoken-word artist, Recording Academy member, International FLO Poet, Baldwin Cohort Leader, and Lancaster City's first Poet Laureate, who fuses poetry and music into powerful anthems of healing and transformation. We can't wait to see her light up the stage this Friday and Saturday!

04/28/2026

The LancasterHistory team got a sneak peek at an almost completed Stevens & Smith Center, just before our grand opening beginning this Friday, May 1st. After an unforgettable ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, join us on Saturday, May 2nd for the Community Block Party for History!

The last of the artifacts are being carefully put in place, lighting cues are being tweaked, and cleaning crews have the Center immaculately cleaned for its very first visitors. Get ready, Lancaster!

Find more info on this weekend’s events and our grand opening at stevensandsmith.org or at the link in our bio.

04/28/2026

04/27/2026

Lancaster is getting ready for a party that's millions of dollars and a quarter-century in the making -- or 180 years in the making, depending on how you look at